Welcome to "Try This!", a weekly blog series where we dive into the ever-evolving world of generative AI and share valuable insights and practical teaching ideas. Discover how educators are leveraging AI, gain fresh perspectives, and explore innovative approaches to education that you can try out yourself. This week, we’ve rounded up four resources on AI and English Language Arts Education. Check them out below: An article featuring perspectives from a middle school English language arts teacher delves into the possibilities of AI tools in ELA education. It highlights their significance in offering instant feedback, empowering student autonomy, and enriching critical thinking and writing abilities. An article discussing the impact of AI, like ChatGPT, in writing-intensive courses with resources for instructors to adjust to this shift, such as discussing AI with students, and sharing AI policies. A blog post on AI's impact on personalized language arts education from an instructor's perspective, showcasing how AI tools are transforming student learning with tailored experiences to meet their unique needs and pace. A guide for instructors on how to create an acceptable use policy for AI technology in ELA classrooms, emphasizing the importance of teaching students how to responsibly and effectively utilize AI tools for educational purposes. Let us know your thoughts on AI and ELA education in the comments below the post. ... View more

Welcome to "Try This!", a weekly blog series where we dive into the ever-evolving world of generative AI and share valuable insights and practical teaching ideas. Discover how educators are leveraging AI, gain fresh perspectives, and explore innovative approaches to education that you can try out yourself. This week, we’ve rounded up four resources on AI in Mathematics Education. Check them out below: An opinion piece discussing the evolving role of AI in math education, highlighting the current opportunity for educators to leverage AI tools in crafting real-world applications of concepts effectively. An article that advocates for the integration of generative AI, particularly ChatGPT, in mathematics education and provides practical ways to start using AI in your classroom. A guide for instructors in elementary school math education, highlighting ways AI can assist in preparing personalized learning paths, automate time-consuming tasks, and enrich math lessons during class.  A research paper reviewing the role of AI in mathematics education, revealing its increasing significance and potential to enhance learning outcomes by individualizing instruction, providing adaptive feedback, and fostering collaborative learning environments. Let us know your thoughts on AI in Mathematics education in the comments below the post. ... View more

Meet Ying Kong, a passionate literature professor at the University College of the North, who is dedicated to making education inclusive and accessible to all.  Ying's mission revolves around ensuring that every student, regardless of their background or circumstances, has an equal opportunity to learn and thrive. She goes above and beyond to create an environment where everyone feels welcome and supported, especially those in remote or indigenous communities. One of the ways Ying works her magic is through innovative tools like Macmillan Learning's Achieve software. This amazing resource isn't just about textbooks and assignments—it's a game-changer. With features like text-to-speech, all-encompassing learning platforms, and smart writing assistance, Achieve levels the playing field for students facing various challenges. Whether it's spotty internet connections or juggling education with the demands of single parenthood, Achieve provides personalized, culturally sensitive support to help students succeed. We're thrilled to invite you to watch Professor Kong's inspiring presentation. She'll show you how Achieve is breaking down barriers and making accessibility a reality for every student. Click below to catch the full video! ... View more

Welcome to "Try This!", a weekly blog series where we dive into the ever-evolving world of generative AI and share valuable insights and practical teaching ideas. Discover how educators are leveraging AI, gain fresh perspectives, and explore innovative approaches to education that you can try out yourself. This week, we’ve rounded up four resources on AI-Powered e-Learning: Education Beyond the Classroom. Check them out below: A LinkedIn post exploring AI’s potential to revolutionize online courses by offering personalized learning, adaptive content, and intelligent tutoring systems. A blog post on the transformative role of AI in e-learning, reshaping education through AI's capabilities in natural language processing, predictive analytics, and content creation. An article discussing how AI in e-learning transforms traditional experiences into personalized journeys for students and allows for educators to gauge student progress to identify areas needing support. A study on the growing influence of AI in education, emphasizing its role in personalized experiences, addressing challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, and discussing the potential to shape the future of education and technological literacy. Let us know your thoughts on AI-powered e-Learning beyond the classroom in the comments below the post. Don't miss out on the upcoming webinar, "Fighting Fire with Fire: Navigating Student AI Use with AI-Enriched Assignments and Assessments" on February 16th to delve deeper into AI in education. Register today! ... View more

Threading the Needle: Cultivating Ethical and Inclusive Teaching in an AI Era: Tuesday, April 30 at 12pm ET Presented by Debi Rutledge and Jennifer Guerra This working session kicks off with a distinguished panel of educators on how they have managed the delicate balance of integrating AI into pedagogy with ethical considerations at the forefront. This working session will then have attendees collaborate to address real teaching scenarios  that invite educators to leverage AI tools to  uphold principles of fairness, equity, and inclusivity in educational settings. Attendees will walk away from this working session with concrete strategies that foster a learning environment where AI integration aligns harmoniously with ethical teaching practices. Reserve your spot now to elevate your teaching practice with ethical AI-enhanced teaching techniques.   Register for the Webinar ... View more

Welcome to "Try This!", a weekly blog series where we dive into the ever-evolving world of generative AI and share valuable insights and practical teaching ideas. Discover how educators are leveraging AI, gain fresh perspectives, and explore innovative approaches to education that you can try out yourself. This week we’ve rounded up five resources to share with you on the topic of Instructor-AI Collaboration for Responsible and Enhanced Learning. Below, you'll find: An article on using AI teaching agents in classrooms to improve student collaboration and enhance learning experiences through human-AI teaming. An article highlighting AI's impact on student isolation and the importance of schools prioritizing human relationships with the help of AI-instructor collaboration.  A LinkedIn blog post on how AI can revolutionize education by creating collaborative classrooms, tackling teacher training, addressing tech glitches, ensuring student data privacy, and reducing costs through real-life case studies. An article on the benefits of student collaboration with AI on drawing performance, and emphasizing the significance of teacher guidance, storytelling, and continuous evaluation. A study on teachers using an AI assistant in collaborative learning activities shows increased adoption of intervention strategies and diversified coregulation methods to enhance teacher awareness and offer intervention options. Check them out and let us know what you think about instructor-AI collaboration in the comments below the post. Don't miss out on the upcoming webinar, "Fighting Fire with Fire: Navigating Student AI Use with AI-Enriched Assignments and Assessments" on February 16th to delve deeper into AI in education. Register today! ... View more

A Whole New World: Exploring AI's Impact on Future Pathways of Education: Tuesday, April 16 at 2pm ET Presented by Susan Winslow, Chief Executive Officer, Macmillan Learning Join us for an illuminating webinar featuring Macmillan Learning CEO, Susan Winslow, and a distinguished cohort of educators exploring the profound implications of AI in shaping educational and professional worlds, in particular AI-related competencies soon-to-be graduates will likely need to develop to succeed in many professional settings in the near future. This engaging session will also cover AI's influence on educational paradigms and provide a platform to contemplate strategic interventions that enhance student learning outcomes in rapidly evolving corporate and educational settings.    Watch the Recording ... View more

Welcome to "Try This!", a weekly blog series where we dive into the ever-evolving world of generative AI and share valuable insights and practical teaching ideas. Discover how educators are leveraging AI, gain fresh perspectives, and explore innovative approaches to education that you can try out yourself. This week we’ve rounded up five resources to share with you on the topic of AI in Education from Student Perspectives. Below, you'll find: A video discussion on the integration of AI tools in higher education, emphasizing efficiency, expressing concerns about job displacement, and highlighting the importance of AI literacy for future job competitiveness. A webinar recording featuring a panel discussion where students share experiences on the use of generative AI tools in higher education, exploring the impact on learning experiences, academic performance, and addressing ethical concerns. An article on AI tools in NYC high schools, exploring opportunities, challenges, and concerns about cheating, while emphasizing the importance of balancing AI's potential with academic integrity. An article from BBC Young Reporters on the importance of incorporating lessons about AI in the education system to ensure responsible use without hindering creativity and critical thinking. A blog post on the impact of AI on education, focusing on student perspectives at Luther Burbank High School, highlighting pros and cons, and encouraging responsible use of AI in education. Check them out and let us know what you think about AI in education from student perspectives in the comments below the post. ... View more

AI Amplified Learning: Discipline-Specific Strategies Workshop: Thursday, March 21 at 1PM ET Presented by Jennifer Duncan, Matthew Bruce Ingram, Vaughn Scribner, and Matt Evans Enjoy an engaging AI Workshop tailored for college instructors ready to move beyond general principles and actively integrate AI-enhanced teaching strategies into their discipline. This workshop is designed to empower educators with practical insights and strategies for leveraging generative AI to enhance student engagement, streamline learning experiences, and foster innovative teaching methodologies. What You’ll Take Away: Move beyond general principles to understand, plan, and activate new AI-enhanced teaching strategies Concrete tactics for using generative AI to enhance student engagement Practical insights for streamlining learning experiences and fostering innovative teaching methodologies Hands-on practice in smaller discipline-specific groups with educator-coaches   Watch Session Now! ... View more

Fighting Fire with Fire: Navigating Student AI Use with AI-Enriched Assignments and Assessments: Friday, February 16 at 12pm ET Presented by Solina Lindahl and Scott Cohn Join us for an informative and hands-on virtual workshop where instructors will develop three pedagogical strategies for using generative AI to tackle three of the most pressing concerns that have arisen due to the wide availability of generative AI software: directing and encouraging responsible student use to meet specific learning outcomes; constructing and evaluating assignments that intelligently incorporate generative AI, and assessing student knowledge in the age of gen AI. Led by experienced educators, you will have the opportunity to learn from peers and practice developing class activities that help you use artificial intelligence to not only mitigate cheating, but also foster deeper student learning and engagement. What You’ll Take Away: A better understanding of how to utilize generative AI in the classroom to address common concerns and improve student learning. Three pedagogical strategies that can be implemented immediately, as well as practical ideas for incorporating generative AI into assignments and assessments. Inspiration to explore new ways of using technology for educational purposes. Access the recording today! ... View more

Welcome to "Try This!", a weekly blog series where we dive into the ever-evolving world of generative AI and share valuable insights and practical teaching ideas. Discover how educators are leveraging AI, gain fresh perspectives, and explore innovative approaches to education that you can try out yourself. This week we’ve rounded up five resources to share with you on the topic of Leveraging AI to Drive Innovation in Education. Below, you'll find: An article discussing how the use of AI can transform curriculum design, enabling personalized learning with real-life examples. A list of 10 ways AI is enhancing the course design and development process, offering new capabilities to try out and improve personalized learning experiences. A LinkedIn post exploring how AI-driven personalization can create efficient student learning experiences, addressing ethical considerations and recommending a blended learning approach. A video on the impact of generative AI on education, envisioning a future where AI elevates discourse and fosters higher-order analytical skills. A study analyzing the use of adaptive learning systems in education, emphasizing their importance during the pandemic and calling for further research. Check them out and let us know what you think about leveraging AI to drive Innovation in education in the comments below the post. ... View more

Welcome to "Try This!", a weekly blog series where we dive into the ever-evolving world of generative AI and share valuable insights and practical teaching ideas. Discover how educators are leveraging AI, gain fresh perspectives, and explore innovative approaches to education that you can try out yourself. This week we’ve rounded up five resources to share with you about Embracing AI and the Future of Education. Below, you'll find  An article on the increasing role of artificial intelligence (AI) in the education sector, highlighting the top 10 AI tools that are reshaping teaching and learning methods in 2024.  An opinion piece from Stanford University on the evolving world of generative AI tools and their implications for teaching and learning, encouraging thoughtful engagement for educators navigating AI in education. An article from EducationWeek exploring AI tools educators are using, beyond ChatGPT, and how they are transforming the teaching landscape. A curated list of the 15 best AI tools for education on the market, each evaluated based on criteria including user-friendliness, features, integration capabilities, and more. An article exploring the potential of AI in enhancing learning and presents 43 examples showcasing its applications in education. Check them out and let us know what you think about Embracing AI and the Future of Education in the comments below the post.  ... View more

Welcome to "Try This!", a weekly blog series where we dive into the ever-evolving world of generative AI and share valuable insights and practical teaching ideas. Discover how educators are leveraging AI, gain fresh perspectives, and explore innovative approaches to education that you can try out yourself. This week we’ve rounded up four resources to share with you about Analyzing Student Performance with AI. Below, you'll find  A researched approach to using machine learning algorithms to monitor and support student performance throughout the course, as well as identifying key factors that impact final outcomes. An article exploring AI applications in the classroom, like digital attendance, intelligent scheduling, real-time grading, feedback, and predictive analysis for student performance and the crucial role educators play in this AI era. A LinkedIn article highlighting how the incorporation of AI in attendance systems enables real-time insights into student behaviors, improves accuracy, and detects unusual patterns.  An article on computer vision's use in developing an automated attendance solution for smart classrooms, with a focus on facial recognition. Check them out and let us know what you think about Analyzing Student Performance with AI in the comments below the post. ... View more

Welcome to "Try This!", a weekly blog series where we dive into the ever-evolving world of generative AI and share valuable insights and practical teaching ideas. Discover how educators are leveraging AI, gain fresh perspectives, and explore innovative approaches to education that you can try out yourself. This week we’ve rounded up five resources to share with you about Personalized Learning with AI. Below, you'll find  An article on how AI is transforming traditional education by automating tasks, personalizing learning experiences, helping teachers improve courses, offering AI-based tutoring, providing valuable feedback, and reshaping teacher roles. A blog post by GettingSmart provides a comprehensive perspective on the role of AI in education and its invaluable contribution to delivering personalized learning experiences. A LinkedIn post showcasing the advantages of AI in education, such as personalized learning experiences, while also addressing concerns about biases in AI algorithms.  An article exploring tools that utilizes AI to generate custom reading passages and comprehension questions based on students' interests, creating an engaging learning experience that improves outcomes.  A blog post explores how AI can enhance education customization and also emphasizes the continued importance of human teachers in creating supportive learning environments. Check them out and let us know what you think about Personalized Learning with AI in the comments below the post. ... View more

At Macmillan Learning, inspiring what’s possible for every learner means building a platform that meets every learner where they are and supports them throughout their learning journey. As lifetime learners we understand that learning has no finish line. As developers of educational solutions, we are also never finished and must continually adapt as technology does. We are never done making learning possible for every student. Macmillan Learning’s teams have dedicated themselves to building an accessible Achieve that goes far beyond compliance checkboxes. Our efforts are constantly adapting to changing standards, new feedback from users, and industry developments. We’ve developed processes for addressing accessibility that rely not only on a network of trusted experts in accessibility but also on our users to tell us what makes our solutions accessible to them. While we were the first organization to have global certified accessible ebooks and our efforts have been recognized by the Accessible Books Consortium among others, we are not resting on our laurels.  This year, our detailed screen reader testing with assistive technology users led to improvement in backend code for everything from buttons to multiple choice questions with the goal of creating not just a compliant experience but an enjoyable and simple one. Engineering teams spent more time than ever learning about and using assistive technology in order to integrate into our testing and development processes.  We were thrilled to present Macmillan Learning Lab Simulations, which simulate experiences commonly incorporated in lab courses, at this year's CSUN Assistive Technology Conference. We wanted to highlight improvements to the experience with assistive technology, including keyboard-accessible drag and drop tools, detailed visual information for screen reader users, and a color-blind mode that preserves the accuracy of experiment results while clearly communicating color state. Just-in-time announcements for assistive technology users introduce dynamic changes: any student using the simulation knows what’s happening on the screen even as a chemical reaction is actively occurring, making the experience equally engaging for all users, no matter how they interact with the content.     Our focus extends beyond STEM, with accessibility updates to our Writing Tools as well. Numerical indicators associated with highlights and comments allow users to easily tie marginal comments to areas of the text without relying on color. An underline system to better call out text in a draft with feedback was implemented: all highlights will have dashed underline, unless there is an overlapping highlight, in which a solid underline will be used. Screen reader users now get additional notifications around whether feedback remains in a draft for review and can tab in and out of comment details.      This year also marked the launch of our accessibility principles. These five principles include “Innovation with Purpose.” As Macmillan Learning continues to create new learning solutions for students, we believe that the call to be innovative extends to embracing accessibility as an important element of every learning solution we provide. We also feel that transparency is an important part of our relationship with our users, which is why we include a Release Report Addendum to our voluntary product accessibility template (VPAT), updated monthly. Our commitment to this work is long term and ongoing, and we can’t be successful without continually talking with every user and sharing our successes with them. At the end of the day, accessibility is about individual access and opportunity, a mission we share as a team. ... View more