Mike Paul

Tag: teachers

  • AI Schools and the Illusion of Efficiency

    close up photo of an abstract art
    Photo by Marek Piwnicki on Pexels.com

    A recent investigation into Alpha School, a high-tuition “AI-powered” private school, revealed faulty AI-generated lessons, hallucinated questions, scraped curriculum materials, and heavy student surveillance. Former employees described students as “guinea pigs.”

    That’s the headline.

    But the real issue isn’t whether one school deployed AI sloppily.

    The real issue is whether we are confusing technological acceleration with educational progress.

    The Seduction of the Two-Hour School Day

    Alpha’s pitch is simple and powerful: compress academic learning into two hyper-efficient hours using AI tutors, then free the rest of the day for creativity and passion projects.

    If you believe traditional schooling wastes time, that promise is intoxicating.

    But here’s the problem:

    Efficiency is not the same thing as development.

    From a Science of Learning and Development (SoLD) perspective, learning is not merely the transmission of content. It is a process that integrates cognition, emotion, identity, and social context. Durable learning requires safety, belonging, agency, and meaning-making.

    You cannot compress belonging into a two-hour block.

    You cannot automate identity formation.

    And you cannot hallucinate your way to deep understanding.

    Connectivism Is Not Automation

    Some defenders of AI-heavy schooling argue that we are simply witnessing the next phase of networked learning. Knowledge is distributed. AI becomes a node in the network. Personalized pathways replace one-size-fits-all instruction.

    That language sounds connectivist.

    But Connectivism is not about replacing human nodes with machine ones.

    It concerns the expansion of networks of meaning.

    In a connectivist system:

    • Learning happens across relationships.
    • Knowledge flows through dynamic connections.
    • Judgment matters more than memorization.
    • Pattern recognition and critical filtering are essential skills.

    AI can participate in that network.

    But when AI becomes the primary instructional authority — generating content, generating assessments, evaluating its own outputs — the network collapses into a closed loop.

    AI checking AI is not distributed intelligence.

    It is recursive automation.

    Connectivism requires diversity of nodes.

    Not monoculture.

    Surveillance Is Not Personalization

    The investigation also described extensive monitoring: screen recording, webcam footage, mouse tracking, and behavioral nudges.

    This is framed as personalization.

    It is not.

    It is optimization.

    SoLD research clarifies that psychological safety and autonomy are foundational to learning. When students feel constantly watched, agency erodes. Compliance increases. Anxiety increases.

    You can nudge behavior with surveillance.

    You cannot cultivate intrinsic motivation that way.

    If our model of learning begins to resemble corporate productivity software, we should pause.

    Education is not a workflow dashboard.

    The Hidden Variable: Selection Bias

    To be fair, Alpha School reportedly produces strong test scores.

    However, high-tuition schools serve families with financial, cultural, and educational capital. Research consistently shows that standardized test performance correlates strongly with income.

    If affluent students succeed in an AI-heavy environment, that does not prove that the AI caused the success.

    It may simply mean the students would succeed almost anywhere. I often say those students would succeed with a ham sandwich for a teacher.

    The question is not whether AI can serve already advantaged learners.

    The question is whether AI, deployed without deep pedagogical grounding, strengthens or weakens human development.

    The Real Design Question

    The danger is not AI itself.

    The danger is designing educational systems around what AI does well.

    AI does well at:

    • Drafting content
    • Generating practice questions
    • Scaling feedback
    • Recognizing surface patterns

    AI does not do well at:

    • Reading emotional context
    • Building trust
    • Modeling intellectual humility
    • Navigating moral ambiguity
    • Forming identity

    SoLD reminds us that learning is relational and developmental.

    Connectivism reminds us that learning is networked and distributed.

    If we optimize for what AI does well and marginalize what humans do uniquely well, we create a system that is efficient — but thin.

    Fast — but shallow.

    Impressive — but fragile.

    What This Means for Public Education

    This story is not merely about a private school engaging in aggressive experimentation.

    It is a preview.

    Every district will face pressure to:

    • Automate instruction
    • Replace textbooks with AI tutors
    • Compress seat time
    • Increase data capture

    The answer cannot be a blanket rejection.

    Nor can it be an uncritical adoption.

    The answer is design discipline.

    We should use AI to:

    • Reduce administrative drag
    • Prototype lessons
    • Support differentiated feedback
    • Expand access to expertise

    But we should anchor every AI decision in two non-negotiables:

    1. Does this strengthen human relationships?
    2. Does this expand student agency and meaning-making?

    If the answer is no, we are not innovating.

    We are optimizing the wrong variable.

    The Choice in Front of Us

    We stand at a fork.

    We can design AI systems around human development.

    Or we can redesign human development around AI systems.

    One path amplifies Connectivism, relational trust, and whole-child growth.

    The other path creates compliant, monitored, hyper-efficient learners who score well but lack deep agency.

    Technology will not make that choice for us.

    We will.


    The Eclectic Educator is a free resource for everyone passionate about education and creativity. If you enjoy the content and want to support the newsletter, consider becoming a paid subscriber. Your support helps keep the insights and inspiration coming!

  • The Building is Closed, The Vibe is Open

    The Building is Closed, The Vibe is Open

    The first great snowstorm of 2026 hit Kentucky last week and sent many schools either to pure snow days or Non-Traditional Instruction (NTI) days. So, I spent most of last week sitting at my desk, unshowered, unshaved, and low-key fiending for in-person human interactions.

    Doing my best to keep spirits up, I put together a quick playlist with some of my late-70s baby post-punk/new wave goodness and shared it with my teachers.

    The reviews were overwhelmingly positive.


    The Eclectic Educator is a free resource for everyone passionate about education and creativity. If you enjoy the content and want to support the newsletter, consider becoming a paid subscriber. Your support helps keep the insights and inspiration coming!

  • Engagement Is the Outcome, Not the Goal

    For years, we’ve treated engagement like something teachers should be able to manufacture on demand.

    If students aren’t engaged, the assumption is often that the lesson wasn’t exciting enough, interactive enough, or energetic enough. So we add activities. We add movement. We add tools. We add noise.

    And then we’re surprised when it still doesn’t work.

    Here’s the hard truth I’ve learned as an instructional coach:

    Engagement isn’t something you plan for. It’s something you earn.

    Why Planning for Engagement Often Backfires

    When engagement becomes the primary goal of lesson planning, we usually end up designing around surface-level behaviors:

    • Are students busy?
    • Are they moving?
    • Are they talking?
    • Are they smiling?

    But none of those things guarantees learning.

    In fact, classrooms can look highly engaged while very little meaningful thinking is happening. Students comply. They complete. They perform school.

    And teachers feel frustrated because they did everything “right.”

    What the Research Actually Tells Us

    Research connected to the Science of Learning and Development (SoLD) consistently points to the same conclusion:

    Engagement follows meaning.

    Students are more likely to engage when:

    • The task feels relevant to their lives or the world around them
    • They have some sense of ownership or choice
    • The thinking required actually matters

    When those conditions are present, engagement emerges naturally. When they’re missing, no amount of energy can save the lesson.

    This is why gimmicks don’t scale—and why they exhaust teachers.

    Shifting the Planning Question

    Instead of starting with:

    “How do I make this engaging?”

    Try starting with:

    “Why would this matter to a student?”

    That single question forces a different kind of design thinking:

    • What problem is being explored?
    • What decisions are students being asked to make?
    • Who or what is this work for?
    • Where does student thinking actually show up?

    When lessons are built around those questions, engagement becomes a byproduct—not a burden.

    What This Means for Teachers

    This shift doesn’t require abandoning structure, rigor, or content. It requires recentering the work on meaningful thinking rather than performance.

    It also reduces burnout.

    When students carry more cognitive load, teachers don’t have to bring all the energy. The work itself does more of the heavy lifting.

    That’s not about doing less—it’s about doing different.

    A Coaching Note from the Field

    When teachers tell me, “My students just aren’t engaged,” my response is rarely about strategies.

    It’s usually about the task.

    Fix the task, and engagement often surprises you.

    If this way of thinking resonates, I write a short weekly newsletter for teachers and instructional leaders focused on authentic learning, instructional coaching, and designing school in ways that actually work.

    No spam. No gimmicks. Just clear thinking from the field.

    You can subscribe here.

  • MP Daily Telegraph: October 15, 2025

    The Atlantic Telegraph 1866
    The Atlantic Telegraph 1866 via Internet Archive
    • Illustrative Math’s CEO on What Went Wrong in NYC and Why Pre-K Math is Up Next – Illustrative Mathematics created a K-12 math curriculum used in many U.S. schools, but its rollout in New York City faced challenges due to implementation issues. The curriculum encourages students to think about problems before teachers explain solutions, blending direct teaching with student exploration. The organization is now focusing on early math by developing a pre-K curriculum to help students succeed from the start.
    • Mark Rober’s underwater search for a flooded Gold Rush mining town – (This is so FREAKING cool) Mark Rober used sonar and a small submarine to search for a flooded Gold Rush town under Folsom Lake in California. The town was covered by water after a dam was built in 1955. Despite challenges, the team found interesting shapes and objects on the lakebed.
    • D’Angelo: 14 Essential Songs – D’Angelo was a talented soul singer, songwriter, and producer known for his unique style and deep musicianship. He released three important albums blending soul, funk, jazz, and hip-hop, influencing the neo-soul movement. Despite personal struggles, his music remains powerful and full of emotion, exploring love, pain, and social issues.


    The Eclectic Educator is a free resource for everyone passionate about education and creativity. If you enjoy the content and want to support the newsletter, consider becoming a paid subscriber. Your support helps keep the insights and inspiration coming!

  • A Quick Zine Resource Guide for Teachers

    how to use zines with students

    I’ve been on a zine kick for a while now, and recently had the chance to walk teachers through making their first zine.

    We worked on creating their own zines, which was fun and made many of them uncomfortable, which is perfectly OK. I compiled some quick links and information, and we discussed potential ideas they might consider and run with when working with students.

    Oh, and here’s the zine I made during one of the sessions. Feel free to use it to introduce the idea of zines to your peers and admin.

    a zine about zines

    Download the Zine About Zines

    What Is a Zine?

    • A zine (short for “magazine” or “fanzine”) is a small-circulation, self-published work, often made by hand, that can take many forms—comics, essays, art, collages, instructions, etc.
    • Because zines are informal, tactile, and often DIY, they offer a low-stakes way for students to share voice, experiment with layout or narrative, and synthesize content in creative formats.
    • Zines are used in classrooms to teach skills such as media literacy, personal narrative, research synthesis, visual thinking, and more.

    Folding a Zine — The One-Sheet Method

    One of the simplest and most powerful forms is the one-sheet zine (fold, cut, fill).

    Tools, Templates & Digital Zine Options

    ResourceWhat It OffersLink / Notes
    Zine-O-SphereSubstack exploring zines, art, culture, and DIY publishing.https://abigailschleifer.substack.com/s/zine-o-sphere 
    “Using Zines in the Classroom and How to Make a Single Page Booklet Zine” (OER)Includes guidance + printable master flat for one-page zinesCUNY Academic Works
    SCU Library’s Zine GuideWalkthroughs for physical & digital zines, plus design tips, templatesSCU Library Guides
    The Arty Teacher: How to Make a ZineStep-by-step guide with photos, cutting/folding instructions, and classroom ideasThe Arty Teacher
    “Teaching with Zines” (ZineLibraries.info)A compiled zine (yes, a zine) with resources, best practices, and reflections on using zines in educationzinelibraries.info
    Barnard Zine Library – Lesson PlansSample lesson plans, ideas across content areas, ways to scaffold, suggestions for grading/feedbackzines.barnard.edu
    TUIMP: The Universe In My Pocket“Using Zines in the Classroom and How to Make a Single-Page Booklet Zine” (OER)arXiv

  • Prophets of a Future Not Our Own

    Photo by Zhimai Zhang on Unsplash
    Photo by Zhimai Zhang on Unsplash

    A friend made this prayer into a short video and, while the focus is on the work of Christians (real Christians, not the power-mad Christian Nationalists currently trying to ruin literally everything in the world), I can’t help but see our work as educators reflected here, as well.

    This prayer was first presented by Cardinal Dearden in 1979 and quoted by Pope Francis in 2015. This reflection is an excerpt from a homily written for Cardinal Dearden by then-Fr. Ken Untener on the occasion of the Mass for Deceased Priests, October 25, 1979. Pope Francis quoted Cardinal Dearden in his remarks to the Roman Curia on December 21, 2015. Fr. Untener was named bishop of Saginaw, Michigan, in 1980.

    It helps, now and then, to step back and take a long view.

    The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts, it is even beyond our vision.

    We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction of the magnificent
    enterprise that is God’s work. Nothing we do is complete, which is a way of
    saying that the Kingdom always lies beyond us.

    No statement says all that could be said.

    No prayer fully expresses our faith.

    No confession brings perfection.

    No pastoral visit brings wholeness.

    No program accomplishes the Church’s mission.

    No set of goals and objectives includes everything.

    This is what we are about.

    We plant the seeds that one day will grow.

    We water seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise.

    We lay foundations that will need further development.

    We provide yeast that produces far beyond our capabilities.

    We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that.

    This enables us to do something, and to do it very well.

    It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way, an
    opportunity for the Lord’s grace to enter and do the rest.

    We may never see the end results, but that is the difference between the master
    builder and the worker.

    We are workers, not master builders; ministers, not messiahs.

    We are prophets of a future not our own.


    The Eclectic Educator is a free resource for everyone passionate about education and creativity. If you enjoy the content and want to support the newsletter, consider becoming a paid subscriber. Your support helps keep the insights and inspiration coming!

  • Democratizing AI in Education: David Wiley’s Vision of Generative Textbooks

    generative textbooks

    David Wiley is experimenting with what he calls “generative textbooks” — a mashup of OER (open educational resources) and generative AI. His core idea is:

    What if anyone who can create an open textbook could also create an AI-powered, interactive learning tool without writing code?

    From Open Content to Open AI-Driven Learning

    For decades, Wiley has championed open education resources (OER)—teaching and learning materials freely available to adapt and share under open licenses like Creative Commons. With generative AI now in the mix, Wiley sees a unique opportunity to merge the participatory spirit of OER with the dynamic adaptability of language models.

    The result? A new kind of learning tool that feels less like a dusty PDF and more like a responsive learning app—crafted by educators, powered by AI, and free for students to use.

    The Anatomy of a Generative Textbook

    Wiley’s prototype isn’t just a fancy textbook—it’s a modular, no-code authoring system for AI-powered learning. Here’s how it works:

    • Learning Objectives: Short, focused statements about what learners should master.
    • Topic Summaries: Context-rich summaries intended for the AI—not students—to ground the model’s responses in accuracy.
    • Activities: Learning interactions like flashcards, quizzes, or explanations.
    • Book-Level Prompt Stub: A template that sets tone, personality, response format (e.g., Markdown), and overall voice.

    To build a generative textbook with ten chapters, an author creates:

    1. One book-level prompt stub
    2. Ten learning objectives (one per chapter)
    3. Ten concise topic summaries
    4. Various activity templates aligned with each chapter

    A student then picks a topic and an activity. The system stitches together the right bits into a prompt and feeds it to a language model—generating a live, tailored learning activity.

    Open Source, Open Models, Open Access

    True to his roots, Wiley made the tool open source and prioritized support for open-weight models—AI models whose architectures and weights are freely available. His prototype initially sent prompts to a model hosted via the Groq API, making it easy to swap in different open models—or even ones students host locally.

    Yet here’s the catch: even open models cost money to operate via API. And according to Wiley, most educators he consulted were less concerned with “open” and more with “free for students.”

    A Clever—and Simple—Solution

    Wiley’s creative workaround: instead of pushing the AI prompt through the API, the tool now simply copies the student’s prompt to their clipboard and directs them to whatever AI interface they prefer (e.g., ChatGPT, Gemini, a school-supported model). Students just paste and run it themselves.

    There’s elegance in that simplicity:

    • No cost per token—students use models they already have access to.
    • Quality-first—they can choose the best proprietary models, not just open ones.
    • Flexibility—works with institution-licensed models or free-tier access.

    Of course, there are trade-offs:

    • The experience feels disjointed (copy/paste instead of seamless).
    • Analytics and usage data are much harder to capture.
    • Learners’ privacy depends on the model they pick—schools and developers can’t guarantee it.

    A Prototype, Not a Finished Product

    Wiley is clear: this is a tech demonstration, not a polished learning platform. The real magic comes from well-crafted inputs—clear objectives, accurate summaries, and effective activities. Garbage in, garbage out, especially with generative AI.

    As it stands, generative textbooks aren’t ready to replace traditional textbooks—but they can serve as innovative supplements, offering dynamic learning experiences beyond static content.

    The Bigger Picture: Where OER Meets GenAI

    Wiley’s vision reflects a deeper shift in education: blending open pedagogy with responsive AI-driven learning. It’s not just about access; it’s about giving educators and learners the ability to co-create, remix, and personalize knowledge in real time.

    Broader research echoes this trend: scholars explore how generative AI can support the co-creation, updating, and customizing of learning materials while urging care around authenticity and synthesis.

    Related Innovations in Open AI for Education

    • VTutor: An open-source SDK that brings animated AI agents to life with real-time feedback and expressive avatars—promising deeper human-AI interaction.
    • AI-University (AI‑U): A framework that fine-tunes open-source LLMs using lecture videos, notes, and textbooks, offering tailored course alignment and traceable output to learning materials.
    • GAIDE: A toolkit that empowers educators to use generative AI for curriculum development, grounded in pedagogical theory and aimed at improving content quality and educator efficiency.

    Final Thoughts

    David Wiley’s generative textbooks project is less about launching a product and more about launching possibilities. It’s a thought experiment turned demonstration: what if creating powerful, AI-powered learning experiences were as easy as drafting a few sentences?

    In this vision:

    • Educators become prompt architects.
    • Students become active participants, selecting how they engage.
    • Learning becomes dynamic, authorable, and—critically—free to access.

    That’s the open promise of generative textbooks. It may be rough around the edges now, but the implication is bold: a future where learning tools evolve with educators and learners—rather than being fixed in print.

    Bonus reading & resources:


    The Eclectic Educator is a free resource for everyone passionate about education and creativity. If you enjoy the content and want to support the newsletter, consider becoming a paid subscriber. Your support helps keep the insights and inspiration coming!

  • 2,178 Digitized Occult Books: Strange Treasures for Authentic Learning

    Curiosa Physica

    In 2018, Dan Brown (yes, that Dan Brown of The Da Vinci Code) helped fund a project at Amsterdam’s Ritman Library to digitize thousands of rare, pre-1900 books on alchemy, astrology, magic, and other occult subjects. The result, cheekily titled Hermetically Open, is now live with 2,178 digitized texts—freely available in their online reading room.

    At first glance, this might feel like a niche curiosity, the kind of thing best left to academics or fantasy novelists. But the truth is, these works are a goldmine for educators looking to spark authentic learning across disciplines. They’re messy, strange, multilingual (Latin, German, Dutch, French, and English), and they blur the boundaries between science, philosophy, medicine, and mysticism. And that’s exactly why they’re valuable.

    Why Teachers Should Care

    For a few hundred years, it was nearly impossible to separate theology, philosophy, medicine, and natural science from alchemy and astrology. Isaac Newton himself famously spent as much time on apocalyptic prophecies and alchemical experiments as he did on calculus and optics. To engage students with these texts is to remind them that knowledge has always been interdisciplinary, networked, and evolving.

    That makes them perfect material for authentic learning and connectivist classrooms: students work with primary sources, make connections across fields, and grapple with how humans have always sought to explain the world.

    How Different Subjects Can Use the Collection

    English & Literature (HS & College):

    • Analyze archaic language, quirky spellings, and “long s” typography in original texts.
    • Compare occult poetry or allegories to Romantic and Gothic literature.
    • Use passages as mentor texts for student-created “modern grimoires” or magical realism writing.

    History & Social Studies (MS–HS):

    • Trace how alchemy influenced the rise of modern chemistry.
    • Explore how astrology shaped political decisions in early modern Europe.
    • Debate the blurred lines between science and mysticism in intellectual history.

    Science (HS Chemistry & Physics):

    • Contrast alchemical “recipes” with modern chemical equations.
    • Investigate how flawed models of the universe still paved the way for discovery.
    • Discuss how cultural context shapes what gets counted as “science.”

    Art & Design (All Grades):

    • Study illuminated manuscripts and esoteric symbols as design inspiration.
    • Create modern visual interpretations of alchemical diagrams.
    • Explore symbolism as a universal language across time.

    Philosophy & Civics (HS & College):

    • Debate the tension between hidden vs. open knowledge.
    • Compare Platonic philosophy, Christian theology, and occult traditions.
    • Examine how fringe ideas challenge (and sometimes advance) mainstream thinking.

    Why It Matters

    When students encounter these texts, they’re not just paging through dusty old curiosities. They’re stepping into a world where knowledge wasn’t siloed, where science, spirituality, and imagination lived side by side. For teachers, this is a chance to create assessments that matter—projects where students remix history, art, and science, using both ancient texts and modern tools like AI.

    It’s weird. It’s wonderful. And it’s exactly the kind of resource that can make authentic learning feel alive.


    The Eclectic Educator is a free resource for everyone passionate about education and creativity. If you enjoy the content and want to support the newsletter, consider becoming a paid subscriber. Your support helps keep the insights and inspiration coming!

  • Beyond Policing AI: Rethinking Assessment Through Authentic Learning and Connectivism

    leon furze principles for assessment

    Leon Furze makes an important case: if the best we can do in the age of AI is to tighten surveillance, we’ve already lost.

    In all corners of education, we need to stop policing artificial intelligence and focus instead on designing better assessments. GenAI gives us an excuse to have these conversations. AI needs to prompt us to reflect on what matters most: validity, fairness, transparency and of course, learning.

    Instead of treating generative AI as a threat to assessment, we should see it as a provocation—an opportunity to reimagine how we measure and value learning. His five principles (validity, reality, transparency, process, and professional judgement) are solid on their own, but when refracted through authentic learning and connectivism, they take on even sharper meaning.

    1. Validity becomes authenticity.
    Assessment validity isn’t just about matching standards to outcomes—it’s about ensuring that what students are asked to do actually matters. Authentic learning demands that assessments reflect the messy, interconnected problems students will face beyond school. A lab report, a policy pitch, or a podcast that connects with a real audience provides validity in a way a locked-down multiple-choice exam never will. AI doesn’t threaten that kind of assessment; it strengthens it, because students must decide how and when to use the tool responsibly within authentic contexts.

    2. Designing for reality means designing for networks.
    Furze’s “design for reality” principle resonates strongly with connectivism. The reality is that knowledge no longer lives solely inside a student’s head—it’s distributed across networks of people, resources, and technologies. An assessment that ignores that fact is already outdated. When we allow students to bring AI into the process (declared openly, as Furze suggests), we invite them to practice navigating networks of information, filtering noise from signal, and building connections that mirror the way knowledge flows in the real world.

    3. Transparency and trust are relational, not transactional.
    Authentic learning environments thrive on trust: teachers trust students to take risks, and students trust teachers to guide without over-policing. Connectivism reminds us that learning happens in community, and that means shared norms around how tools like AI are used. Instead of “thou shalt not” rules, we need open conversations: Why might you use AI here? When might it short-circuit your learning? Transparency becomes less about compliance and more about cultivating reflective practitioners who can articulate their choices.

    4. Assessment as process = learning as ongoing connection.
    If assessment is a process, not a point in time, then it looks less like a final judgment and more like a portfolio of evolving connections. Students don’t just demonstrate what they know; they show how they know, who they connect with, and how their thinking shifts over time. This is connectivism in action: learning is the ability to make and traverse connections, not the ability to store facts in isolation. AI can become part of that process—as a collaborator, a draft partner, or even a provocateur that challenges their assumptions.

    5. Respecting professional judgement = empowering educators as designers.
    Authentic learning doesn’t happen in lockstep with rigid policies; it requires teachers to design experiences that matter in their contexts. Connectivism reminds us that teachers are nodes in the network too, bringing their expertise, relationships, and creativity. Respecting professional judgement means trusting teachers to balance the affordances of AI with the human dimensions of belonging, curiosity, and care.

    The big takeaway?
    AI doesn’t invalidate assessment. It invalidates bad assessment. If the only way an assignment “works” is by pretending students live in a vacuum, disconnected from tools, networks, and communities, then it was never truly authentic to begin with.

    For those of us who see learning as both deeply human and deeply networked, Furze’s five principles are a call to action: design assessments that honor authenticity, embrace connections, and prepare students for a world where knowledge is always evolving—and never isolated.

    Here are a few ideas to get your creative mind going as you think about redesigning your assessments:

    1. Color Mapping Across Disciplines (Art + Science)

    Task: Students design a digital exhibit that compares different historical models of color (Newton’s circle, Munsell’s system, RGB cubes). They use AI tools to generate visualizations, then critique the limitations of each.

    • Authenticity: Color mapping is both a scientific and artistic problem. Students engage in real-world disciplinary practices.
    • Connectivism: Students link to a network of thinkers (Newton to Roussel), and share their exhibits with peers online.
    • AI Role: Visualization generator, comparison tool, but students must justify why a model matters for perception or art.

    2. Community Podcast: Local Environmental Issues (ELA + Science + Civics)

    Task: Students research a local environmental challenge (e.g., water quality, urban green space), create a podcast episode featuring expert interviews, and use AI to help with transcription, sound editing, and draft questions.

    • Authenticity: Students contribute to civic discourse in their community.
    • Connectivism: They learn from and connect with real experts and share publicly.
    • AI Role: Drafting interview questions, transcribing recordings, generating promotional materials—but students remain responsible for the core knowledge and ethical framing.

    3. History “What If” Simulation (Social Studies)

    Task: Students use AI to model counterfactual scenarios (e.g., “What if the printing press had been invented 200 years earlier?”). They must critique the AI’s reasoning, identify inaccuracies, and build their own historically valid narrative in response.

    • Authenticity: Historians often test counterfactuals to sharpen their understanding of cause and effect.
    • Connectivism: Students cross-reference scholarly works, archives, and even online history communities.
    • AI Role: Idea generator and foil—the flawed AI answers become a catalyst for deeper historical reasoning.

    4. Entrepreneurial Pitch for a School Problem (Business + Math + Design)

    Task: Students identify a real issue in their school (e.g., cafeteria waste, lack of study space), design a product/service solution, and pitch it to administrators or community members. AI is used for market research summaries, prototype visuals, or cost projections.

    • Authenticity: Mirrors real entrepreneurial problem-solving.
    • Connectivism: Students collaborate with community stakeholders and pitch to an authentic audience.
    • AI Role: Research and prototyping assistant, not a substitute for problem-finding or decision-making.

    5. Literature in the Age of Machines (ELA)

    Task: Students select a literary theme (identity, power, justice) and compare how a human-authored poem and an AI-generated poem tackle it. They publish a critical essay or multimedia piece reflecting on authorship, creativity, and meaning.

    • Authenticity: Engages with contemporary debates about art and authorship.
    • Connectivism: Students link across traditions—classic texts, modern scholarship, AI-driven art.
    • AI Role: Source of creative “texts” to analyze, not a replacement for analysis.

    Why These Work

    Each task:

    • Builds validity by aligning with standards and real-world practices.
    • Designs for reality, where AI is part of the workflow.
    • Encourages transparency—students must declare and justify how they used AI.
    • Emphasizes process, not just a single product.
    • Relies on teacher judgment to guide reflection and assess growth.


    The Eclectic Educator is a free resource for everyone passionate about education and creativity. If you enjoy the content and want to support the newsletter, consider becoming a paid subscriber. Your support helps keep the insights and inspiration coming!

  • Teaching the Unmappable: Why Color Defies Easy Charts

    For centuries, scientists, artists, and philosophers have tried to pin down a “perfect” way to map color. But here’s the problem: color isn’t just physics, and it isn’t just perception—it’s both. Try to squeeze it into a neat geometric model, and you’ll quickly realize it refuses to stay put.

    That’s what makes French video essayist Alessandro Roussel’s latest ScienceClic piece so fascinating for educators. He takes us from Isaac Newton’s prism experiments all the way to modern models of hue, brightness, and saturation. Along the way, he shows why there isn’t just one map of color, but many. Each communicates something different about how humans experience this slippery phenomenon.

    So what’s the classroom connection?

    • In art: Students can compare different models of color—Newton’s circle, Munsell’s tree, the modern RGB cube—and reflect on how each changes the way we think about mixing, matching, or designing with color.
    • In science: Teachers can use these models to illustrate how physics collides with perception. Why do two people see the “same” red differently? How does light wavelength interact with the human eye and brain?
    • In interdisciplinary projects: Color mapping opens doors to conversations about how humans create systems to explain the unexplainable. It’s a perfect bridge between STEM and the humanities.

    And then comes the kicker for students who think we’ve “solved” everything already: scientists recently managed to engineer a new, so-called impossible color called ‘olo’—a shade outside the traditional visible spectrum.

    It’s a reminder that color isn’t just a solved equation or a finished wheel. It’s a living, shifting puzzle that still invites curiosity, wonder, and experimentation.

    Imagine giving your students that as a challenge: If color can’t be mapped perfectly, what’s your best attempt?


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