February 2023 Newsletter
Better late than never! For me, 2023 has started with one thing after another vying to push the busy meter to new heights. Still, that doesn’t prevent the team from sharing some cool ideas and projects and freebies (including a biggie this time) with you. Power on!
Learning about ChatGPT
One of the biggest draws on my 2023 time has been designing, recording, and refining a mini-course on ChatGPT. It’s important that teachers understand how it works and what it can do, both as a tool for learners and as a phenomenal time-saver for teachers.
That second part (saving time) is what seems to keep surprising the educators I talk with. So, I’ve created something that I hope is helpful. The seven video lessons and notes will take between 30-45 minutes to cover, not counting any time you take to practice using the tool.
Bottom line? We’re giving it away for free to anyone connected with this newsletter. Just make your way to this Warm Demanders page and sign up in the box in the upper right. You are welcome to share this with colleagues, as well. We hope it’s helpful!
Finalists for Storm ’22
We have five finalists for the fall Creative Storm ’22 contest, and are excited to share them with you here! By the March newsletter, we intend to have a winner for you, too.
How To Prepare For A Wildfire
California, USA
topic: Inspiration and Creativity
How To Remember Values On The Unit Circle
Connecticut, USA
topic: Math
The Incredible Power Of Inferring
Virginia, USA
topic: Literature and Writing
The Wildfire Triangle
California, USA
topic: Inspiration and Creativity
How To Make Music
Taipei, Taiwan
topic: Performing Arts
Can you help us choose the top video from the above? If so, just let us know through a message on this page, and we’ll get a ballot to you. We would love your help!
New Format for Two Ed Tech Guys
Richard Byrne and I have been doing Two EdTech Guys Take Questions for almost three years, and just tweaked the format a tad. We’ve shortened the recording, focusing on just two questions, but we still take time to each share something really cool. Take in the most recent episode by clicking here or on the image, below.
Powerful Prompts
In the weekly NVIV post with prompts accompanying a really cool video, we share a piece about an innovative guy who went to Africa to create the “Uber for tractors.” We ask you, as well: what is the tool you need to take your work to a new level?
Wildfire Education Grant
California teachers, we’re talking free PD, free webinars with fire experts, and the chance for students’ creative work to be recognized and perhaps even save lives. The big title is, “Educational Videos for the Science and Prevention of Wildfires,” and we hope your students will take part. Here are the prompts for them to consider. Get involved (or answer the previous question) by reaching out on our Contact Us page. If you’re not in California but curious, just let us know and we’ll find a way to get you involved, too.
image by Tengyart from Unsplash (license)
Super Sips
A big woohoo! goes out to Mary Jude in California for winning the January Starbucks card. Mary, enjoy that sip on us!
If you’d like to be entered for the February drawing, you can let us know which of the finalist videos, above, you liked the best and why. Or, you can watch the Two EdTech Guys Take Questions video above and let us know what you think. Either way, contact us and let us know, and we’ll put your name in the hat.
image by Nathan Dumlao from Unsplash (license)
First Finish
Take a deep breath. I think about the worry that many teachers are expressing about ChatGPT and its potential to radically alter what we do. Taking a punch line from the mini-course, just know that while changes are definitely coming, if you find that you also save a lot of time with the things you least liked about our work, you might quite like where we end up!
As I say each month, may you inspire, and be inspired, each and every day.
Sincerely,
Rushton and the Next Vista team
Muchas Freebies
We love sharing cool free stuff, and invite you to help us out. You can find the best of what we’ve gathered over the years on the Next Vista Resources pages, but if there is something free and powerful you love that you don’t find there, let us know about it using our resources submission form.
Images in the freebies section are screenshots from videos or web pages unless otherwise noted.
Worth the Watch
We’ll start this month with one sure to spark your fancy! In the don’t-try-this-at-home realm is this piece from Great Big Story: The Spectacular Chinese Tradition of Molten Iron Fireworks. (3:19)
Who is the richest person who ever lived? Bill Gates? Carlos Slim? Queen Elizabeth? Actually, it was probably Mansa Musa, a ruler of the Empire of Mali in the 1300’s. In this animated BBC video, learn about his epic trip to Cairo, and think about the economic impact of his wealth, largely before people understood such things! (4:57)
Consider this a visual prompt. You’ve likely seen an ice sculpture, but what about portraits created on ice floating in the sea? An American artist faces Finland’s freezing temps to do this work, with the help of a drone. (3:25)
Here’s a video from Google about its Timelapse tool in Google Earth. The visuals are powerful, and can prompt all sorts of discussions about what is happening to the world around us. You might also ask what it is that Google gains from making and sharing this video. (2:25)
There is something really beautiful in this National Geographic piece about a French man who flies with vulnerable bird species with his microlight aircraft. His work is a conservation project that helps tourists (and you, via the video) see these migratory birds from an angle few get the chance to enjoy. (3:04)
Combining birding and the wealth of interesting perspectives that is the PBS Brief But Spectacular series, there is this story about birding enthusiast Virginia Rose. Rose suffered a horseback riding injury decades ago that left her partly paralyzed and needing to use a wheelchair. Over time, she has become a powerful voice for accessibility and an inspiration to others seeking to expand their possibilities. (3:50)
In the never-give-up department is this demonstration of beach volleyball defense at the 2022 World Championships. This is from Guardian Sport, with footage courtesy of Volleyball World. (0:44)
Worth the Read
Let’s say a school has parental permission to post a photo online (social media space or otherwise). Does that mean it’s okay to do so? That’s the topic of an especially thoughtful EdSurge article by Nadia Tamez-Robledo from January that gives strong reasons why that answer may be, “No.” Titled, “When Does Posting Photos of Students Become a Data Privacy Problem?,” this post is certainly worth a team discussion at your school.
Michael Linsin is an expert on classroom management who puts out a weekly newsletter with advice. In mid-January, he dropped a gem called Why You Must Make The Complex Simple. It’s a piece that succinctly covers a semester’s worth of pedagogical training, and a wonderful 2-minute read to use to prompt discussion in your next grade level, department, or staff meeting.
Recent Newsletters
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Last Bit
Near Cappadocia in Turkey where this picture was taken, the recent earthquake has killed over 40,000 people and upended the lives of people both in southern Turkey and northern Syria. If you feel moved to do so, please help with the effort to get aid to the survivors via this page, choosing the “Turkey/Syria Disaster Response Fund.”
photo by Mehmet Turgut Kirkgoz
from Unsplash
(license)
See you next month!
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