Take 5 for Tech

'Tis the season for test preparation. This newsletter is designed to provide you the best independent study and learning resources for your students. The resources listed here have current active DPA (data privacy agreements) in place so that we are fully compliant in advance with SB 29 privacy mandates. More information will be formally rolled out as to what resources will be used in coming years, but for now, these are safe bets since these companies already agreed to current student data privacy laws.

If you've read my previous Smores and emails, you already know that WCCC teachers have access to Premium Kahoot. But did you realize that with your premium teacher access, you also also get a robust array of student offerings that support independent study? This extra tier of student support is called "Student Passes."

With each premium teacher account, comes 250 student passes for use throughout the year. The student passes offer resources for students of all ages. Some of the resources are:

• Self-Study Toolkit- Includes flashcards & other self testing materials
• Study Groups- Students make their own study groups & invite other students to join
• Enhanced Kahoot Creator

You can give access to student passes whether a student is "in system" or not. That means, if you're a satellite teacher, students may freely use student passes regardless of which email they use to enroll. For instance, students can use the student pass with their Little Miami email just as easily as with their WCCC email. (Once the pass has been claimed, the student must continue to log-in using the same email as when they accepted the invitation.) Passing out students passes, is an easy process. For more information about student passes and the other cool independent studying materials, check out the following:

Magic School AI is designed to support independent studying by emphasizing teacher‑vetted content. How does this work? Students can submit teacher notes and other teacher‑approved materials to Magic School and then create study tools that specifically emphasize teacher‑supported concepts.

Another important safeguard in Magic School AI is that the tools are designed specifically for students and teachers. While there are many helpful study tools, one of the most common is Rania for Students — a trusted chatbot designed for learners. You may have heard about alarming incidents where young people have become confused about AI chatbots and reality. In some extreme cases, AI-chatbot use with children has had tragic consequences. Magic School AI has built in safeguards in its language models to mitigate this dangerous potential.

I can speak to this firsthand. My daughter, a senior at Centerville High School, was studying for her psych exam using Rania. She put her unit notes into the chatbot and had it ask her questions. After a while, Rania reminded her that it is "just an AI chatbot and not a human." It then cut her off and told her to "stretch her legs and find a person to talk to and to quiz her for a little while." While this precaution may seem extreme or unnecessary, studies show it's a good practice with students. This incident is a good example of the measures that have been implemented in Magic School to keep all students safe.

Some other excellent independent student study tools are:

• AI Tutor- Students ask questions & get guided, age-appropriate tutoring on any topic.
• Study Bot- Students have a study partner for specific tests & content.
• Quiz Me- Students can quiz themselves over any topic or test.
• Multiple Explanations- Students can get more ways to describe a topic or concept.
• Study Habits- Students get a study plan and tips for specific tests, assignments or projects.
• Math Review- Students can review question to improve general math skill & understanding.
• Real World Connections- Students can see examples in everyday life how academic concepts apply.

• Create Self-Paced Kahoot! Assignment in Canvas (Scribe)- new addition to Canvas
• Create Kahoot! Self-Paced Assignment in Google Classroom (Scribe)
• Handy Kahoot! Games Guide
• Share a Kahoot