Is There a Right or Wrong Way to Use AI?

It is obvious I use AI with my content. It has been a game changer for creating content. Rather than spending hours, tediously designing content, I just describe what I want and it is created in minutes. I used to spend hours zooming in on my designs to ensure lines were touching, or that I put something in the correct place. AI has made that so much easier. I spend more time on the quality of the content that users will interact with than the design now. 

AI was a game changer working in Technology as a Project Manager. I was able to use it to help write my project management software so that it automatically ran. I couldn't imagine managing 30+ projects by hand. No thank you! A lot of my work was data driven as well, but I had no API access into the platforms I needed the data from. AI helped me build website scrapers. AI has saved me so many hours in the work field. 

No matter the work field you are in, you will have exposure to AI in some way. It is important to create and implement AI Guidance. I use the term guidance as AI is ever changing, and if we use policy it makes it feel set in stone. I like guidance because it sets the guardrails, but leaves room to continue to adjust it as AI grows. It truly is amazing how many companies allow the use of AI, but don't have current guidance on its use. 

My husband's company recently purchased Microsoft Copilot for all office staff and is encouraging employees to explore how it can be incorporated into their daily work. When I asked what guidance the company had provided regarding appropriate use, he indicated that none had been communicated. I then asked whether the company had addressed issues such as entering customer information into Copilot or protecting proprietary information covered by licensing or manufacturing agreements. He was unsure how those situations should be handled, suggesting that employees may not have received guidance on the responsible use of AI in the workplace.

I worked in Technology for the largest public school district in Indiana. We earned grants to purchase AI platforms for our teachers to use. We were proactive and created AI Guidance, however our guidance focused more on its use in the classroom. It didn't cover teachers using it to analyze class or student data, or even writing IEPs (Individualized Education Plans). Even though the district pays for the use of that platform, do we truly know what the company does with the data that is collected? 

The use of AI will be unique to each user. Ultimately, they are the one to determine how ethically it is used. Youth are only seeing how it can do their work for them, which in the long run will hurt them as they won't be able to do that skill. There's the the group that is completely against AI, as you should be able to do everything yourself like you always have done. Then we have the happy middle. This group is finding ways to use it to improve the functions of their work or lives. Yes, it replaces some mundane tasks, but that leaves them open to do the more attention to detail tasks. Personally, I've used AI to learn new skills to apply at my job. 

Users just need to understand there is a line you don't want to cross with AI, which is what information you give it. Provide AI with information to help you with your work, but don't give it the full details that it can remember forever. You never know where those details will end up out in the cyber world. 

AI is not going away, and avoiding it entirely is unlikely to be a realistic strategy for most organizations. The better approach is to use it intentionally. Employees need clear guidance about approved tools, confidential information, customer data, student and employee records, copyright, human review, and accountability. AI can eliminate repetitive work and create more time for judgment, creativity, and problem-solving—but only when people understand both its capabilities and its limits.

*Interesting Fact: Confabulation is a memory error where a person - or an AI system - creates fabricated, distorted, or misinterpreted stories with out any intent to deceive. The individual or machine genuinely believes the false information is true.

I Sucked at Grading

You know what I sucked at as a teacher? Grading! Every year I told myself I would stay on top of it, or I would only collect what truly needs graded. PFT! I would still find anything else to do but grade. To make it worse, admin started to mandate we needed one new grade a week! I was always doomed. 

No matter how "techie" I was, I did not like grading and inputting data at the same time. It was too much for me. I needed to focus on one thing first, and then the second step. It made the work longer, but I had a lot less errors. 

Even if I couldn't get around to grading right away, which we knew I wouldn't, I liked to organize by name or student number. From there I would use my homework tracker to show if they had turned it in. This enabled me to track if they turned it in on time, complete, if it was missing, or late. I only needed to do this for physical assignments. So....whenever I eventually made it around to grading I could remember if they actually turned it in on time.

I've always valued hand-written notes too. We can use the schools communication system, like ParentSquare, to send family messages, but I also like to send a physical note home. I know as a busy mom I always check their folders, but somedays I'm too busy to check all communication formats. A simple hand-written note can be super helpful. 

Someday, I will improve my grading track record. At this time, it's not there. I will continue to use tools to help me stay organized for when I do get around to grading. If you are like me and need a better system, use the link below to grab your own set!

Digital Teacher Planner

If you are unorganized, it can make your job as a teacher hard. You remember you put your lesson plans somewhere or notes you took during small group. That is where a good teacher planner comes into play. Some teachers will prefer to create a binder that they can grab and write in whenever they need to. Others will use it digitally, and won't mind carrying around their laptop. 

When I first started teaching, I was the type to use a physical binder. Technology was different 12 years ago. I created my own lesson plan template to use. Now that I reflect on it, it was basic for that time. Now that there is more research it is lacking. Look below to see my first lesson plan. 

If I were to go back into the classroom today, I would need a more robust planner. It would need to be multiple pages, and include small group planning options. Even in middle school math I had small group plans. Math and Reading would still be large focus for an elementary classroom as those are the core topics. It would be important to include an area for objectives as many administrators are looking for those anymore. 

When I think about a one-stop shop teacher planner, I want it to include important items I would use beyond lesson plans. I would need an intervention tracker to help quickly log activities, that way later I can communicate them as needed or have a history of them. I know we can get information from our student information systems on our students, but sometimes it is easier to have it accessible in our content. It would be important to have a student information section that I can record important information on them, and record my communication to home. This area would be great for building individual student progress trackers. By having these available, you can easily share them when a family member asks for them or someone in the building asks for current data. 

There are other items some teachers might find important like a class birthday calendar, class transportation log, class procedure page, or sub page. I personally love a month view of a calendar. I like to use this to put school, district, and personal events all in one spot for a quick view. I've learned that teachers don't necessarily use their email calendar like administrators do. Even as an administrator, I still liked a good digital calendar. 

If you are interested in purchasing this teacher planner, head over to my TPT store to grab your copy today! 

Updating Decade Old Content

 I'm embarrassed to say that a lot of the content on my TPT store is from when I was teaching 4th grade. At the time, it was great content, that I made using PowerPoint. You read that right, PowerPoint. I'm slowly taking the time to update these products that are about 15 years old at this point. My goal with the refresh is to help the customers that previously purchased the product, and for the product to hopefully last another 15 years. 

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  This is a fun math activity with math problems based around Spring. Topics this worksheet covers include:
  - Area and Perimeter
  - Multiplication
  - Division
  - Addition using a table
  - Fractions (Addition,Subtraction, Simplifying)
  - Word Problems

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  Make multiplication review fun with this Multiplication Maze: Find the Hidden Treasure! Students solve multiplication problems to determine the correct path through the maze. Wrong answers lead to dead ends, encouraging students to check their work and try again.

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  Make every classroom celebration extra special with these bright, colorful Printable Treat Labels! Perfect for attaching to candy, snacks, and small student gifts throughout the school year.
  
  

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  Make the First Week of School Meaningful, Engaging, and Stress-Free! Start the school year with confidence using this 22-page Back-to-School Activities Bundle designed specifically for Grades 3–5! This print-and-go resource helps students build classroom community, reflect on personal goals, strengthen problem-solving skills, and get excited about the year ahead through engaging, hands-on activities.

  
  

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  Turn Classroom Procedures into an Exciting Detective Mission! Skip the long classroom lectures and transform procedure practice into an engaging classroom adventure!

  With this fully editable Google Slides resource, students become Classroom Procedure Detectives as they solve clues, explore your classroom, and learn important routines in a fun, interactive way.

  
  

Some of my resources are currently getting a complete refresh to align with the latest research and best practices in education. One of the biggest updates is my Reading Interactive Notebook.

After spending considerable time learning about and researching the Science of Reading, I've been redesigning this resource to better reflect evidence-based instructional practices while keeping it engaging and classroom-friendly.

I'm excited to share the updated version with you soon! In the meantime, take a look at a few sneak peeks of what's coming.

 

 

    

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Stages of Grief

Did you know when you lose a job you go through the stages of grief? I didn't know it was a thing until I experienced it myself. I'm not ashamed to admit that the first four to five days that I was terminated, I did a lot of crying. It wasn't out of anger. It was about being upset about letting people down that I had been working with, not finishing projects that I had been working on, and not feeling valued after working my butt off well beyond my contracted time for nearly 12 years. It was all thrown away with an air of smugness, and never truly stating what I did wrong. 

Eight weeks later, and you still do not know what you did "wrong". There are other things you have learned. One being that co-workers, whom you thought of as friends, were never friends. It has been amazing to see who has reached out to stay connected, and who has completely ignored me. It has been a learning experience. The most ironic part is that my former co-teachers, or teachers that I worked with as an administrator, are the ones sticking with me. None of my fellow administrators have reached out. Teachers truly are the backbone of education. 

A huge lesson I learned as well, was that I need to be more careful with my files. The day I was walked out, I lost access to all of my drives. Anything I had made or used teaching in the classroom is gone, all of my supervisor reviews are gone, my license and coursework are gone, and I could keep going. Normally, we leaves drives open for those separated to grab the files they need before we lock it. I guess I was an exception. Six years in the classroom, and six years as an administrator, and all of that work was gone. I was devastated. I felt like I had nothing to show for myself when I went job hunting. 

I found some light at the end of the tunnel when I started to think about my options for creating a professional portfolio. I was fortunate to be involved in a lot of projects for my district in the past 6 years, and there was a lot of information on their public site. I spent time scouring the site to grab any relevant information to help build my professional portfolio. A platform my district used actually posted on LinkedIn articles they had recently wrote from interviewing districts. My district happened to be one, and it was my interview from this previous April. It was perfect timing. 

With all this being said...

• Don't over dedicate yourself to someone who isn't loyal to you
• Ensure your important files you need for licenses and such are stored in a personal location
• When a culture is no longer a culture you want, don't stay
• Your family and you should always come first

Goodbye Teaching, Hello New Opportunities

18 years in education and early childhood education. I wouldn’t trade that experience for anything. It has brought me so much joy to watch my students grow and develop over the years. It’s truly wild to see students that I cared for as infants graduating high school this year. 🤯

For the past 6 years I’ve had the privilege to work in Technology for the largest school district in Indiana. I supported teachers during a pandemic, implemented multiple platforms, created and led staff PD, created instructional videos, learned to become a baby coder, built a project management system with the best mentor, and managed district initiatives.

As with any educator, I had side jobs over the years. These experiences have helped to shape who I am too. I’ve worked for a credit card manufacturer, I’ve done office work for a local mason and electrician, mentored teachers, and helped a couple businesses setup their cloud infrastructure.

I’m happy with my accomplishments from the past 18 years, but I want to continue pursuing my interests even if it means pushing me to change. I have truly enjoyed project management, implementation, coding, AI, and all the puzzles and challenges that come with it. I’m excited for this next chapter.

I hope to share my past 8 years with you in the upcoming months. I had so many opportunities that I never shared with anyone. As an administrator, I was afraid to share my joyful moments. I hope to capture those through here. My goal is to capture my journey going forward as well. Stay tuned for more stories.

Innovation Exchange 2017

Here are my presentation slides for todays conference. I'm going to be talking about technology in the classroom, Showbie, Google Forms, using social media to communicate with parents, and creating a classroom blog.