Empowering Education with AI

Notebook LM Updates, Ethical Considerations, and Librarians Leading the Way.

Oct 21, 2024

DALL E AI CREATED AN IMAGE BASED ON THIS WEEKS NEWSLETTER

This week’s newsletter recap using NotebookLM Audio & I customized it to focus more on the update and the ethical concerns around it.

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Welcome back to another edition of The AI School Librarians Newsletter! This week, we're diving into some exciting updates in the AI world, including a fantastic new feature in Notebook LM that lets you customize audio overviews—making note-taking and review more dynamic than ever. We'll walk you through how to use this feature effectively in your teaching and learning.

In addition, we’ll tackle some important ethical considerations surrounding AI-generated audio versus human-voiced content and share a selection of thought-provoking articles to keep you informed about the latest developments in AI and education.

And a quick shout-out to the amazing librarians in Berks County, PA! It was a pleasure presenting a workshop to you all this week on using AI in libraries. I’m always here to support your professional development needs as we continue exploring new ways to innovate in our libraries.

Let’s get started!

AI Tool of the Week: Notebook LM Update – Customize Audio Overviews

Google's latest update to Notebook LM introduces a powerful feature: customizable audio overviews. This allows users to generate personalized audio summaries of their notes, making it easier to review key information while multitasking or on the go. Here's how you can take advantage of this feature in your teaching and learning:

Steps to Customize Audio Overviews in Notebook LM:

Open Your Notebook LM
Start by accessing your notebook within Notebook LM, ensuring that your notes are well-organized for easy summarization.
Click on 'Generate Audio Overview'
Navigate to the section you want summarized and select the new 'Generate Audio Overview' option.
Choose Customization Settings
- Length of the Audio Summary: You can adjust how detailed the audio should be—choose from a short, medium, or long summary depending on your needs.
- Voice Customization: Select a voice that suits your preference, with options for different tones and speaking speeds to enhance clarity and engagement.
- Topic Focus: If your notes cover multiple topics, you can prioritize certain sections or concepts for the summary. This is especially useful when reviewing for exams or creating focused lesson recaps.
Listen and Share
Once the audio is generated, you can listen to it immediately or download it for later use. You can also share it directly with students or colleagues via email or a learning management system.

This feature is a game-changer for those who prefer auditory learning or want to revisit notes while on the move. It also offers great accessibility for students who benefit from audio content.

For more details, check out the full article here.

Lesson Plan: Enhancing Note-Taking and Review with Notebook LM's Customizable Audio Overviews

Objective:

Students will learn how to use Notebook LM's customizable audio overviews to enhance their note-taking and review processes, focusing on summarization, prioritization of key topics, and auditory learning.

Grade Level:

7-12

Materials:

Laptops or tablets with access to Google Notebook LM
Headphones (optional for audio listening)
Teacher-created Notebook LM demo file (can include a mix of study materials, lecture notes, or research content)

Duration:

1-2 class periods (depending on depth of exploration)

Lesson Outline:

1. Introduction (10 minutes)

Discussion: Introduce the concept of auditory learning and the benefits of reviewing notes through audio. Explain how this approach can cater to different learning styles and help with multitasking.
Demo: Show students how Notebook LM's customizable audio overviews work using a pre-prepared notebook. Walk through the steps to create an audio overview (as detailed in the previous section).

2. Hands-On Activity: Creating Audio Overviews (30-40 minutes)

Step 1: Students Create Their Own Notebook
Ask students to gather content from their own notes or materials they’re studying for a current unit. They can either upload these notes to Notebook LM or type directly into the platform.
Step 2: Generate an Audio Overview
Instruct students to use the 'Generate Audio Overview' feature on a section of their notes, following the steps to customize length, voice, and focus.
Step 3: Listen and Adjust
After generating the audio, students should listen to their summaries and consider whether the audio highlights the most important points. They can go back and adjust the focus or length as needed.

3. Group Reflection (15-20 minutes)

Discussion Prompts:
- How does the audio summary compare to reading your notes?
- What sections of your notes were prioritized in the summary?
- How could this feature help you when preparing for exams or group projects?
Share Out: Encourage students to share one thing they found useful about the process and one improvement they might make when customizing future audio overviews.

4. Extension Activity (Optional Homework)

Have students create a new audio overview from a different section of their notes at home and share the audio file with a classmate. They can exchange feedback on whether the summary effectively captured the key concepts.
For additional practice, students could create audio summaries of assigned readings to share with classmates, creating a collaborative study resource.

Assessment:

Completion of Audio Overview: Students will be assessed on their ability to generate and customize an audio overview, including adjustments made based on key content prioritization.
Reflection Responses: Evaluate student reflections on the usefulness of the tool and its potential applications in their learning process.

AI Ethics Corner: AI-Generated vs. Human-Voiced Audio – What’s Best for Students?

While this week’s focus is on the exciting new feature of customizable audio overviews in Notebook LM, it’s important to consider an ongoing debate: should AI-generated audio be used when students might benefit more from human-voiced content?

An insightful article from Critical Inkling, "Students Deserve Human-Voiced Audio", challenges the increasing reliance on AI-generated audio in education. It argues that while AI can replicate human speech patterns, there’s something irreplaceable about the connection that a human voice can offer, especially when delivering educational content.

Key Ethical Considerations:

Empathy and Engagement:
Human voices convey emotion, empathy, and subtle cues that help students engage with material on a deeper level. AI-generated audio, even when personalized, may lack this emotional richness. Is it enough to just "hear" the content, or does the human element in teaching play a critical role in learning?
Authenticity of Learning:
Can AI audio truly replicate the experience of listening to a teacher or mentor? The article makes the case that students, especially those who need more personalized support, may miss out on the nuances of learning that come with human interaction.
Balancing AI and Human Voices:
While Notebook LM’s new audio feature offers convenience, especially for summarizing large amounts of information, it's important to recognize that this should not replace all human-voiced content. Instead, educators should use AI as a supplementary tool while continuing to prioritize human connections where possible.

As we embrace tools like Notebook LM, let’s consider the balance between technology and the irreplaceable value of human interaction. AI can assist in learning, but it should not replace the authenticity, empathy, and engagement that come from human voices in education.

AI Reading List

How Tech Giants are Shaping the Future of Energy
This New York Times article explores how companies like Amazon, Google, and Microsoft are investing in nuclear energy as part of their push to combat climate change and power their expansive AI and cloud computing operations. As AI becomes more energy-intensive, these tech giants are exploring innovative solutions to meet their growing energy demands sustainably.
Read more here.
Thinking Like an AI
This thought-provoking article from One Useful Thing delves into the question of how AI "thinks" and the potential limitations of AI-driven reasoning. The piece explores how AI systems process information differently from humans, raising important considerations about how these differences impact their decision-making and problem-solving capabilities.
Read more here.
4 Steps for Supporting Faculty with AI
This article from AI EDU Simplified offers practical advice on how to support faculty as they navigate the integration of AI into their teaching practices. It outlines four key steps to help educators feel more confident and capable when using AI tools in the classroom, emphasizing training, accessibility, and hands-on support.
Read more here.
Parents Sue Massachusetts School Over AI Punishment
This ABC News article highlights the growing need for schools to develop clear AI policies. The story focuses on a Massachusetts family who is suing their son's school after he was disciplined for using AI inappropriately. As schools integrate AI into classrooms, it’s crucial to establish guidelines that protect both students and teachers while fostering responsible AI use.
Read more here.
Note: This case serves as a reminder of the importance of having an AI policy in place to address these situations proactively and ensure clarity around AI usage in education.

This week has been full of exciting developments, both in AI and in our library community. A special shout-out to the librarians in Berks County, PA—it was a pleasure to present a 2-hour workshop on how AI can be integrated into library services. Your engagement and curiosity in exploring these new technologies were truly inspiring.

If you or your school district are looking for further support in integrating AI or educational technologies, I’m available for professional development workshops. Feel free to reach out to schedule a session tailored to your needs.

As always, let me know if you have any questions or need support with any of the tools and concepts discussed in this newsletter. Let’s continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible with AI in education!

The AI School Librarians Newsletter