Monday, May 01, 2023

AI tools I'm testing - try them yourself!

For the past few weeks I've been learning about different Artificial Intelligence tools from a group of educators using the hashtag #ETMOOC2.  If you scroll back through my past few articles you'll see what I've been sharing. Or just click the ETMOOC tag and scroll through those articles.  

Below I'm going to share some examples of how I've used AI.

First example is my April-May newsletter I wrote three sections using ChatGPT.  

One was about National Volunteer Week. Another was "steps to start a tutor/mentor program" and another was "information about tutor/mentor programs in Chicago".  Imagine you're a program leader, or a parent, who wants to know what tutor/mentor programs are in her zip code. Just post the question in ChatGPT. The first response might not be what you're looking for. You can keep asking, and keep fine tuning your question.  

It only took me a few minutes to generate the text that I used in the newsletter.

The next tool is one called Whimsical.  Below is a mind map created in just a few minutes. Click here to open and view. 


My Twitter friend Kevin Hodgson shared this short video with me, showing how to use the Artificial Intelligence feature to create a mind-map.  I asked the same question as I posted in the newsletter....show steps to start a tutor/mentor program. 

The AI quickly provided a list of steps, very similar to what is in my newsletter.  These are the first links to the right of the center box on the graphic.   I was able to rearrange the order a bit just by dragging text boxes to where I wanted them in the sequence and then I added some additional nodes to the mind map, which show to the right of the first column. Then I added some links to my website.  It's already something anyone could use if they are looking for ideas about starting a tutor/mentor program, or any kind of non-profit. 

One interesting feature about Whimsical is that in the FREE version I could invite a few other people to join my project, each helping to improve the content.  

Imagine a project team trying to map out a description of a problem and potential solutions. The AI can help you brainstorm and your team can add their thoughts and edit what the AI provided, with a visual record that you can share with others.  

Try it out yourself.  It took me less than 15 minutes to create what I'm sharing.

The next tool is called Scribble Diffusion. Open this link to see the graphic below. 

To create your own, open the home page. You will see an empty box with a space below where you can write a heading for your graphic.  In my first attempt I drew a horizontal "figure 8" which I use often to show information passing back and forth as a volunteer spends time in weekly tutor/mentor sessions.  I did not like the first graphic so tried again and you see the result above.    I used this graphic to add myself to the Padlet map for #ETMOOC2, which shows where participants originate from. 

Below are two more examples from Scribble Diffusion


I wanted to create an image showing a tutor and mentee.  I sketched the graphic at the left and hit "go" and received the picture at the right. I wanted something different so I added a book to my sketch and the result is shown below.


Imagine this as a potential ice breaker or creative activity with the student you're working with. You could each have the application open and each be creating graphics based on prompts you pass back and forth. Or you could be at one computer, each editing the sketch, to generate more and more versions. 

Here's one more AI called "NightCafe".

Sarah Honeychurch, an educator from Scotland shared this with me and others in the ETMOOC2 group.  I created the graphic at the right using the FREE version. Once I logged in I followed the prompts.

 I wanted to see how it would render one of my concept maps, so I pasted the strategy map shown at the left into the prompt box.  I had many choices of how this would be rendered, but my choices gave me the graphic you see above.

You can't really see any details from my concept map, but I think it's a nice piece of art!   Like the other examples shown above, you can play with this as much as you want.  Maybe if you're teaching students to start a company, they could use this to create art for t-shirts, coffee mugs, etc.  

These are just a few of the examples I've been seeing. Try it yourself!

Here's the link to the ETMOO2 event. 
Look at the Resources and Community page.  You can follow on Twitter or join the Discord Group.  

Ideas are being shared like "fireworks" bursting in the air. Each one sparks new creativity and new ways people might test these AI tools.

Thank you to everyone who has been sharing these ideas. I'm just scratching the surface of what is possible.  I hope these are interesting to you.

I'm on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and Mastodon. See links on this page

I used one of my "read my blog" graphics to create this graphic, using NightCafe.  Try it yourself?

Want to help me continue to share these ideas.? Visit this page and send a small contribution.

Thank you. 

2 comments:

  1. Great quote to end it: "Ideas are being shared like "fireworks" bursting in the air. Each one sparks new creativity and new ways people might test these AI tools."
    Kevin

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  2. Thanks Kevin. I encourage folks to read Kevin's blog regularly. It's at https://dogtrax.edublogs.org/

    He is one of the leaders in sharing ideas for teaching and learning, not just AI. I've followed him since around 2014. If you skim through #clmooc on this blog you'll see many times that I've pointed to his work as inspiration for my own.

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