Navigating Education in an AI World with Steven Dembo

Had a wonderful interview with Steven Dembo. Steven is an educational leader and was an early blogger when Web 2.0 first came out. Steven did some research about student use of Artificial Intelligence, which included student perceptions. Below is the audio and the summary of our conversation. I would love to hear your feedback.

Introduction Background: Steven is from the Chicago area with a rich background in education, including roles as a kindergarten teacher, director of technology, and work with Discovery Education. He returned to teaching just before the pandemic and has recently become the director of digital innovation and teaches middle school computer science. Steven has also served as an adjunct professor and a local school board member for 11 years.  

Connection: The interviewer has been following Steven's blog for about 15-16 years, initially recommended by Will Richardson, a thought leader in education.  

Main Topics Discussed Steven's Professional Journey Transition from Education to Discovery Education: Worked for about 10 years in Discovery Education's online community. Return to Teaching: Returned to teaching at Quest Academy, a private school for gifted students, three weeks before the pandemic.  

Current Role: Director of Digital Innovation at District 101 Western Springs, still teaching middle school computer science.  

Research on AI in Education Background: Quest Academy had already integrated AI into their curriculum before the ChatGPT boom, focusing on AI across all subjects and grade levels.  

Methodology: Conducted a study with students across 6th to 8th grades, dividing them into four groups based on their use of ChatGPT in the essay writing process.  

Group 1: Authored essays traditionally.  

Group 2: Used ChatGPT for pre-writing.  

Group 3: Used ChatGPT for post-writing editing.  

Group 4: Used ChatGPT for the entire writing process.  

Findings: Essays written traditionally or with pre-writing assistance from ChatGPT were rated higher in quality by peers. Essays fully written by ChatGPT were identified as the worst, often lacking depth and personal insight. Students were able to identify essays written by ChatGPT, noting a specific "accent" or pattern in writing.  

Ethical Use Policy for AI Outcome: Following the research, students developed an ethical use policy for AI, which was incorporated into the student handbook.  

Impact: This initiative built upon the school's existing familiarity and comfort with AI, fostering a healthier relationship with technology among students and staff.  

Action Items for Educators: Consider incorporating AI into the curriculum thoughtfully, recognizing its potential to assist in the learning process while being mindful of its limitations.  

For Students: Engage with AI technologies critically, understanding both their capabilities and the importance of personal input and creativity in academic work.  

Follow-up Points Sharing Research Findings: Steven plans to share insights from AI research and the development of the ethical use policy with a broader educational audience.  

Continued Dialogue on AI in Education: The conversation around the integration of AI in educational settings is ongoing, with plans to further explore its implications and best practices.  

Conclusion: The discussion with Steven highlighted the evolving role of AI in education, from enhancing the learning experience to necessitating new ethical considerations. By actively engaging with these technologies, educators and students can navigate the challenges and opportunities they present. 

Interview with Steven Dembo

I need some help with my project

I am taking a break. I have been working on a problem for the last few days and have gotten nowhere. That is not to say I have not learned. I am learning a lot. I cannot help but think about Problem-Based Learning. I have a problem, which I have not been able to conquer yet, and I am stepping away for a bit. Here is the problem. 

I am trying to do challenge. The challenge is number 9 of the 2015 Advent of Code. Full disclosure: I am using AI (ChatGPT, Copilot and Amazon Code Whisperer and Llama) to help me. These AI tools cannot do it all or really do it for you. No matter how much you use AI, you will have to make adjustments and you will face challenges and learn new things.  

Here is my code: 

#tsp = __import__('python-tsp')

#from python-tsp import tsp

#import ('python-tsp')

open = __import__('python-tsp')

#importlib.__import__('python-tsp')

import numpy as np

# Read the data from the file

data = []

with open('AOC9.txt', 'r') as file:

    for line in file:

        parts = line.strip().split()

        data.append(int(parts[-1]))

# Calculate the distance matrix

n = int(np.sqrt(2 * len(data)))

dist_matrix = np.zeros((n, n))

k = 0

for i in range(n):

    for j in range(i + 1, n):

        dist_matrix[i, j] = data[k]

        dist_matrix[j, i] = data[k]

        k += 1

# Calculate the shortest distance between all the points

path, distance = tsp(dist_matrix)

print(f"The shortest distance between all the points is {distance}.")

One of the things I learned is about naming modules. I learned that “python-tsp” stands for python minus tsp. TSP stands for Traveling Salesperson. At the top of my code, one can see that I tried many different commands/lines of code to import the “python-tsp” module.  

Now I know my module is downloaded to my machine. Here is a screenshot of the file listed in my terminal.

I also know that “python-tsp” is installed in the Mu Editor 

So, what am I doing wrong?  

Here is the original challenge I am trying to solve.  

 

Any help would be appreciated. 

ISTE Proposal and Alonso Martinez

I just submitted an RFP to ISTE, and I would be shocked if I was selected. Below is a link to my submission, and if you see anything that is glaring, I would love feedback so that I can fix it. This is the same presentation I am doing at NYSCATE 2023 in November. I am Sure there will be upgrades. Every time I present, I learn new stuff to add. As you may know from my previous blog post, my presentation helps teachers transition from block coding to syntax coding. Here is my ISTE RFP.

 

Document25.docx 

 
I am not going to focus on the “why” of this presentation, as I did in the previous blog post. The gist of this blog post is to get other eyes on my ISTE presentation and to let you know that I recommended someone as a keynote speaker for ISTElive2024. I recommend Alonso Martinez. Now, Alonso works for Google in the AI department. But previously, for 10 years, Alonso worked for Pixar. Alonso is an excellent artist and has an exceptional story. And I think his story would be important for educators to hear. Here is the video that acquainted me with Alonso and why I think he would be a great speaker.