Like all the big players in tech, Google is working to gain market share in education based on its AI tool kit. Recently I’ve been showing this clip in presentations about things to come.
This was 4 months ago. Unlike tech innovations of the recent past where you might see a demo and then maybe 2 years later you could try it, this is moving uber fast.
While there is still much more to explore and understand about this tool, just this feature itself is fascinating. Uploading a copy of my book and website makes me the perfect person to critique the content and I have to say if I had had this when my book was first released I likely would have used this to promote it. These 9 minutes do an amazing job of summarizing my book in a way that is engaging and easily consumable. I did look into the privacy policy and as it stands now, they are not using this to train their AI models. That said, I don’t fully trust that. I never wrote my book to make a bunch of money so I’m less worried about copyright.
My current immersion into the world of AI and specifically Generative AI (GenAI) is at the same time exciting, fascinating and also mentally exhausting because you can’t embrace the possibilities without acknowledging the risks. As I say every time I’m working with others, holding these competing ideas in your head at the same time is not easy and in fact, goes against our natural survival instinct to see the world in binary terms.
I feel like I’ve done a good job surrounding myself with diverse opinions and experts in this area and at the same time have to remove myself from thinking too deeply at times because it’s extremely taxing mentally. Whether it’s politics, climate change or other major societal issues, it’s hard to live in 2024. No one can escape and most of us are trying to figure out what it means to be a good citizen and a flourishing, happy human.
Today I’m asking myself when should writing be hard? The promise of GenAI is often that it makes writing easier and even better. Whether it’s to spell check or fix your grammar or even to write an entire book, AI can perform all these tasks. For those who are objectively poor writers and don’t enjoy writing, it might be a lifesaver. Even those of us who write as part of our job and are good at it, it can be extremely useful. Like almost any new skill, writing is really hard. As a grandparent, I watch my granddaughter struggling to read, and my grandsons struggling to learn to skate and ride a bike, all these life skills are at one time hard and productive struggle is part of learning. As parents and teachers, we know this. Part of our job is not to eliminate the struggle but to embrace it and help them either during or perhaps after that it’s a good thing.
Today I’m writing this without any use of GenAI for the content but are using the spell and grammar checks. Given the title of this post, that seems like the correct choice. The issue I have is determining when the struggle is important. I think there are certain times when struggle is important. I’m going to write what I believe they are and then I’m going to see what a GPT might suggest they are. First here are my first attempts at when I believe writing should be hard:
When you’re learning to write. This is most obvious for early writers to understand the basics like sentence structure but it extends as you develop more skills and are working to use writing for different purposes like narrative, persuasive and creative writing.
When you’re trying to understand your thinking. A topic like this is one I need to understand deeply for myself. While GenAI could tell me what to think, I need to own this. I often use the example of school district mission statements. They do not vary all that much from district to district but you have to be able to make it your own. The reason you “reinvent the wheel” is to get your own wheel. Sometimes the result of the thinking doesn’t necessarily turn into good writing but the feelings and thoughts you put into trying to write your family member a heart-felt card force reflection and can conjure up feelings and ideas that may be latent or forgotten.
When your writing matters. Many writings don’t matter that much. An email to your boss or a conference description matters, but if it’s just about communicating information and emotion isn’t a big part of it or you’re not heavily invested then GenAI can be a time saver. But if you want to be sure that something has the right tone and feel, it probably should be hard. That doesn’t say you can’t use GenAi but probably only to make slight edits.
When a topic is complex and nuanced. Similar to my second point, the difference here may not be in your thinking but in your lack of understanding or appreciation of a nuanced or complex topic. This exact post is a prime example. Writing forces you to research or deep dive into ideas that push your thinking. While you could just read about it, writing helps to synthesize ideas or simply reveals how challenging some topics might be.
Here’s what ChatGPT said:
Deep Personal Reflection: When writing requires personal introspection or emotional depth, like journaling, memoirs, or sensitive communication, the human experience is irreplaceable. AI-generated text might lack the authenticity or nuance of personal reflection.
Developing Critical Thinking: For tasks meant to challenge or build analytical skills, such as academic essays or problem-solving exercises, it’s important to engage in the mental process fully. Relying on AI shortcuts the opportunity to refine reasoning or logical argumentation.
Creative Integrity: When originality and creative expression are the essence of the work—like poetry, fiction, or artwork—AI can limit the authenticity or risk compromising the writer’s unique voice.
Mastering Writing Skills: Writing is a skill that improves with practice. When learning to craft persuasive arguments, structure content, or develop style, it’s important to struggle through the process. Using AI too early in these stages can impede long-term growth.
So we aren’t a million miles off. I didn’t include the creative integrity idea. Good catch.
As I work with more and more districts this question as well as many related others are ones that everyone has to wrestle with. I feel like I should respond to the other question which is, “When Should Writing Be Easy?” This was hard enough to write. I’ll save that one for another day. As always your comments are welcomed and appreciated.
I realize that depending on where you live, you’ve been back to school for a while. For my oldest granddaughter, this is her first day of 2nd grade in a brand new school. I’m thinking about her today. But I’m also thinking about her teachers. I want them to be ready, excited, and equipped to give Harriet a great start and a great year.
Several years ago, I wrote a Back to School Speech that was written in response to many of the bad speeches I had heard. It got quite a bit of response including a district that created a video from it. I wanted to rewrite it with a slightly different feel but a similar tone. I used ChatGPT to provide some of the reframing to include some of the new challenges of burnout and anxiety that many teachers and students face. This one, like my previous speech is written as a Superintendent or School leader:
Good morning, everyone,
I know the start of a school year can be overwhelming, with endless tasks ahead of you and so many responsibilities pulling you in different directions. But before you dive into your preparations, I wanted to take a moment to share some thoughts with you.
First, I hope you truly had a chance to rest and recharge over the summer. In today’s world, our work has only become more complex and demanding. The pressures on you as educators are immense, from meeting curriculum standards to addressing the diverse needs of each student in your care. It’s no small task, and that’s why it’s so important to prioritize your well-being. You cannot pour from an empty cup.
As we begin this school year, I want to remind you that taking care of yourself is not only necessary but critical. Lean on us—your leadership team. We are here to support you, and we will hold you accountable for balancing your passion for your work with your health and happiness. You don’t have to do it all alone. Let us help you when things feel overwhelming. We also expect you to hold us accountable. When we are asking for unreasonable things, you need to let us know. While we have the greatest faith in your ability, we sometimes ask too much. As a system we’ve not done a great job at making your job better. While we know it’s always going to be hard, we want you to thrive and we will examine everything that’s not working towards that goal and together we want to improve it. We won’t tell you to “do yoga” as a solution. That’s a bandaid at best.
Yes, teaching is increasingly complex, and the world outside our classrooms is more chaotic than ever. But never forget: what you do here goes beyond any curriculum or academic standard. The role you play in shaping minds, hearts, and lives is perhaps one of the most significant ways we can all make the world a better place. Your influence extends far beyond the walls of your classroom. Remember that the little things you do every day—the kind word, the encouragement, the patience—those are the things that change lives. While we’re good at measuring achievement as described by test scores and grades, we want to continue to consider curiosity, well-being and belonging as even more important. I realize that can sound like a platitude but as leaders we need to work with you to make that a thing.
You’ve done this before. You’ve succeeded before. When the days feel long, remember that this school year is not a sprint, but a marathon. Pace yourself. Celebrate the small victories along the way and take time to reflect on the great work you’ve done in the past. My friend Joe Sanfelippo says “Start and end each day with joy.” Share your learning—both your successes and your challenges—with your colleagues. Cut yourself some slack when things don’t go as planned because none of us are perfect, but we are always growing. While we all are striving for the very best all the time, sometimes “good enough” is “good enough“.
So, as we embark on this new journey together, know that you have a community behind you, cheering you on. Go help your students to learn, smile, and belong. Ask hard questions, try new things, and share your experiences. And above all, find joy in the process. It’s not only okay to have fun, it’s essential.
I just wrapped up one of the best and most fulfilling weeks of work I’ve ever had, this time in British Columbia. My colleague Adam Garry and I went full throttle, spending full days in 10 different districts, helping them build their understanding of Generative AI. After an incredible start to the week—three days that I’ve already ravedabout—I capped it off with the West Vancouver School District. I’ve worked with this district for over a dozen years, building fantastic relationships along the way. The district’s culture speaks for itself, with its incredible stability and very little turnover. In a room of 60-70 school and district leaders, I knew so many by name and had the privilege of watching them evolve in their leadership roles over the years.
Chris Kennedy invited me to kick off their year by leading a day focused on the risks and possibilities of #genai. I’ll admit, I had my worries. This was their first day back—usually reserved for the lighter stuff—and here I was, rolling in with what could be considered some pretty heavy and heady content. I also wondered if these folks, who have seen me present more times than I can count, might be craving a fresh face. So yes, I had my concerns.
But I’ll tell you this: starting a PL session by taking a gondola ride up Grouse Mountain is not a bad way to ease into the day. For a prairie boy like me, the setting was nothing short of magical. We kicked off with some lighthearted fun, poking at my friend Chris Kennedy, who graciously let me use him to demo a deep fake. While no one fell for it (obviously), they appreciated the effort. And in true me-fashion, I spent far too long creating a 30-second video—but let’s be honest, I wouldn’t change a thing. One participant told me the day flew by, which is always a good sign.
To top it all off, they showered me with more swag than I deserved. (Side note: Chris Kennedy doesn’t like being outdone, and I’ve been known to boast about the awesome swag other districts give me, so I think this was his way of making sure West Van stays in the game.)
We ended the day with a fantastic dinner on a patio, and what truly took me by surprise was how many people took the time to come up to me, not just to say thank you, but to share specific moments and ideas from the day that resonated with them. They didn’t have to do that, but they did—and it overwhelmed me with gratitude. I’ve delivered thousands of presentations in my career, but this one stands out as one of the most satisfying. As I soaked in their kind words, it hit me that this wasn’t just a one-off expression of thanks. This district’s success comes from the way they live gratitude every day. Their students and staff experience it regularly—it’s part of what makes them want to come to work, and why they enjoy being in each other’s company.
I hesitate to use the word “family” because it gets thrown around too often, but this place really does feel special. From the Trustees to the Superintendent, from District Leadership to the School Leaders and Teachers—they care about each other and, more importantly, they care for each other.
A few themes have stayed with me throughout my career, with joy and community being right at the top. This day was a perfect example of both. I’d like to think I contributed to that, but I definitely know I received it.
It was during COVID-19 that my envy of standing desks began. As we all felt like we’d be prisoners in our home offices forever, being able to stretch and stand during endless Zoom calls seemed like a nice little treat to indulge in. I looked a few times but couldn’t quite pull the trigger. Probably because I’m cheap but also because I wasn’t sure what to get. So I let it go and instead tried to forge habits to give myself stretch breaks or walks during those long days at my desk. It sort of worked.
While I’m not in any way an influencer. I was approached recently to see if I would try one out and provide an honest review. Seemed like a good deal. So I ordered this beauty from Anthrodesks. I got the 60 x 30 model which is huge.
This thing is a combination of simple, sturdy and clean. I’m not great with written instructions but this video made setup easy.
In just a couple of days, it was kind of stunning to notice the change in energy and alertness. I’m not a morning person and it usually takes me 30 minutes or so to get going. So I start sitting and reading and having my coffee but once the caffeine kicks in, I’m up and working feeling really good. Now my breaks are to sit and have flipped the time I spend during the day on my feet and off my butt. We’ve all heard about the dangers of sitting so I looked up this research that focuses specifically on the value of standing desks. This research essentially finds that standing desks improve health, productivity and well-being. While it’s too early for me to speak about productivity and well-being, I can say I’ve had less back and neck pain.
So the delight here for me comes from many angles.
Free: That’s delightful. Also, I was under no obligation to say anything nice about the product but other than the fact it’s super heavy and awkward to move around, it’s pretty cool.
Funky tech: I like the cool factor. The controls are super easy to use and I like having different settings for different tasks. I’m still playing around with that.
Long-term benefits: who doesn’t like that? I’d love to know if others have experienced some of these benefits over time.
I can’t provide you any comparisons of other standing desks but this guy seems to agree that it’s a pretty good deal.
