Reflecting with Riff.Ai Chatbot
Standford University's d.school reflection tool & more.
Happy U.S. Thanksgiving! As we enter this season of gratitude, I want to take a moment to thank each of you for your commitment to exploring how AI can enhance education. This week’s newsletter is packed with insights to inspire reflection, foster ethical discussions, and stay informed on the latest in AI for education and libraries. Let’s dive in!
Notebook LM Deep Dive Conversation about this week’s newsletter:
AI Tool of the Week: Riff
This week’s featured AI tool is Riff, a groundbreaking chatbot designed to promote reflective practices in education. Developed by Stanford University’s d.school, Riff is currently in beta but already shows immense promise in helping students and educators deepen their learning experiences.
What is Riff?
Riff is an AI-powered chatbot that engages users in thoughtful conversations. It generates personalized, open-ended questions based on the user’s input, encouraging deeper reflection on experiences, learning processes, and outcomes. Whether you're reflecting on a lesson, a project, or a personal experience, Riff provides tailored prompts to inspire critical thinking and self-awareness.
Why Use Riff?
Reflection is a key component of meaningful learning. With Riff, educators can:
Facilitate independent reflection among students.
Encourage self-assessment and metacognition.
Create customized reflection bots for classroom or professional use.
Enhance group discussions by providing targeted, thought-provoking prompts.
How to Use Riff
Visit Riff’s Website and sign up for access (remember, it’s currently in beta).
Explore prebuilt reflection prompts or customize your own for your students.
Encourage students to engage with the chatbot after completing a task or lesson.
Use the responses generated by Riff to foster deeper discussions in the classroom.
Practical Applications
After a Project: Students can reflect on what they learned, what challenges they faced, and how they can improve in the future.
At the End of a Semester: Encourage students to reflect on their overall growth and set goals for the next term.
For Educators: Use Riff to analyze and reflect on teaching practices or professional development sessions.
Why I Love It
Riff’s conversational, nonjudgmental approach makes it ideal for educators and learners alike. As it evolves, it has the potential to redefine how we think about reflection in education. By integrating Riff into your classroom or library, you can create a culture of thoughtful, intentional learning.
Give Riff a try this week and let me know how it works for you!
Video on How To Use Riff & Create Reflections
AI Ethics Corner: Empowering Libraries with Ethical AI
This week’s Ethics Corner focuses on the article "The Rise of Artificial Intelligence in Libraries: Ethical and Equitable Methodologies, and Prospects for Empowering Library Users" (February 2024). This timely piece delves into the growing role of AI in libraries and how to ensure its implementation remains ethical and equitable.
Key Takeaways
User Empowerment: The article explores how AI tools can enhance library services, making them more accessible and personalized for users. From AI-driven cataloging systems to chatbots for answering research queries, these advancements can revolutionize the user experience.
Equity and Inclusion: The authors stress the importance of ensuring AI doesn't exacerbate existing inequities. Libraries must consider how AI might unintentionally exclude marginalized communities and actively work to counteract these effects.
Transparency and Trust: Maintaining user trust is critical. Libraries should prioritize transparency about how AI tools operate, the data they use, and the potential biases that might arise.
Methodologies for Ethical Integration: The study highlights practical steps libraries can take, such as conducting regular ethical audits of AI systems and incorporating user feedback into the development process.
Reflection Questions
How can your library balance the benefits of AI-driven services with the need to maintain equitable access for all users?
What steps can be taken to ensure AI tools remain transparent and trustworthy for library patrons?
How might your library engage with users to educate them on how AI impacts their access to information?
By examining these ethical considerations, librarians can navigate the complexities of AI integration while staying true to their mission of equitable access to knowledge. For more insights, check out the full article here.
Reading Corner: AI in Education
This week’s articles focus on the evolving role of AI in education:
"Now AI is coming to the classroom as tech revolutionizes lessons" (The Times, Nov 13, 2024)
Explores how AI is transforming classrooms, reducing administrative tasks for teachers, and raising ethical concerns about human interaction. (Read more)"I've been a teacher for 27 years. When ChatGPT first came out, I was terrified; now, I let my students use it to write essays." (Business Insider, Nov 14, 2024)
Veteran teacher Kelly Gibson shares her journey from AI skepticism to embracing it as a tool for fostering critical thinking. (Read more)"How ChatGPT Brought Down an Online Education Giant" (The Wall Street Journal, Nov 10, 2024)
Examines how free AI tools are disrupting traditional educational services, sparking debates about the future of educational resources. (Read more)As we reflect on AI's impact on education and libraries, this Thanksgiving reminds us of the importance of thoughtful integration, equity, and user empowerment. I’m grateful for this incredible community of educators and librarians working together to navigate these challenges. Join me and other like-minded educators on BlueSky and make sure to follow the hashtag #TLSky.
Wishing you all a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with gratitude, joy, and perhaps a little time to explore some AI tools!
This looks really interesting... thanks for sharing your thoughts on this Elissa. I can't wait to dive in.