ai – Moler's Musings

The Week That Was in 103

Being at a new school means I’m living inside a learning curve. One is the learning curve of new procedures, figuring out how things run in a building that isn’t second nature to me yet. The other is learning about my students, how they learn, what they know, and what still feels brand new.

Technology has been the most eye-opening part. I’ve had to scale back some of my tech usage because I’ve noticed things I didn’t expect: students struggle when switching from tab to tab, they freeze when asked to transfer information from paper to a Chromebook slide, and some are still working hard at typing itself. Even something as simple as highlighting text in a slide became a full-class tutorial. But here’s the thing, they give everything they have. They want to be right, to be thorough, to do it well. So when a “simple” Map & Tell or Annotate & Tell takes longer than I planned, it isn’t because of disengagement, it’s because they are pouring themselves into it. That’s a learning curve I’ll gladly navigate.

Tuesday: Audience, Purpose, and Bias

This week we continued our historical thinking skills with a focus on audience and purpose and how those shape bias. I kicked things off with Paul Revere’s famous engraving of the Boston Massacre. I just put it up on the screen and asked, “What do you notice?” Students jumped in with their observations, and then I followed with a question that caught them off guard: “Since this was known as the Boston Massacre, how many people do you think died?”

The guesses rolled in, 15, 213, 500, 30. When I told them the real number was 5, their jaws dropped. Suddenly, the engraving looked different. That one moment opened the door for a deeper conversation about perspective and purpose.

Annotate & Tell

From there, we moved into an Annotate & Tell activity using two primary source newspaper accounts (thanks to the Gazette and the Chronicle). Students highlighted key words and answered guiding questions:

Who is the intended audience for this source?
What is the author’s purpose?
How does the description work to support that purpose?

It was a challenge at first, some students even asked, “Where do I type my answer?” But once we got rolling, they dug into the language, spotting words and phrases that revealed bias and purpose. The more they looked, the more the accounts felt less like “the truth” and more like arguments meant to persuade.

Final Reflection

We wrapped with a reflection that asked students to think about which version was more convincing to its audience and to use evidence from the text to support their reasoning. Some sided with the Gazette, some with the Chronicle, but what mattered most was that they were weighing sources against each other, not just accepting them at face value…….

This week reminded me that learning curves aren’t setbacks, they’re signposts. They show me where my students are, what tools they need, and how much they care about getting it right. If that means slowing down a bit on tech or taking extra time to show how to highlight, then so be it. The payoff is worth it, students not only practicing historical thinking, but also realizing that history isn’t about memorizing, it’s about perspective, audience, and purpose. Room 103 is learning. And so am I.

Wednesday: Resource Rumble Review

Midweek was all about review. To get ready for the test, I set up a Resource Rumble. Around the room I had seven envelopes, each tied to a different historical thinking skill. One had primary sources, another secondary, another sourcing, another contextualizing, and so on. Students worked in groups, pulling tasks from each envelope and building their study guide as they went.

Once they thought they had an answer, they brought it to me for approval and feedback. If it was solid, they got to roll dice and collect that many Jenga blocks. The twist was that their blocks weren’t just points, they had to build the tallest freestanding tower by the end. The room buzzed with movement, laughter, and some serious strategy as groups tried to balance accuracy with architecture. They loved it. I think part of the appeal was that it felt new, they got out of their seats, and for once it didn’t involve technology. By the end, they were smiling, competing, and most importantly, ready for Thursday’s test.

Thursday: Putting Skills to the Test

The test itself was designed to be straightforward but intentional. I built it in three parts: multiple choice, think alouds, and performance tasks that practiced the skills we had been building. The multiple choice section mixed DOK 1 and DOK 2 questions focused on primary and secondary sources, sourcing, contextualizing, corroborating, close reading, audience, purpose, and bias.

The think alouds were something different. Students read quotes like, “John Smith wrote about himself saving Jamestown. But I’m stopping to wonder… was he bragging to make himself look good? Which skill am I using when I question his reason for writing?” These items pushed students to recognize the historical thinking skills in action, not just definitions on a page.

For the performance tasks, I wanted them to work with sources, write, and apply what they knew. They sourced and questioned the reliability of the Boston Massacre engraving, contextualized a painting of Plymouth Rock, and compared sources on John Brown to analyze audience, purpose, and bias. I leaned on ChatGPT to help me design the framework, then revised and added the touches I knew my students needed. It ended up being a clean, balanced test that gave me a true look at how they’re progressing.

Friday: A Stumble into Number Mania

Friday I tried to roll out our new unit on Native Americans and European exploration and colonization with two Map & Tells and a Number Mania. The problem was we had never done a Number Mania before, and I ignored my own advice about starting small. What I got instead was a front row seat to how much my students still struggle with basic Chromebook and Google Slides skills. Adding pictures, changing word art, duplicating shapes—things I thought were second nature—turned into major roadblocks. At one point I was even being asked what the title should be. Good grief.

It was frustrating for them, so I pivoted. For my next three classes, I had them create a Number Mania about themselves, picking four numbers that told a story about who they are. I walked them through step by step: how to insert and format pictures, what word art is, how to change it, and even the magic of Control+D to duplicate. It wasn’t what I originally planned, but it gave me a better picture of their tech readiness and let them practice in a low-stakes, personal way.

AI and EduProtocols

The Top Three Most Used EduProtocols This Year

After years of using EduProtocols, I’ve learned that a few always rise to the top, especially in a year with content to cover, AI to manage, and routines to maintain. These three protocols: Fast and Curious, Number Mania, and Thick Slides became the top 3 EduProtocols I used this year.

Fast and Curious

This one’s been a staple for me year after year.

It set the tone for class, gave us quick retrieval, and got vocab into students’ brains before they needed to use it in a deeper task. I stuck with Quizizz most days and kept the sets short, tight, and tied directly to our content theme. Played it twice: once cold, once after a fast reteach or class discussion. Bonus if the class average hit our target, they earned 100% in the grade book.

How I used it:

Previewed key terms for units on Colonization, Constitution, Expansion, Industrialization, and Civil War
Included terms like mercantilism, urbanization, checks and balances, sectionalism
Built student buy-in by letting them submit terms to include
Used it mid-lesson when attention dipped or as a quick Friday review
Turned Quizizz class averages into a challenge: beat your Monday score by Friday

Fast and Curious Tip:

You can easily find premade quizzes on Gimkit or Quizizz – simple, easy, ready to go. However, I don’t often do that because they are not worded in a way that I teach or word things. So, I will often take the textbook section of readiongs for the week and upload those to ChatGPT. I have ChatGPT extract vocabulary words and create questions that fit with the content.

Number Mania

This protocol moved from a go to graphic organizer to one of the most powerful thinking routines I used all year.

At first, it was just about identifying meaningful numbers. But it quickly became the tool that helped students back up their claims with evidence, especially when layered into short writing tasks or argument structures.

How I used it:

After short readings on Jamestown survival rates, Revolutionary War casualties, Constitutional compromises, factory wages, and Civil War production
Students pulled 3 – 4 key numbers, paraphrased them, and explained their significance
Paired with icons, AI generated visuals, or short captions
Rolled right into Short Answer responses or “Divide the Pie” arguments
Posted top examples to Padlet and used them as models

The extension that worked best:
I started requiring students to use two of their numbers in a Short Answer claim. For example: “Why was the North better positioned to win the Civil War?” They had to cite the railroad mileage, factory output, or population numbers they had just worked with. The writing was better because the thinking was already done.

Bonus variation:
AI generated “Truth with Sprinkles” – I gave them a fake paragraph with incorrect numbers, and they had to fix it using their Number Mania notes. Quick, smart, and fun.

Thick Slides

This became my go to for synthesis and creative output.

Students got one slide to make their thinking visual. We used a set structure title, visuals, stat or quote, short summary and it let me see quickly who got the content and who needed help.

How I used it:

Wrapped up content from Colonial Regions, American Revolution, Industrialization, Reform Movements, and Civil War
Assigned AI image generation to visualize abstract concepts or quotes
Had students screenshot their slide and upload it to MagicSchool for feedback
Turned slides into gallery walks or Padlet posts to compare perspectives

The best variation this year:
After students created their slide, I had them use it in a Divide the Pie activity. Each student argued which reformer, event, or region had the biggest impact—using only the details from their slide. It forced them to know what they made and defend it.

Final Thought

These three: Fast and Curious, Number Mania, and Thick Slides did more than fill time. They became a rhythm. Retrieval led to analysis. Analysis led to argument. Argument led to creative synthesis. They worked with any unit, played well with AI, and kept students focused.

Let me know if you want copies of my Number Mania prompts, Thick Slide templates, or how I stack these across a full week. Always happy to share.

AI and EduProtocols

Rethinking the Questions We Ask – “Answers Will Vary”

A kid once turned in an answer to question 3 that just said: “Answers will vary.” It was clearly Googled and lifted from a teacher Weebly page of TCI answer keys.

I looked at it, shook my head, and said, “If you’re going to cheat, at least cheat correctly.” Then I realized the question I asked didn’t require them to think – it just needed Google… or now, from AI.

We’re in a world where students can Google or AI their way through any worksheet. So instead of harder questions, or. ore questions, we need better ones. Questions that actually require students to think, reflect, and decide.

Here’s how I’ve started reworking my questions:

Old Question	Better Version
What caused the American Revolution?	If you were a colonist, which British action would’ve pushed you to rebel—and why?
What did the Great Compromise do?	Which Constitutional compromise matters most today? Defend your choice.
What is Manifest Destiny?	Would you have supported Manifest Destiny in the 1840s? Explain your POV.
What were working conditions like?	Create a pro-factory ad. Then explain what you left out—and why.
What’s federalism?	Draw a symbol of federalism. Explain how it shows two governments sharing power.

These shifts help because AI can explain the facts, but it can’t choose for the student. When students have to justify, reflect, or take a position, it brings their voice into the work. AI might help them brainstorm, but it can’t replace their thinking.

Add Simple Reflection

Asking better questions helps, but building in quick metacognition takes it further. Here are 3 go-to prompts I use:

“What was the hardest part of this task—and how did you deal with it?”
“What part of your answer are you most confident in?”
“What changed your thinking today?”

Nothing over the top, just 1–2 sentences. We do it after Sketch & Tell-o, Thick Slides, Number Mania, or a writing task. It keeps the focus on how they thought, not just what they said.

Focus on the Process

During our Industrialization unit, I gave students a fake, rosy paragraph about factory life. Instead of writing something new, I had them revise it using evidence from our Number Mania activity (factory rules, fines, wages, etc.). The magic happened in the follow up: “What did you change—and why?”

That’s where I got real thinking. Students weren’t just reporting facts.
They were spotting spin, making decisions, and defending edits. That’s process.

Final Thought

If a chatbot can do the assignment better than your students, it’s time to change the assignment. Ask questions that need them. Build in time to reflect on the how, not just the what. Focus less on “finishing” and more on thinking out loud.

And when you start making these shifts, it’s eye-opening to see how much students have been relying on Google or AI to get by. The shortcuts get exposed, but so does the opportunity to help them become real thinkers.

TWTW

The Week That Was In 234

Tuesday – Number Mania

Wednesday – Divide the Pie

Friday – Netflix Template

Monday – A Nation Prepares

This week’s theme was “A Nation Prepares for War,” and I’ll be honest—I ran out of time. I really wanted to get into Reconstruction, but I refuse to gloss over material just to say I “covered” it. If I’m going to teach something, I’m going to do a thorough, intentional job. Otherwise, what’s the point?

It’s been a tough week. So I started Monday with something easy. Low prep. Low stress. But still effective.

We kicked off with a Gimkit that I ran twice—once for warm-up and once after feedback. It was packed with vocab and content-based questions: secession, sectionalism, Lincoln’s election, states’ rights, etc. A quick way to reactivate prior knowledge and see what stuck from last week.

Next, we jumped into a Thin Slide activity on Padlet. The prompt: Why did the South secede? I gave them a short reading to skim and told them to pick one word or phrase and one image that represented the core reason. But what made this one different was how we used AI.

Instead of finding an image, students used Padlet’s AI image generator. They entered a short phrase, made it their caption, and used the body of the post to explain what their image represented. That move—credit to the students—was gold. It made the captions matter. It made the explanations more thoughtful. And it gave them a creative outlet that still demanded analysis.

We wrapped the day with a blank map—labeling Union, Confederate, and Border States. I’ll admit, I don’t usually like blank maps. But sometimes the brain just needs a break. This was the break. A little coloring. A little labeling. Still purposeful, but low cognitive load to help everyone ease back in.

Tuesday – Sides of the Civil War

Tuesday’s lesson focused on understanding the advantages of each side heading into the Civil War. I kept it simple and familiar because I’m a big believer in reusing quality material when it works.

We started by running the same Gimkit again—this time as a Fast and Curious. The repetition wasn’t just for review—it was to reinforce accuracy and let students feel some early success. Their scores went up, and they felt it.

After that, students completed a Number Mania based on a short reading about Union advantages. The prompt was direct:
Why did the Union have an advantage over the Confederacy in the Civil War?

Their task:

Include 4 numbers from the reading with paraphrased explanations
Add icons or images that helped visualize the data
Give it a title
Keep it clean, clear, and creative

This was a solid way to push students beyond just copying facts. They had to decide what numbers mattered and explain why.

We wrapped the day with a short EdPuzzle covering the four major battles: Fort Sumter, Gettysburg, Vicksburg, and Appomattox Courthouse. It was a simple close to the day, but effective. The video reinforced the bigger picture—how the war escalated, where it turned, and how it ended.

Wednesday & Thursday – Why Did People Fight?

This was the heart of the week, and it spanned two days. We started both days with a Quizizz for retrieval practice—Fast and Curious format again.

Then came the layered lesson. Students read a series of primary and secondary sources about different groups in the war: Union soldiers, Confederate soldiers, Black soldiers, and women. Afterward, they submitted four reasons for fighting through a Google Form.

Here’s where AI came in: I fed their responses into ChatGPT and asked it to create six categories based on student submissions. These included things like defending homeland, fighting for freedom, or protecting rights. I shared these categories back with the class.

From there, students completed a Divide the Pie activity:

Choose 5 of the 6 motivations
Assign each a percentage based on how influential they believed it was
Justify their thinking with specific details

It was reflective. It was writing-heavy. It worked.

Students weren’t just reciting facts—they were categorizing, weighing, and defending ideas. This is exactly what we need more of.

Friday – Wrapping Up the Theme with Netflix and Retrieval

Friday’s goal was simple: wrap up our “A Nation Prepares for War” theme and give students a creative outlet to show what they’d learned. We started with one last round of our Quizizz fast and curious—same questions from earlier in the week, but now serving as a final review. The ALL-class average was 85%, which was awesome, especially considering the quiz covered three weeks’ worth of content.

Next up: the Netflix template. I used an old template I’d saved (no idea where it originally came from), but it always works because it looks like an actual Netflix series layout. That visual hook alone helps students lock in.

The success criteria came straight from the yellow arrows in the template:

Slide 1: Series title, image, and a 3–4 sentence summary. They had to explain the division of states, why the South seceded, Fort Sumter, and reasons people were willing to fight.
Slide 2: Three creative episode titles—each tied to a big idea from our unit. Each episode needed a 2–4 sentence summary explaining the problem, the response, and the result.

To finish, I created a Magic School classroom for writing feedback. Students uploaded screenshots of their slides and received quick AI feedback. We had great conversations about the suggestions—what to take, what to ignore, and why. It’s not about AI replacing thinking; it’s about helping students reflect and revise.

This was a great way to end the theme. Students retrieved information, created something meaningful, and got instant feedback to grow their thinking. Simple. Structured. Creative. The way learning should be.

TWTW

The Week That Was In 234

This week in 234, we stacked a lot of learning into five days—Fast & Curious, Frayer Models, Mini Reports, Short Answer Battle Royales, and even a Netflix-themed summative. We used Thin Slides and AI tools like MagicSchool to keep thinking sharp and feedback immediate. Students worked through compromises, created empathy maps, asked hard questions, and wrapped it all up with creative final products. Every day had a clear task, a familiar structure, and a chance to show what they knew in a new way.

Tuesday/Wednesday – Missouri Compromise Rack and Stack

Thursday – MiniReport Compromises Rack and Stack

Friday – Netflix Template

Monday: New Unit

I wasn’t at school Monday, but I still wanted the lesson to move thinking forward. This was the day to bridge the gap between our work on reform—especially abolitionism—and the new unit on the causes of the Civil War. I didn’t want it to feel like two separate things. I wanted students to start seeing the threads.

I started them with an EdPuzzle on the causes of the Civil War. This was more of a primer than anything—just to introduce key ideas like sectionalism, states’ rights, and slavery as a cause, not a side detail. From there, they jumped into a vocabulary Quizizz to build some retrieval around terms like secession, abolitionist, compromise, and conflict. The goal was to give them some anchors before diving deeper later in the week.

Next, students read a short piece on the Abolitionist Movement. The reading focused on how individuals and laws pushed against slavery in different ways—through writing, escape networks, and protest. They answered four questions in complete sentences, which gave structure without overloading them. This is always a key decision I think about when I’m not there: clarity over complexity.

Finally, they went to a Padlet where they shared two things they learned and responded to the big question: “What was the cause of the Civil War?” That question, in one form or another, is going to guide us the next couple weeks. And I wanted them thinking about it early—even if their answer was rough.

None of it was flashy, but it had purpose. It helped me set up our three guiding themes for the unit:

Compromises Can’t Solve Slavery
A Nation Divides
Getting Ready for War

The best part is it gave them space to revisit old knowledge and preview new ideas—and when I returned Tuesday, they were ready to build.

Tuesday/Wednesday: The Missouri Compromise

Our theme this week was “Compromises Can’t Solve Slavery,” and this lesson focused on the Missouri Compromise.

We opened with a Quizizz for vocabulary and retrieval—terms like “compromise,” “balance,” and “slave vs. free states.” I originally planned to use a Frayer Model for the word “compromise,” but students already demonstrated understanding on Quizizz, so I cut it. Real-time data helps guide what stays and what goes.

Then we jumped into Upside Down Learning (from EMC2Learning), scaffolded with three categories: Cause, Conflict, and Compromise. Above the line, students charted accurate info from the Missouri Compromise reading. Below the line, they created an alternate reality—what if Missouri hadn’t joined as a slave state? What if no compromise had happened? It’s a quick way to push thinking to higher levels of Bloom’s—synthesis and evaluation.

Next came a task I call Fray-I. I wanted students to ask a question that the reading didn’t answer. Then, using MagicSchool’s Raina AI, they typed in their question and completed a Frayer-style evaluation:

What was the main idea of the AI’s response?
Did it use evidence?
Was anything missing?
Would you trust this response?

We ended with an Empathy Map based on two primary sources—one from a Northerner and one from a Southerner debating slavery in the West. After reading, students chose one voice and filled out an empathy map to process their perspective.

Why this worked:
It hit different levels—retrieval, evaluation, synthesis. The tasks built on each other and helped students understand compromise not just as a definition, but as a broken fix in a broken system.

And AI wasn’t just an “add-on”—it was a skill. Ask. Analyze. Evaluate.

Thursday – Caption Crunch

Thursday was all about keeping the cognitive load low—but not the learning. I’m running out of days before testing hits, and I knew I had to get both the Compromise of 1850 and the Kansas-Nebraska Act into one lesson. Normally, I’d spread those out. But I’ve learned that reducing the number of tasks while still keeping the thinking high is one way to keep the load manageable. It’s not just about what content you include—it’s also about how you deliver it.

We started with a Fast and Curious on Quizizz. Same core theme questions we’ve been hitting: compromise, slavery, and failure. It got them thinking quickly and primed for the day’s work.

Then we jumped into our Mini-Report. The layout was intentional—students had to compare both compromises side-by-side, using two half-page readings. I’ve found that the Mini-Report structure helps students stay focused, especially when they’ve seen it before. Familiarity builds confidence, and confidence keeps engagement up.

Before we read, I ran an EdPuzzle—some classes did it live, others on their own. I had them write down just one detail from the video to get them warmed up. That’s it. Just one. No overkill, no worksheet—just purposeful priming.

After that, we read and filled in the Mini-Report. No full sentences. Just paraphrased notes to get them processing.

Once they had their facts, we jumped into Short Answer for a Battle Royale. The question: “How did the Compromise of 1850 and the Kansas-Nebraska Act try to solve the issue of slavery, and why didn’t they work?” Students competed for a donut. It sounds silly, but they wrote their asses off. Because there was structure. Because it mattered.

We wrapped up with something new I called Caption Crunch. I set up a Padlet with columns and gave students captions that connected to one of the three compromises we’ve studied. Their task: take the caption, add keywords, and plug it into Padlet’s AI image generator. Then, they posted their AI-generated image and explained in 2–3 sentences which compromise it represented and how the image reflected what happened. The captions were generated by AI, but the decisions and connections were all theirs.

I think Caption Crunch has potential to be an EduProtocol. It pushed students to think symbolically, creatively, and critically about each compromise. And it added another layer of retrieval and review without feeling like “just more reading.” It can be used across all grade levels and content areas.

It was one of those days that felt packed, but purposeful. Everything flowed. Everything clicked. And the kids were into it. That’s what matters.

Friday

Friday was all about wrapping up our first theme—“Compromises Can’t Solve Slavery”—and giving students a chance to pull everything together in a creative way. We kicked off with one final round of the same Quizizz we’d been using all week. And yes, I had to play the game. I told them: If your class average is below 80%, you’re creating more work for yourselves. If it’s above 90%, everyone gets a 100%. It’s ridiculous that I have to do that, but here we are.

One class came in at 70%. Honestly? Unbelievable. We’ve been doing this same Quizizz set every day. So that class had to do a three-way Venn diagram comparing the Missouri Compromise, Compromise of 1850, and Kansas-Nebraska Act. The other classes finished at 87%, 83%, and 80%—so they moved on to the main activity: the Netflix Template.

This is one of my favorite creative assessments. I’ve had this template forever—I can’t even remember where I got it—but it’s sharp. Looks like a real Netflix series and pushes students to synthesize in a unique way. Here was the success criteria:

Slide 1:

Series Title
A 3–4 sentence summary connecting the compromises and showing how they represent failure

Slide 2:

Creative episode titles (one per compromise)
A short summary that explains:
- What the compromise tried to fix
- What actually happened
- Any relevant key terms (Fugitive Slave Act, Bleeding Kansas, etc.)
A thumbnail image, cast list (Henry Clay as “The Great Compromiser”), and a content warning

I also created a MagicSchool classroom where students could attach their Netflix slides and get writing feedback. I like that part because it’s easy to set up and it lets students take some ownership. Some kids were tweaking titles, some were improving explanations, and some were learning how to actually use Google Slides better.

That part is underrated. I had students asking, “How do I layer these images?” or “How do I crop this picture into a shape?” and I got to teach them real tech skills while they were working through content. So yeah, it wasn’t just about summarizing compromises—it was about learning how to design, write, and revise creatively.

That’s a win in my book.

AI and EduProtocols

Fray-I: Teaching Students to Question AI Like a Historian

The first time a student told me, “This sounds smart, but I don’t think it’s right,” in response to an AI-generated answer—I knew we were onto something.

That moment sparked Fray-I—a thinking routine I’ve been developing to help students analyze AI responses, not just accept them. It’s still a work in progress, but it’s already changing how my students interact with both history and technology.

Here’s the flow:

Students engage with content – a primary source, textbook excerpt, or short video.
They ask a question based on the reading or viewing—either one they create or one I provide (especially if the source leaves something unanswered or unclear).
They run that question through an AI tool like ChatGPT or MagicSchool.
They get a response and analyze/evaluate.

Here’s what Fray-I looks like:

Claim: What is the AI saying? What’s the main idea or argument?
Evidence Used: What support, facts, or examples does it include?
What’s Missing?: What voices, perspectives, or key historical context are left out?
Push It Further: How could this answer be stronger? More accurate? More complete? Would you use this response?

This turns AI into the text—not the shortcut.
Students question the bot like they would a biased newspaper article, a government document, or a historical speech.

Why Fray-I works:

It puts students in the driver’s seat. They’re not copying—they’re critiquing.
It reinforces essential social studies skills: sourcing, bias, perspective, and evidence-based reasoning.
It meets students where they are—working with the tools they’re already curious about.

And honestly? The engagement is different.
When students start noticing what the AI got wrong, what it ignored, or how it could be improved, they feel ownership.

Fray-I isn’t finished. I’m still tweaking sentence starters and scaffolds to support all learners. But it’s already doing what I hoped: Helping students think like historians in a world where information is instant—but not always insightful.

Here is a Fray-I Template

TWTW

The Week That Was in 234

This week was about layering, connecting, and getting students to own the content—not just memorize it. Every protocol, every sequence was designed to move students from basic retrieval to deeper understanding without overwhelming them.

Nothing fancy. Nothing over the top. Just intentional teaching.

Monday – Abolitionist Reformers Thick Slide

Tuesday/Wednesday – Superlatives

Thursday – Abolitionists/Women’s Suffrage Reading and AI Evaluation

Friday – Reform Movements Solo Iron Chef

Monday: Contributive Learning With Abolitionists

Monday kicked off our Abolitionist Movement work. I always try to bring in local figures like Harriet Beecher Stowe, John Rankin, and James G. Birney alongside Frederick Douglass, Sarah Grimké, and William Lloyd Garrison. Students need to see the local connection—that history didn’t just happen “out there.”

We started with a Thin Slide: “Change begins when someone refuses to stay silent.”
One picture. One word or phrase. Fast. Immediate. It set the tone for the day—thinking about voice, action, and courage.

Then we jumped into a short EdPuzzle. It wasn’t to “teach” the content—it was just to jog memories and fill in some quick context before they picked an abolitionist to dive deeper into.

The Thick Slide was the real meat of the day:
Each student chose one abolitionist and built a slide that included:

A short background
Their motivations for ending slavery
The methods they used (writings, speeches, helping people escape, etc.)
One powerful quote or moment that showed who they were

This wasn’t just copying facts—it was asking students to curate what mattered.

After they shared, classmates used a Frayer Model to capture the background, methods, and motivations for four abolitionists.

Why I sequenced it this way:

Thin Slide to frame the emotional/critical thinking lens
EdPuzzle for quick retrieval
Thick Slide to produce and contribute
Frayer to actively listen, gather, and process others’ work

Every move had a purpose: students weren’t just learning about abolitionists—they were seeing patterns of activism.

Tuesday: Finishing Abolition With Superlatives

Tuesday was another strange day because of science OST testing.

We opened with a Fast and Curious on Quizizz. Nothing complicated—just another layer of retrieval on the same reform movement content:

Words like suffrage, reform, abolitionism, and goals of different movements

Then we finished Monday’s work with a Superlatives activity (shoutout to Kim Voge). Students had to pick 2–3 abolitionists and apply superlatives like Most Courageous, Most Determined, Most Visionary, etc.

At first, I had them tie it back to the Thin Slide quote from Monday…but after first period, I realized that overwhelmed them. So I pivoted and just let them focus on the superlatives.

After students completed the Superlatives, they used Magic School’s writing feedback tool to add in ideas. They took a screenshot, attached the screenshot to the feedback tool, and generated feedback. It led to discussions of evaluating feedback and choosing to pay attention to the feedback that matters.

Why this worked:

Fast and Curious warmed them up with retrieval
Superlatives required them to compare, judge, and defend choices
It wasn’t just recalling facts—it was applying understanding

The pivot mattered. Sometimes you have to drop something mid-day when you realize it’s not helping kids think better.

Wednesday: Thinking on My Feet With Real-World Skills

Wednesday was a little chaotic—still on the weird science testing schedule. Some classes finished their superlatives and quizzes early, and I knew I needed something meaningful that wasn’t just busy work.

I thought back to a Friday Check-In I ran months ago:
“If I could teach you anything besides social studies, what would you want to learn?”

The most common answer? – Jobs. Taxes. How to get a job.

So I threw together a quick, no-internet-needed lesson:

Started with a Google Form:
- What’s more important—skills or attitude?
- Would you hire yourself right now?
Number Mania on Padlet:
- What are two labor laws that surprised you?

I shared a quick story about my first job working clay tennis courts—how doing the little things no one asked for got me better hours and more money.

Why this worked:

It was personal.
It was relevant.
It used EduProtocols (Number Mania + fast reflection) in a real-world context.

The best moments come when you connect content to what actually matters for students’ futures.

Thursday: Connecting Abolition and Women’s Rights (with Purposeful AI)

Thursday was all about tying movements together—and introducing AI not as a shortcut, but as a thinking partner.

Our goal:
Understand how the Abolitionist and Women’s Rights movements were connected—and why they eventually split apart.

The flow:

Opened with a Google Form to prime thinking: Where do you see connections? Where could you see division?
Annotate & Tell: Students read a short article and answered four guiding questions that helped them think about motivations, conflicts, and context.

Then came the AI part—and this was intentional:

Students used MagicSchool ChatBot Raina to ask a question about the reading. I did not preload the ChatBot with any extra information.
They had to paraphrase the AI response
Then they had to evaluate it:
- Was it accurate?
- Was anything missing?
- How could it have been better?

This wasn’t just “use AI.” This wasn’t generate ideas and copy. It was: engage with AI, challenge it, think critically about it.

We closed it all with a Short Answer Battle Royale: Explain how the two movements were connected.

Why this worked:

The Google Form opened thinking.
Annotate & Tell slowed down reading.
AI added reflection, metacognition, and sourcing conversations.
Short Answer forced a full-sentence, evidence-based response.

AI wasn’t a crutch. It was a springboard for better thinking.

Friday: Wrapping Reform With Solo Iron Chef

Friday was about pulling everything together.

We started with a Fast and Curious on Quizizz (class averages were solid: 83%–90%) to hit key reform concepts one last time.

Then, students completed two Solo Iron Chef slides:

Slide 1: Religion Transforms Society (5 details + image + secret ingredient reflection)
Slide 2: Equality and Freedom (5 details + image + secret ingredient question)

I set the timer for 15 minutes per slide. Students had to screenshot their work and use MagicSchool to get AI feedback on it. And again—the feedback conversations were the best part. A student said, “The AI said to change my title but I made mine rhyme and I like it.” I said, “Then why listen to it? It’s a tool—not the truth. You know your purpose better than the AI does.”

Why this worked:

Retrieval + creative processing + purposeful reflection
AI wasn’t giving answers—it was helping students think about their choices

That’s the mindset we’re trying to build.

Why It All Worked

This week wasn’t about “doing EduProtocols” or “using AI” just because.
It was about intentional layering:

Start fast and low-stakes (Quizizz, Thin Slide)
Process and reflect (Annotate & Tell, Thick Slide, Frayer)
Compare and judge (Superlatives, Battle Royale)
Create and apply (Iron Chef, Superlatives)
Use AI for feedback, evaluate the answers

Every protocol had a purpose.
Every sequence moved students one step closer to owning their learning—not just memorizing for a test.

That’s how you build real growth. And that’s what made this week work.

Quick Thoughts

Quick Thought: Rethinking AI With Less Hype, More Meaning

When AI first came out, I was intrigued. I started thinking of ways to use it creatively to help me. Ways to boost engagement. Ways to support learning. I was the guy making presentations with titles like “10 Ways to Use ChatGPT in Class” or “5 Ways to Increase Engagement with AI.” And those were useful—at the time.

But we’re past that now.

AI is here. It’s constantly evolving. It’s inevitable. Students will use it. So I’ve been trying to use it with them—not just for me. I’ve been using MagicSchool to help kids generate ideas, model how to write prompts, and get personalized feedback. I’ve shown them how to paraphrase AI-generated content instead of copying it. I’ve trying to show them to to analyze the content AI spits out. I’ve used Class Companion to give them feedback on writing, hoping they’ll read it and revise.

Some do.

Some don’t.

Some use it to improve. Some copy and paste. Some avoid it entirely and insist on thinking for themselves. Some don’t engage at all. It’s like a mini snapshot of society—some are all-in, some resisting, some just watching.

The real question now is: How do we use AI meaningfully? How do we turn it into a thought partner—not a shortcut?

Here are two ways I’ve started doing that in class:

Use AI to Practice the Process, Not Just Produce the Product
One of the most effective ways I’ve used AI in class is to treat it as a starting point, not the final product. I have students use AI to generate a response, then paraphrase it in their own words, critique what’s missing, and decide what they’d keep or change. This process helps them engage with the content, reflect on their own thinking, and develop stronger writing and reasoning skills. Whether it’s analyzing a historical event or building an argument, the focus is always on using AI to support the learning—not replace it.

Evaluate the Feedback Itself
One thing I do regularly: students create a slide summarizing their thinking, screenshot it, and upload it to MagicSchool. AI gives feedback, but here’s the key—they don’t just revise based on it. They evaluate it. Was it helpful? Confusing? Did it miss the point entirely? This makes feedback a thinking task. It gives students the power to decide what advice is worth using—and what isn’t. They’re not blindly following directions; they’re making choices. That’s real learning.

AI and EduProtocols

Let Them Rally: What Teaching 5-Year-Olds Tennis Taught Me About AI

In 2006, when I first started teaching tennis, I ran a bunch of classes for 3 to 5 year olds. We had all the right equipment—mini nets, low-compression balls, small racquets—the stuff that actually made sense for little kids. But I was still running drills like we were using regular tennis balls on a full court – stuff that was way too big and too much for where they were.

One day, my boss—who also happened to be a great mentor—watched one of the classes and asked, “Why don’t you have these kids rally?”

I kind of shrugged and said, “They’re not ready for that. They’ll struggle. What are they going to get out of it?”

To which he replied, “Maybe this week they get one ball in a row. Maybe next week they hit two. Maybe the week after that, none. But you’re giving them a chance. You’re giving them the opportunity to build the skill.”

That moment stuck with me for years. Recently, it’s been popping into my head again. Not for tennis. Rather, because of AI.

When AI tools first started popping up in education, I wasn’t sure what to think. I didn’t want it to become a shortcut. I didn’t want kids to stop thinking. I didn’t want to lose the craft of teaching and learning.

That conversation about rallying stayed with me. I realized—maybe AI is the ball. Maybe we just need to let kids rally.

Now I’m using tools like Magic School, Class Companion, and Snorkl in class. Not just for the sake of using them, but to give students opportunities.

Let them try. Let them fail. Let them get one good idea this week, maybe two next week.

Class Companion gives them real feedback on their writing—feedback they actually use. Snorkl lets them explore thinking with AI scaffolds. Magic School helps them dig deeper and ask better questions. These tools aren’t doing the work for them—they’re helping them build skills.

But here’s the key: we still have to be the coach.

We’ve got to teach them how to interact with AI, not just copy and paste. We’ve got to help them ask better questions, process feedback, revise, and think. That’s what AI literacy is really about.

So no—AI isn’t perfect. But if we avoid it because we think kids can’t handle it… we’re missing the whole point.

They can’t rally if we never give them the ball.

Let them rally. Stand on the sideline. Feed them another one. That’s how they grow.

AI and EduProtocols

Things Are Getting Expensive…Here’s Some Useful Free Versions Of AI Tools

Things are getting expensive. Teachers don’t wanna pay for stuff. Free versions are usually watered down or full of ads. I’m just here to share some tools that have useful free versions. These are ones I’ve been using and they’ve helped me plan better, save time, and still give students solid feedback and learning experiences.

I’ll keep it simple: what it is, why I like it, and how I use it (with a solid teaching idea thrown in—usually paired with EduProtocols that make sense).

Class Companion

Even with the free version, Class Companion gives your students feedback like a champ. It tracks writing progress over time, breaks feedback down into categories like organization and evidence, and gives consistent scoring. You can assign short-answer questions or extended responses, turn off copy/paste (huge during state testing season), and export their progress.

Why I like it: I don’t have to manually grade everything and I still get useful data. Feedback is fast and targeted. It’s perfect for helping kids write better without burning myself out.

Teaching Idea: Pair with Nacho Paragraph. After doing a Number Mania, reading, or Frayer-based content build, have students write a one-paragraph response that argues a claim. Class Companion gives AI feedback on the claim, evidence, and reasoning. It’s also great after a MiniReport—combine two sources, write a response, and let AI provide revision tips. Great test prep without being test prep.

Brisk

Brisk is like having an AI sidekick built right into Google Docs and Slides. You can highlight text and ask it to simplify or raise the reading level, turn a website into a quick Google Slide presentation, or even generate questions. You can use it to leave AI-generated feedback on student work, but I mostly use it for materials prep.

Why I like it: It’s fast, doesn’t take me to a new platform, and it helps me tailor materials for students at different levels in seconds.

Teaching Idea: Use Brisk to level a source before a Cyber Sandwich. Take a tough article, simplify it for one group of students, and leave the original for another. Have them annotate, partner-share, and write a summary. You can even ask Brisk to generate questions for a thin slide or fast and curious warm-up.

Curipod

This is my go-to when I want a fast, interactive lesson that looks good but doesn’t take hours to make. Curipod lets you create engaging, Nearpod-style lessons. You can add open-ended questions, quick polls, drag-and-drop, even AI-generated reflections or historical figure Q&A simulations. The drawing and writing feedback features are a huge bonus.

Why I like it: I can turn a warmup into a 20-minute meaningful discussion with a couple clicks. Students actually enjoy the format and get to respond anonymously or collaboratively.

Teaching Idea: One way you could try using Curipod is by adding a few Sketch and Tell prompts throughout the lesson. Students draw and write a quick response, and the platform gives them feedback right away. After the Curipod, you might follow it up with a Thick Slide—have students share four important facts, two visuals, and a comparison. It’s a simple way to turn the lesson into something more student-centered and reflective.

Final Thoughts

These three AI tools won’t replace your teaching—but they do make it faster, easier, and more manageable. You don’t need 12 tools, and you definitely don’t need to drop $25/month to get value.

Try one this week. Layer it into an EduProtocol you already use. Let the AI handle some of the prep or feedback so you can focus more on the conversations and connections that matter.