Reflection Blog Post #2 Web 2.0 Teaching Tools

 Well, hello there, 




Let's jump right in, shall we? The second week has been an eye-opener regarding the various teaching tools available. I was only aware of a few, such as Canva, Newsela, and Padlet. I've utilized Wix and other platforms such as the ones I mentioned previously. However, the only tool I utilized during my time as a long-term sub is Newsela. I used Newsela to derive content for the different units focused on World History and A.P. World History. However, the site I plan to utilize in the classroom, as well as for my projects in this course, is Magic School AI. I started playing around with the site and realized how neat it is. Magic School AI is a website that provides educators with various AI-powered tools to help create lesson plans, generate content, and offer feedback to students. In simple terms, it is an AI assistant that allows educators to alleviate their workload and make it more efficient. The potential of Magic School AI to enhance lesson planning is genuinely inspiring. 



The Magic School AI is something I decided to look into after discussing it in the course.  While the ease of use is moderate, with some trial and error, it becomes more user-friendly. I found that watching the tutorial videos was extremely helpful—way more efficient than just experimenting with the tools. After getting my hands dirty with features like creating a multiple-choice test and a YouTube video quiz Video Assignment on Edgar Allan Poe, I realized how versatile the platform could be. I loved the chance to design a writing assignment that asked students to analyze symbolism in "The Tell-Tale Heart"  and created an EAP Test. The process of creating these tests and assignments involved [specific steps or features used]. The platform provides educators with numerous options to tailor content by simply entering their desired focus areas in the provided tools, as well as the ability to adjust it to meet the needs of the classroom and content area. I've provided an example of the material I was able to create, titled 'Academic Content on EAP'. 


However, I did hit a snag when trying to figure out how to post materials in the "Student Rooms/Magic School Room."  On the bright side, saving documents to my computer or Google Docs was super easy. The writing feedback tool is another huge perk—it provides instant feedback for students and helps guide what they can include in their work.





On the downside, it would be great to see more tutorial videos to help troubleshoot specific issues, like how to post tests and assignments properly. Another consideration is the need for Magic School Plus for access to additional tools, which may require approval and funding from the school district. This is a hurdle since the basic free version has limited features, and school admins might hesitate to invest in it.



Overall, while there’s a bit of a learning curve, it’s by no means unattainable. Within about an hour, I created several tests, assignments, and other materials. Magic School AI is definitely a tool worth exploring for teachers looking to enhance their content and engage their students in new ways.



In all honesty, I can and will see myself utilizing MagicSchool AI in the classroom to polish up assessments and assignments, and provide helpful feedback to my students, especially when it comes to writing. My mentor instructor reiterated the importance of providing students with instant feedback on their work, so that they have ample time and opportunities to revise their work promptly. This way, they retain it, as opposed to providing feedback two weeks later, which can result in frustration or confusion for both parties. Delayed feedback doesn't help students, especially when it comes to writing. I understand that as both an instructor and student. 


I appreciate you all for taking the time to read my blog, and I hope we have more opportunities to discuss other useful platforms to use in the classroom. 








Comments

  1. JonJuly 4, 2025 at 7:38 AM

    Hello Veronica,

    First off, I appreciate and enjoy all of the Simpsons GIFs within your post. You make a great point about how AI is able to help with instant feedback for students, which is extremely valuable. The price of these programs seem to be a common theme in a lot of our blog posts, what is your thoughts on paying for the software yourself? Do you feel that it's worth it to upgrade your membership?

    ReplyDelete
  2. V.Rodriguez3July 4, 2025 at 10:33 AM

    Hey Jon,
    I love The Simpsons. I grew up watching it and I feel like their GIFs are pretty spot on. I’m glad I wasn’t the only that noticed most of the programs we focused on have some type of subscription. I don’t mind paying for the software myself but I typically weigh the pros and cons of the program. For an example, am I genuinely going to use this program everyday or how often would I need to utilize it in order to make it worth the investment. Also, let’s say that I purchase it for one year and the next year I am unable to afford it, is it a necessity or a desire? I think in some cases it is worth it upgrade to a membership but it really depends on the cost and how often I utilize the tool.

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  3. Jess McGinnisJuly 4, 2025 at 10:34 AM

    Hi Veronica,

    Thanks for sharing such a detailed reflection on MagicSchool AI; it sounds like you explored a lot of its potential! I especially liked your point about how the instant feedback tool could really support student growth in writing, while also giving you, the teacher, some breathing room. How long did it take you to put together the Edgar Allen Poe video?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. V.Rodriguez3July 5, 2025 at 2:43 PM

      Hi Jess,
      MagicSchool Ai is pretty neat! I’m enjoying it so far but there are some things I’m still trying to figure out. Honestly I want to say generating the test from a YouTube video transcript took less than five minutes.

      Delete
  4. Hannah MasonJuly 4, 2025 at 2:58 PM

    Hi Veronica,
    Thanks for providing us with some info about MagicSchool AI- I think it’s something I would also use in the future. When I was student teaching we had students run their papers through it on a workshop day to get some immediate feedback so they could make changes before they turned it in. The feedback was good but surface level at times. Did you find that MagicSchool lacked depth at all when you were exploring it?

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    Replies
    1. V.Rodriguez3July 5, 2025 at 2:46 PM

      Hi Hannah,
      I’ll have to try that workshop day with my own students one day. I noticed it only had general templates so personalization of the specific units may be tricky and take more time to adjust. It’s mostly focused on helping educators streamline workloads especially with lesson planning. I noticed after generating a few lessons it wasn’t 100% accurate but it was based on the information I provided it.

      Delete
  5. Isabelle HertingJuly 4, 2025 at 11:11 PM

    Veronica,
    I have played around with MagicSchool a little bit as well! It is a cool and pretty powerful AI, and it is nice that it is designed specifically for education. Thanks for including the links to your quizzes and the information that you entered into the form to do so. That was helpful to see. The YouTube quiz feature is really cool, and definitely something that I could see myself utilizing. What features on Magic School did you like the most, and do you see being the most useful for you?

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    Replies
    1. V.Rodriguez3July 5, 2025 at 2:48 PM

      Hi Isabelle, I really enjoyed the customization for feedback that provided guidelines on what I want the student to have on their work. I love the YouTube feature which is surprisingly efficient as opposed to creating my own version of it on like Google Forms. I can also see myself using the student rooms as well as the rubric set up. It’s a really cool tool to use and that I plan on implementing in my own classroom one day.

      Delete

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