If you know a student who wants to learn how to use AI for school without cheating have them check out: 👉 https://www.aaronmakelky.com/ace-college-with-ai-course 👈

Check out my website and projects in my 
🔗 Link in Bio Page  🔗  
https://www.aaronmakelky.com/links

Chapters w/ timestamps

00:00 Introduction to AI Tools for Teachers
00:11 The Importance of Frontier Models
01:09 ChatGPT: The Default AI Tool
03:35 Exploring Google Gemini
06:08 Perplexity: The Ultimate Search Engine
08:40 AI Tools to Skip: Claude and DeepSeek
11:58 Conclusion and Next Steps

Subscribe for more videos in the AI Teacher Toolkit series!

Tools I use to run my business, write, film, and edit my videos:

💼 Kajabi for my website https://app.kajabi.com/r/9tapzkUc/t/2ozomyrg

 🎥 Descript to film and edit video https://get.descript.com/aaron

🤖 Taskade AI Agents for automations: https://taskade.com/?via=r35pt

🎤 Shure MV7 Microphone https://amzn.to/4jKfCoz

🎤 Rode Wireless Pro Microphones https://amzn.to/4jKfCoz

📸 Insta 360 Link Webcam https://amzn.to/40TgsaZ

🤳🏼 Insta360 FlowPro Gimbal https://amzn.to/3PWANpI

👓Meta RayBan Wayfarer Smart Glasses https://amzn.to/3EHqaV9

We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL.

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:
Simplify and streamline technology
Save teachers’ time
Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
Improve student performance on state assessments
🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

To get my free resources for teachers wanting to learn how to use AI in your classroom here:
👉 https://www.aaronmakelky.com/student-facing-ai 👈

If you know a student who wants to learn how to use AI for school without cheating have them check out: 👉 https://www.aaronmakelky.com/ace-college-with-ai-course 👈

Check out my website and projects in my 
🔗 Link in Bio Page  🔗  
https://www.aaronmakelky.com/links

Chapters w/ timestamps

00:00 Introduction to AI in Education
00:08 Mastering AI Skills for Teachers
00:44 Mindset Over Skillset
02:17 The RAFT Prompting Framework
05:57 Iterating on AI Outputs
06:42 AND WHAT ELSING Your Prompt
08:41 Split Testing and Guardrails
10:15 Citing AI Sources Correctly
11:28 AI Transparency in the Classroom
13:57 Conclusion and Next Steps

Subscribe for more podcasts in the AI Teacher Toolkit series!

Tools I use to run my business, write, film, and edit my podcasts:

💼 Kajabi for my website https://app.kajabi.com/r/9tapzkUc/t/2ozomyrg

 🎥 Descript to film and edit video https://get.descript.com/aaron

🤖 Taskade AI Agents for automations: https://taskade.com/?via=r35pt

🎤 Shure MV7 Microphone https://amzn.to/4jKfCoz

🎤 Rode Wireless Pro Microphones https://amzn.to/4jKfCoz

📸 Insta 360 Link Webcam https://amzn.to/40TgsaZ

🤳🏼 Insta360 FlowPro Gimbal https://amzn.to/3PWANpI

👓Meta RayBan Wayfarer Smart Glasses https://amzn.to/3EHqaV9

We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL.

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:
Simplify and streamline technology
Save teachers’ time
Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
Improve student performance on state assessments
🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

This episode gets into Talent Tip #5: Be Willing to Be Stupid. The discussion highlights the importance of allowing oneself to make mistakes and embrace the learning process. The conversation emphasizes that acknowledging and accepting the possibility of appearing 'stupid' can lead to growth, innovation, and improved problem-solving skills. The hosts share personal anecdotes and professional insights on how this mindset can foster a culture of continuous improvement and creativity.

We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL.

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:
Simplify and streamline technology
Save teachers’ time
Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
Improve student performance on state assessments
🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

Creating Effective AI Policies in Schools: Part 2 of the AI Teacher Toolkit

To get my free resources and the student AI survey mentioned, click here:
👉 https://www.aaronmakelky.com/student-facing-ai 👈

If you know a student who wants to learn how to use AI for school without cheating have them check out: 👉 https://www.aaronmakelky.com/ace-college-with-ai-course 👈

Check out my website and projects in my
🔗 Link in Bio Page  🔗 
https://www.aaronmakelky.com/links

Is your school struggling to establish a clear policy for AI? Are your teachers overwhelmed by the rapid integration of AI into classrooms? In this video, Aaron Makelky, a classroom teacher, shares his insights on developing effective AI policies in schools. This episode, which is part two of a five-part series called the AI Teacher Toolkit, breaks down the process into four key parts: policy, skills, tools, and applications. Learn how to navigate state guidelines, understand federal laws like FERPA, CIPA, and COPPA, and establish a layered, transparent AI policy for your classroom. Discover the importance of explicitly labeling assignments for AI use, handling IEP accommodations, and ensuring students know how to properly cite AI tools by using chat logs. Join Aaron and equip yourself to teach effectively in the post-AI world.

00:00 Introduction to AI Policy in Schools
00:37 Understanding AI Policy Framework
02:15 State and District AI Guidelines
04:51 Federal Laws and AI Compliance
06:39 Creating Classroom AI Policies
08:57 Transparency and AI Usage
11:37 Conclusion and Next Steps

Tools I use to run my business, write, film, and edit my videos:

💼 Kajabi for my website https://app.kajabi.com/r/9tapzkUc/t/2ozomyrg

 🎥 Descript to film and edit video https://get.descript.com/aaron

🤖 Taskade AI Agents for automations: https://taskade.com/?via=r35pt

🎤 Shure MV7 Microphone https://amzn.to/4jKfCoz

🎤 Rode Wireless Pro Microphones https://amzn.to/4jKfCoz

📸 Insta 360 Link Webcam https://amzn.to/40TgsaZ

🤳🏼 Insta360 FlowPro Gimbal https://amzn.to/3PWANpI

👓 Meta RayBan Wayfarer Smart Glasses https://amzn.to/3EHqaV9

AI Policy for Schools: A Practical Guide for Teachers

Is your school scrambling to figure out an AI policy? Are your teachers feeling overwhelmed in all the AI craziness? AI is exploding into classrooms, and without a plan, it quickly becomes chaos.

I know because I'm a classroom teacher. It doesn't have to be that way. Let me help you come up with some effective AI policies in your classroom and in your school.

I'm Aaron Makelky, and this is part two of a series called the AI Teacher Toolkit, which is going to help teachers to be effective in the post AI world. How do we move from AI chaos to AI clarity in your classroom? It starts with a framework.

To make creating effective AI policy manageable, I break that process down into four key parts:

1. Policy
2. Skills
3. Tools
4. Applications

This framework will help you introduce AI to your students, use it effectively, and not be dependent on any tools.

Step One: Policy

What's my responsibility as a teacher now that AI is here?

The biggest thing I want you to take away on AI policy is that it's not just one blanket rule. Effective policy comes in layers. I think of a hierarchy:

*State *District *School *Your Classroom (Your Syllabus)

Let's do an example. Does your state in 2025 currently have AI guidelines? It's a flip of a coin because 25 states do, and 25 states don't.

A lot of teachers that I talked to didn't even know their state gave guidelines.

Of all the stuff in your state's guidelines, here's the most important thing: How should students be using AI?

Here's what Wyoming says:

"To prepare all students for the AI rich future, it is imperative that they all learn about AI and have opportunities to learn with AI."

AI is really an equity thing. All students should be learning to use this.

Why does that matter? If somebody comes at me and says, "How come you're teaching my kid AI?", I say, "Well, have you read my state's guidelines? Because I'm following that guidance."

Guidelines are not mandates. However, if the person questioning knows more than a bunch of experts, I'd love to hear their side of the story. It protects me in my classroom practice.

Now, I can't help you with your district and schools policies, but most of them have the big three: FERPA, CIPA, and COPPA. What do those mean? You have to protect students' identities online. They shouldn't be sharing their name, address, phone number, or email.

Your school district has to have a way to filter harmful content from the AI tools.

With COPPA, don't have students sign up for accounts if they're not over 13. You can ask AI tools, "Are you guys CIPA and COPPA compliant?"

Most teachers I work with say, "I don't have any policy on AI." A lot of them are just leaving it up to the schools and even the individual teachers to figure out.

If you're in that boat, here's my advice if you're in an AI vacuum: Ask your administrator, does the lack of policy mean I can't touch the AI topic, or does the lack of policy mean I can responsibly start doing these things?

Most educators recognize in 2025 we should have AI guidelines, at least at the school level. But a lot of us don't. You're probably just going to be responsible for your syllabus and classroom policy first. Let's focus on that, because it's what you have the most control over.

How do I handle that in my own classroom? My state has guidelines, so I follow them pretty much word for word. I use the term shall. Students shall share links. Students shall include a disclaimer statement.

The big takeaway for you as the person in charge of your classroom policy is don't be using one flat, static policy. You can't be saying "no AI" in 2025. You can't be saying "AI's okay for everything" in 2025. You should be specific. You should explicitly label assignments with which level of AI, if any, you can use.

If you say "no AI," think about what you're excluding: spellcheck, Grammarly, Google Search, voice typing. How many students have an IEP that lets them do voice to text? If you want to fight federal law and say no AI, good luck. Know what you mean when you say no AI, and know what you mean when you say AI is okay.

Transparency: Citing Your Sources

The final aspect of AI policy is, how are you going to address transparency?

What not to do: Please don't have kids cite the AI tool. That's like citing a library.

What you should do instead: Make your students turn in links to their chat logs. I started it in 2024, and it's totally changed the use of AI in my classroom.

No matter how a student uses AI, they turn in a link to that chat log. It gives you x-ray vision into their head. What were they thinking? What content did they know? What did they not know?

Here's an example of a student just using AI to copy and paste ideas. How do I know? They had to turn in a link to that chat.

Here's an example of a student who really knew what they were doing. I can go through and tell.

Please, try it with your students, and you will be blown away.

How do you get a link to a chat? You're going to have to show your students. With

- Importance of keeping a daily performance journal, used by top performers like Serena Williams and Kurt Schilling.
- Notebooks: can be physical notebooks, shoeboxes with scraps, or digital note apps.
- Discusses various ways to organize and reflect on ideas, goals, and experiences.
- Highlights the benefits of using a phone’s Notes app, Google Docs, or traditional paper methods.
- Emphasizes the significance of clarity and reflection in achieving success.

00:00 Introduction to Talent Tip #4
00:13 The Importance of Keeping a Performance Journal
00:24 Examples of Notable Figures Using Journals
00:48 Different Forms of Journals
01:27 Practical Tips for Using Digital Notes
01:59 Reflective Practices and Their Benefits
02:27 Utilizing Google Docs for Note-Taking
03:02 Final Thoughts on Keeping a Notebook

We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL.

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:
Simplify and streamline technology
Save teachers’ time
Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
Improve student performance on state assessments
🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

To get my free resources and the student AI survey mentioned, click here:
👉 https://www.aaronmakelky.com/student-facing-ai 👈

If you know a student who wants to learn how to use AI for school without cheating have them check out: 👉 https://www.aaronmakelky.com/ace-college-with-ai-course 👈

Check out my website and projects in my 
🔗 Link in Bio Page  🔗  
https://www.aaronmakelky.com/links

Subscribe for more videos in the AI Teacher Toolkit series!

Tools I use to run my business, write, film, and edit my videos:

💼 Kajabi for my website https://app.kajabi.com/r/9tapzkUc/t/2ozomyrg

 🎥 Descript to film and edit video https://get.descript.com/aaron

🤖 Taskade AI Agents for automations: https://taskade.com/?via=r35pt

🎤 Shure MV7 Microphone https://amzn.to/4jKfCoz

🎤 Rode Wireless Pro Microphones https://amzn.to/4jKfCoz

📸 Insta 360 Link Webcam https://amzn.to/40TgsaZ

🤳🏼 Insta360 FlowPro Gimbal https://amzn.to/3PWANpI

🕶️ Meta Ray-Ban AI Glasses https://amzn.to/3CzBYrT

This is the first video in my "AI Teacher Toolkit" series, designed to help teachers and professors integrate AI into the classroom effectively. In this video, I break down 5 common mistakes educators make with AI and, more importantly, how to fix them. Learn how to use AI to enhance learning, not hinder it!
Show Notes & Timestamps:

[00:00:00] Introduction & Welcome to the AI Teacher Toolkit Series!
I'm Aaron Makelky, and I'm here to help you navigate the world of AI in education. I have experience as a teacher and working with schools on AI implementation.

[00:00:15] Mistake #1: Ignoring AI
AI is here to stay. Your students are already using it, even if they don't realize it.
My student survey revealed that Snap AI is the most used AI tool among my students (over 70%!).
Most students (63%) use AI for fun, not for school. This highlights the need for education on productive AI use.

[00:01:35] Get My Free AI Resources!
I'm giving away my student AI Use Survey, syllabus, and lesson ideas. Get them here: [https://www.aaronmakelky.com/student-facing-ai]

[00:02:25] Why Ignoring AI Doesn't Work
Students will learn about AI from somewhere. Do you want it to be from you or unreliable sources on TikTok?

[00:03:25] Mistake #2: Trying to Ban or Block AI
You can't control what students access outside of school.
Banning AI creates an equity issue, favoring tech-savvy students who can bypass restrictions.

[00:05:20] Mistake #3: Thinking You're Smarter Than AI
AI can be a powerful tool, even in areas where you're an expert.
Analogy: You wouldn't handwrite copies when you have a copy machine.
Practical Tip: Experiment with AI by asking it questions about your area of expertise. Use voice mode for a conversational experience.

[00:07:41] Challenging Yourself with AI
Ask AI to create analogies and adapt explanations for different student needs and interests.

[00:08:48] Mistake #4: Spamming More of the Same
Don't just use AI to create more worksheets or automate the essay grading process (AI ping pong).
Use AI to do things you couldn't do before.

[00:10:44] Mistake #5: Relying on a Specific Tool or GPT Wrapper App
My story: I relied on one platform, and it got blocked. Don't make the same mistake!
Focus on teaching the skill of using AI, not a specific tool.

[00:12:50] What To Do Instead of Relying on One Tool:
Teach transferable AI skills that apply across platforms.

[00:13:22] Coming Up in the AI Teacher Toolkit Series
We'll cover AI Policy, Skills, Tools, and Applications.

[00:14:00] Final Thoughts
Get your free resources (AI Use Survey, syllabus, lesson plans) here: [https://www.aaronmakelky.com/student-facing-ai]

We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL.

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:
Simplify and streamline technology
Save teachers’ time
Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
Improve student performance on state assessments
🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

In this episode of 'That's Not Crazy, That's History,' students from second block advanced world history class present detailed accounts of significant Napoleonic battles. The class covers the Battle of the Pyramids, where Napoleon's tactful use of divisional squares overcame the Mamluke cavalry. They discuss the impactful Battle of the Nile, highlighting Horatio Nelson's decisive naval engagement. The Battle of Austerlitz is examined, showcasing Napoleon's strategic mastery by luring his enemies into a disadvantageous position. The invasion of Russia and subsequent Battle of Borodino is presented, focusing on the costly and brutal engagement that exposed Napoleon's vulnerabilities. The Battle of Leipzig is discussed, underscoring the massive coalition forces that led to Napoleon's retreat and abdication. Finally, the class examines the Battle of Waterloo, which marked the end of Napoleon's military career and altered European history. Throughout the podcast, students use AI-generated study guides and transcripts to assess Napoleon's legacy.

00:00 Introduction to the Napoleonic Era
01:03 The Battle of the Pyramids
04:43 Napoleon's Tactical Genius
06:42 Demonstrating Infantry Formations
11:25 The Rosetta Stone Discovery
13:55 The Battle of the Nile
16:58 Napoleon's Puppet Mastery
17:30 Portugal's Strategic Importance
17:55 Battle of Austerlitz Recap
18:03 Battle of Borodino Overview
18:31 French and Russian Forces Compared
19:01 Napoleon's Tactical Decisions
19:51 Intense Battle of Borodino
21:30 Aftermath of Borodino
24:41 Battle of Leipzig: The Turning Point
29:38 Waterloo: Napoleon's Final Stand
34:16 Legacy and Lessons from Napoleon's Battles
37:10 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL.

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:
Simplify and streamline technology
Save teachers’ time
Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
Improve student performance on state assessments
🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

This episode is dedicated to Aravind Srinivas, CEO of Perplexity courtesy of my 2nd Block Advanced World History Class. Please add features like NotebookLM's audio generation to Perplexity! Our school blocks Google's NotebookLM but allows Perplexity, and we failed at creating Spaces for students to interview primary sources.  

In this episode of "That's Not Crazy. That's History.," the hosts discuss child labor during the Industrial Revolution, featuring firsthand accounts from parliamentary inquiries and reports. They explore the harsh working conditions faced by children in textile factories and coal mines, the exploitation by factory owners, and the grueling hours. Additionally, they highlight the efforts of reformers, the impact of the Sadler Report, and the Factory Act of 1833, which introduced significant changes in the regulation of child labor. The episode concludes by connecting this historical issue to ongoing struggles against child labor in the modern world and the importance of continued activism.

00:00 Introduction to Child Labor in the Industrial Revolution
00:57 Life of Child Laborers: Jobs and Conditions
01:35 Exploitation and Dangers Faced by Child Workers
04:27 The Fight for Reform: Voices and Actions
06:10 Legislative Changes and Their Impact
10:34 Ongoing Struggles and Modern Parallels
11:55 How We Can Make a Difference Today
13:51 Conclusion: Reflecting on Progress and Future Actions

We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL.

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:
Simplify and streamline technology
Save teachers’ time
Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
Improve student performance on state assessments
🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

Guest Introduction and Topic Overview

00:40 Supreme Court Term Limits Proposal

01:15 Challenges and Considerations

02:57 Circuit Court Overhaul

04:31 Bipartisan Reform and Democratization

06:25 Humorous Take on Supreme Court

06:58 Influence of Younger Justices

07:46 Randomized Justice Panels

08:55 Eliminating Judicial Bias

09:09 Athenian Democracy vs. Current System

09:33 National Lottery for Justices

10:26 Randomized System and Political Bias

12:02 Bicameral System and Electoral College

13:20 Code of Ethics for Supreme Court Justices

14:33 Bipartisan Committee for Judicial Ethics

16:30 Impeachment and Random Allotment of Judges

17:10 Concluding Thoughts and Term Limits

We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL.

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:
Simplify and streamline technology
Save teachers’ time
Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
Improve student performance on state assessments
🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

00:16 Guest Introduction: Meet E

00:40 Supreme Court Term Limits Proposal

01:15 Challenges and Considerations

02:57 Circuit Court Overhaul

04:31 Bipartisan Reform Possibilities

07:11 Supreme Court Justice Selection

08:55 Eliminating Judicial Bias

09:09 Athenian Style Democracy

09:33 National Lottery for Justices

10:26 Randomized System and Political Bias

12:02 Bicameral System and Electoral College

13:20 Code of Ethics for Justices

14:13 Bipartisan Review Commission

15:56 Constitutional Amendments and Impeachment

17:10 Final Thoughts and Wrap Up

We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL.

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:
Simplify and streamline technology
Save teachers’ time
Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
Improve student performance on state assessments
🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

- Talent tip number eight: Work like a careful carpenter to build reliable hard skills. -

Emphasizes being slow, careful, and attentive to errors.

- Example: Suzuki music method teaches holding the violin bow correctly with repetition.

- Example: Tom Brady carried a list of fundamental throwing techniques in his wallet for precision.

- Neurologists compare learning new skills to sledding on fresh snow; first reps set future pathways.

- Importance of mastering fundamentals through precise and measured repetition.

- Anecdote: Teaching a son to count correctly and say "Toy Story" instead of "Soy Tori".

- Focus: Addressing mistakes immediately to build the right neural pathways.

 Introduction to Building Hard Skills

00:37 The Suzuki Method: Precision in Music

01:43 Tom Brady's Fundamental Techniques

03:01 The Sled on a Snowy Hill Phenomenon

04:24 Personal Anecdotes on Learning

05:27 The Importance of Correcting Mistakes Early

08:16 Conclusion: Work Like a Careful Carpenter

We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL.

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:
Simplify and streamline technology
Save teachers’ time
Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
Improve student performance on state assessments
🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

We discuss information about the causes and key aspects of World War I.

They highlight the M.A.I.N. causes of the war, which include Militarism, Alliances, Imperialism, and Nationalism. The documents also explain the significance of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand as the "spark" that ignited the conflict. They delve into the key alliances formed, the development of new weapons, and the impact of trench warfare on the war. Additionally, the second document explores the role of propaganda and the significance of the United States' entry into the war, ultimately signaling to Germany that they could not win the conflict.

We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL.

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:
Simplify and streamline technology
Save teachers’ time
Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
Improve student performance on state assessments
🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

I’m all about experimenting with my students. I observe their actions & knowledge in order to inform future lessons. While some teachers like to plan everything ahead, I believe in watching how students naturally approach tasks first. Here is an example of why: in the first week of class I give my students a simple task. Research factual information about the League of Nations using any means they choose. 

Before I get up and instruct on research methods, shouldn’t I first watch them do it organically in my classroom? As students start the task of finding names, dates, and historical examples I observe HOW they are looking these up.

For years, the routine was predictable: open a new tab in Chrome, hit Google, and paste the exact question.

That may well be the most popular method, but fewer and fewer young people use Google Search. Heck, fewer even use a web browser or search engine at all!

What other ways are students researching? I knew some would use AI tools like Chat GPT, which a handful chose. But the most common platform my students use AI tools on is…Snapchat! 

To my surprise, an anonymous survey showed that Snapchat's AI was the most popular AI tool among my students—and Chat GPT was third.

As my students were struggling with a specific question, one asked me: “Are you sure there were 48 founding member states in the League of Nations, NOT 42?”

To which I confidently replied: “Yes, I’m sure.”

Credit to this student, because he challenged me (respectfully), to which all history teachers know what happens next: I’ll show you my source, you show me yours!

Mine: Wikipedia (as long as it cites a reliable source, yes, I’m a fan)

His: Snap AI. -Say what?

We decided to use my favorite research tool to moderate our disagreement: Perplexity.ai

We prompted it with context around our topic, the question, and how my source said 48 states, while Snap AI was saying 42.

Perplexity bluntly answered with: “42 is broadly recognized as the correct number.” Ouch, but why was I getting 48 from Wikipedia? We prompted it to explain how and why I was wrong. It had a great explanation: 42 members founded the League in January of 1920, but the number of members grew to 48 by the END of 1920. That actually made perfect sense, and upon re-reading my source, Perplexity was right!

Does this mean Snapchat’s AI is a good research tool? Should we have trusted an AI search engine like Perplexity to fact check our disagreement? Should students still be using search engines like Google in 2024?

I’m less sure than ever that I know the answer to any of these questions, but I’m excited to explore them with my students this school year!

What is clear to me at this point: fewer of us will be using traditional search engines. I have already switched my default browser search to Perplexity, which I prefer over Google. I see a huge benefit to being able to prompt an AI search tool with context, ask specific questions, follow up, and provide it with sources. Google search seems to “only” provide a list of links with a short preview of each. After using tools like Perplexity, this is difficult to accept.

It’s also important to meet students where they are. If they are using AI tools for research, I view my role as a social studies teacher requiring me to help them learn the skills of source evaluation in a way that translates across platforms. Even if their platform of choice is Snap AI!

If you are curious about bringing AI tools into your classroom or are you interested in learning how to use AI for your own studies 👉  I create resources around student-facing AI tools. 

🔗 Check out the projects on my website: https://aaronmakelky.com

📺 Subscribe to my channel: Aaron Makelky on YouTube
🎥 Here is the video of the lesson from class that day

We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL.

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:
Simplify and streamline technology
Save teachers’ time
Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
Improve student performance on state assessments
🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

They mean fun, connectedness, and passion. And because of that, skills improve faster when they're looked at this way.

We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL.

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:
Simplify and streamline technology
Save teachers’ time
Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
Improve student performance on state assessments
🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

Talent tip number 13. Find the sweet spot. There is a place right on the edge of your ability where you learn best and fastest. It's called the sweet spot. Here's how to find it. The comfort zone feels like ease, effortlessness, you're working, but you're not reaching or struggling, and your percentage of successful attempts is 80 percent and above.

So that might be an easy math worksheet, or A drill and practice that at least four, four times out of five, you get right. That's called the comfort zone. Here's the sweet spot. It feels like frustration, difficulty, alertness to errors. You are fully engaged in an intense struggle as if you're stretching with all your might for a nearly unreachable goal, brushing it with your fingertips and then reaching again.

Your percentage of successful attempts in the sweet spot. is 50 to 80 percent, but there's a place beyond the sweet spot and beyond the sweet, uh, the comfort zone. It's called the survival zone. Sensations in the survival zone are confusion, desperation. You are overmatched, scrambling, thrashing, and guessing.

That's a math test you didn't study for and skipped class all week. You guess right sometimes, but it's mostly luck. And your percentage of successful attempts is below 50%. That's the survival zone. So think of it like a gauge. Comfort zone. Easy. Sweet spot. Frustrating. 50 to 80 percent correct. Challenging.

But past that's like the red zone. I'm just trying to survive. To understand the importance of the sweet spot, consider Clarissa, a freckle faced 13 year old clarinet player, who was part of a study by two Australian music psychologists. Yes. There's an interesting job for you. Music psychologist. You study how people learn music.

Clarissa was an average musician in every sense of the word. She had average ability, average practice habits, average motivation. But one morning, a remarkable thing happened. Clarissa accomplished a month's worth of practice in five minutes. Your brain has to be going, how is it possible to get a month's worth of practice done in five minutes?

Here's what it looked like. Clarissa played a few notes. Then she made a mistake and immediately froze, as if the clarinet became electrified. She peered closely at the sheet music, reading the notes. She hummed the notes to herself. She fingered the keys in a fast, silent rehearsal. Then she started again, got a bit further, made another mistake, stopped, went back to the start.

In this fashion, working instinctively, she learned the song. The music psychologist calculated that Clarissa learned more in a span of five minutes than she would have learned in an entire month practicing her normal way, in which she played songs straight through, ignoring any mistakes. Why? Picture the wires of Clarissa's brain during those five minutes.

Each time she made a mistake, she was, one, sensing it. She knew she messed up. Two, she was fixing it right away, welding the right connections in her brain. Each time she repeated the passage, she was strengthening those connections and linking them together. She was not just practicing, she was building her brain.

She was in the sweet spot. Locating your sweet spot requires some creativity. For instance, some golfers work on their swings like this. This slows them down so they can sense and fix the mistakes in their swing. Some musicians play songs backwards, which helps them better sense the relationship between notes.

If you think you know the alphabet, try saying it backwards. You only know it one way. These are different methods, but the underlying pattern is the same. Seek out ways to stretch yourself. Play on the edges of your competence. As Albert Einstein said, One must develop an instinct for what one can just barely achieve through one's greatest efforts.

The word that's important there is barely. Ask yourself, if you tried your absolute hardest, what could you almost do? Mark the boundary of your current ability and aim a little bit beyond that. That is your sweet spot. Talent tip number 13, find the sweet spot. Now, how does this apply to you as a student?

I want you to think of how much time you've spent in school from kindergarten until wherever you are right now. You've done a lot of math worksheets, written a lot of essays, listened to teachers talk. What percent of your time in school have you spent in the sweet spot? 50 to 80 percent of the time you got the problem right, you were frustrated, you were challenged, you were keenly attuned to errors.

If you are like most students, you have spent very little time in the sweet spot. You are mostly in one of the other two zones, and a lot of you, it's the comfort zone. This is easy. Here's a worksheet. First one done. Boom. Are you actually learning? No. You're just filling time. You could do 2 plus 2 all day.

You didn't get better at math. But look at all the math worksheets that I did. That's not your sweet spot. If you get every question right, that was a waste of your time. You shouldn't get more than 4 out of 5 right. Or, it's too easy, you're in the comfort zone. The other side of that is I skip math class all week, I show up and have a test.

You're in the danger zone. You have no idea what you're doing. You don't even know how to start to solve the problem. That is just system overload and I shut down. So, try to spend more time in the sweet spot and less time in the comfort zone and the danger zone and you'll get more out of school.

We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL.

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:
Simplify and streamline technology
Save teachers’ time
Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
Improve student performance on state assessments
🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

We discuss the Law of Suspects & The Decree Against Profiteering issued by the Committee on Public Safety in 1793.

We compare monoplists from Revolutionary France to toilet paper hoarders during the COVID Pandemic of 2020.

We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL.

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:
Simplify and streamline technology
Save teachers’ time
Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
Improve student performance on state assessments
🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

1. Avoid someone who reminds you of a courteous waiter.
2. Seek someone who scares you a little
3. Seek someone who gives short, clear directions.
4. Seek someone who loves teaching fundamentals.
5. Other things being equal, pick the older person.

We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL.

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:
Simplify and streamline technology
Save teachers’ time
Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
Improve student performance on state assessments
🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

The myth that talent is inherent and marked by early success is debunked.

Notable examples of late bloomers include Michael Jordan, Charles Darwin, Walt Disney, Albert Einstein, and many others who were not recognized as prodigies.

Research and observations suggest that early success can hinder long-term development because it may lead to risk-averse behavior and a lack of challenge.

Dr. Carol Dweck's theory highlights that the praise received by prodigies can lead to a fixed mindset, slowing their learning and progress.

Talent development is seen as a gradual process, not predetermined by early achievements. This is supported by insights from experienced coaches and Anson Durrance, head coach of UNC women's soccer team.

The focus should be on continuous improvement, regardless of early success or failure. Effort and perseverance are emphasized over innate ability.

The podcast encourages a growth mindset, advising to treat early efforts as experiments and to not be deterred by initial setbacks or swayed by initial success.

Personal reflection on missed opportunities due to buying into the prodigy myth, advocating for a persistent and humble approach to skill development.

We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL.

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:
Simplify and streamline technology
Save teachers’ time
Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
Improve student performance on state assessments
🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

Honor the Hard the Skills.

Hard skills are the trunk, soft skills are the canopy. First build the trunk, then work on the branches!

We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL.

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:
Simplify and streamline technology
Save teachers’ time
Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
Improve student performance on state assessments
🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL.

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:
Simplify and streamline technology
Save teachers’ time
Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
Improve student performance on state assessments
🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

What is a soft skill?

How should I practice it?

Do they matter in the age of AI?

We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL.

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:
Simplify and streamline technology
Save teachers’ time
Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
Improve student performance on state assessments
🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

I explain the process of how a bill becomes a law and discuss the current status of the ban.

I present both perspectives on the ban, focusing on the potential security risks and the freedom of speech argument.

It's important to consider the privacy rights we willingly give up when using TikTok.

Understanding the context and implications of the ban is crucial.

We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL.

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:
Simplify and streamline technology
Save teachers’ time
Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
Improve student performance on state assessments
🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

How do I look it up?

How can I use AI to help me understand the law?

We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL.

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:
Simplify and streamline technology
Save teachers’ time
Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
Improve student performance on state assessments
🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL.

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:
Simplify and streamline technology
Save teachers’ time
Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
Improve student performance on state assessments
🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.