#BRESA Tech Tips

"April showers bring May flowers" - A quotation that we have all heard/used with our students to describe the changes in the season. We would like to posit that the AI revolution is our April, and the evolution to further understanding is our May.

In education we have all seen the tech fads come and go. Palm Pilots, Moodle, Web 2.0, etc. have all been pitched as the greatest thing to hit our industry since the pencil. While some of them have had lasting effects, where is your Palm Pilot now? Why do we bring this up? Given the large number of tech fads that we have all been exposed to, it is easy to just shrug off the latest and greatest thing. While we understand that thought process, we would suggest that educators don't ignore/shrug off artificial intelligence.

AI has been silently impacting our daily lives for years. Most of us didn't realize it, though, because it operated behind the scenes and was such an expensive endeavor that only the biggest corporations and specialized computer scientists had direct access. What we are seeing now is the democratization of the use of AI and increased accessibility given the creation of LLMs (see more below). You and your students now have an incredible learning partner just a mouse click away. New varieties of AI tools are being released almost daily, and many of these focus specifically on education. While it is easy to be overwhelmed by the scale, we would encourage you to at least dip your toes in and try something simple like ChatGPT or Co-Pilot or engage with some of the AI Literacy content shared in our monthly AI in Education feature. And, as with any digital tool, please be mindful of your use of AI and the ethics that follow those tools.

Technology will continue to evolve, but the principles of good instruction will endure, and we believe those principles will always involve humans. We are excited, though, about the possibilities AI can offer educators and students, and we encourage you to explore those. If you want to learn more, please join us on May 13 for our day of AI.

John & Amy

One of the best parts of the annual MACUL Conference is announcing the opening of the MACUL Grants for educators. Apply now for the opportunity to receive up to $1,000 for your classroom. More information can be found at https://macul.org/grants. Applications are due by June 17 at 5 p.m.

The video above comes from the founder and CEO of aiEDU an offers a short and informative explanation of LLMs (Large Language Models). We have shared resources before from aiEDU and highly recommend their content for educators wanting to learn more about AI in Education.

We also recommend you take a look at the Curriculum Resources that were compiled for National AI Literacy Day that was held on April 19. The partner organizations behind this event are committed to helping educators navigate the impact AI is having and will have in education.

If you prefer an in-person learning experience, we are excited to host a Day of AI for School Leaders & Educators at Berrien RESA on Monday, May 13. Join us for an afternoon and evening designed to support district leaders and educators in their journey to better understand AI in Education. See the flyer below for more information. Participants may register for one or both sessions by visiting the following links: Session 1: AI for School Leaders or Session 2: AI for Educators.

The final meeting of year for SWM School Library Leaders was held on Thursday, April 11. We enjoyed an outstanding presentation by Jennifer Ehehalt from Common Sense Education. Jennifer highlighted some of the excellent resources available for educators at Common Sense, as well as provided information regarding how educators can get a FREE account at Common Sense. Several of the resources shared are listed below--be sure to check them out and share with your colleagues.

• Device Onboarding Lessons for K-5
• AI Literacy Lessons for 6-12
• Modeling Healthy Digital Habits--Training Course for Educators

On April 19 and 25, John and Amy traveled to Brandywine to bring Maker Days to both Brandywine and Merritt Elementary schools. Spearheaded for the second year in a row by MTSS Coordinator and Instructional Coach, Becky Lokey, students and teachers in Brandywine engaged coding, design thinking, problem solving, collaboration and critical thinking. Numerous REMC resources were deployed including Micro:bits, DASH robots, Breakout EDU, Sphero Indi, KEVA planks, and our infamous rocket launcher. Thank you to the entire team in Brandywine for welcoming us and igniting the Maker mindset in your school community.

If you would like to learn more about having a Maker Day at your school, please reach out to John or Amy.

The Technology Services Department at Berrien RESA has a variety of STEM resources, equipment and materials you can check out for use in your classroom.

Visit our REMC Resource Webpage to learn more about the items that are available. To check out a resource, please complete the resource checkout form found on the webpage.

We have lesson plans to share if you aren't sure where to begin. We would love to come and help you do an activity with your students or staff. Email John or Amy to set up a time.

We would love to hear your suggestions on how we can best support you. Please complete this form if you have some ideas regarding content you would like to see in our newsletter or specific needs in your district. Also, please feel free to share this newsletter with others and if you are interested in subscribing, simply email info@berrienresa.org with the subject line "Tech Tips". Finally, as always, feel free to contact John Phillips or Amy Dirlam directly for all of your educational technology needs.