Website for Educators
AI, ICT, STEM,
Insight, Inspiration
& Ideas
THAT WORK!
AI Future Proofing Students TODAY!
Here’s why this really matters:
AI is the future.
We’re preparing kids to not only keep up with tech but to lead it.
Using NLRAI (NO to LOW Risk AI) tools, kids get to learn how AI works,
how to use it responsibly, and how to have fun with it.
IN THIS VIDEO, I dive into NLRAI tools that make AI education accessible, safe, and exciting for primary school classrooms.
DISCOVER how tools like Google’s Teachable Machine, Canva Text-to-Image, SuperTask and
QuickDraw are transforming learning, helping students understand AI and preparing them for the future.
As an AI EDUCATION CONSULTANT, I specialise in helping educators integrate AI into their classrooms effectively.
My AI Consultancy services provide personalised guidance to schools, focusing on stress-free implementation, high engagement,
and compliance with educational standards.
AI ASSISTANCE for TEACHERS - It’s About Time!
SUPER TASK
Unleash Your CREATIVITY with AI & bring your IMAGINATION to life!
Use SUPER TASK for SUPER Review, Revision, Pretesting
or post testing task on any content.
SUPER TASK Empowers students!
Personalized learning through AI: students direct, ask, & explore.
Speech-to-Text & adaptive learning for deeper understanding.
CHOOSE the topic, choose your year level.
SUPER TASK will ask a series of 5 questions about the topic at the appropriate year level.
BUT
You can ask questions like:
Can you explain…….
I don’t understand this, can you provide more detail.
Can you show me an image? To help me understand.
I would like to know more about……..?
Tell me some jokes about this topic.
Provide a summary of this topic.
Student starts to learn how to interact with the AI
& THEY take charge of their own learning.
Oh did I mention, it SAVES YOU TIME!
The VT AI Programmer
WHAT DOES THE VT AI PROGRAMMER DO?
SAVES TIME
Generate content that aligns with the DET NSW Syllabus in the BLINK OF AN EYE
CUSTOMISABLE
Tailor your lessons by year level, topic, and length.
INTEGRATION
Easily integrate learning outcomes and extensions specific to each unit of work.
DIFFERENTIATION
Learning plans for all abilities on the fly.
EASILY ADD OUTCOMES
and descriptors
ACCESSIBLE ANYWHERE
Use the VT AI Programmer on your mobile device with speech-to-text features for even easier planning.
ALL DONE IN A FLASH.
IMAGINE IF AI WAS SIMPLE!
Oh did I mention, it SAVES YOU TIME!
The Fantastic Prompt and Mr Fox
Unleash Your CREATIVITY with AI & bring your IMAGINATION to life!
WHAT IF you could start introducing AI into your classroom tomorrow?
WHAT IF all you needed to do to understand how AI works is to play a simple game?
This “GUESS THE WORD" game can be played by children and adults alike and is a great introduction to how AI or LLMs work.
AI guesses the next word, the next sentence, or the next image from a vast set of training data.
This extensive training helps AI understand language patterns, grammar, context, and a wide range of topics.
THE GUESSING GAME
When the AI reads or writes a sentence, it plays a guessing game.
It looks at the words it already knows and tries to guess what will come next.
LEARNING WORDS & PATTERNS
The AI is very smart because it has read so much.
It’s just like how you know that after "Once upon a," the next word is probably "time."
READING LOTS OF STORIES
AI reads lots and lots of books and stories, just like you do.
Well, I hope you do!
So that’s what AI does – it guesses the next word, or series of words or sentences.
Is it always correct? NO! That’s why YOU always need to check it!
TRY THIS “What Comes Next Game” and play it in your classroom tomorrow with your students.
AI DeMystified - What NEXT?
IMAGINE IF AI WAS SIMPLE!
Ever dream of a classroom buzzing with self-directed learners, diving deep into knowledge with insatiable curiosity? We all have!
BUT that nagging voice whispers, "How can I possibly manage personalized learning for every single student?" I hear you!
Here's the secret:
Empower your students to LEAD their own learning journey!
I know, I know, you're thinking, "But how do I keep track of 25 different paths?" It's actually SIMPLE!
Let Students Take Charge!
Self-Monitoring Progress: Ditch the teacher-centric grading! Empower students to track their own learning!
This builds ownership & responsibility.
Self-Evaluation
Move beyond teacher-led assessments. Let students evaluate theirunderstanding! This fosters critical thinking and metacognition.
Difficulty Gauges
Ditch the one-size-fits-all approach! Let students determine taskdifficulty. This personalizes the learning experience.
Independent GoalSetting
Empower students to chart their own course!
Let them settheir next steps and confidently seek help when needed.
Celebrating Success
Let students revel in their own accomplishments!
Seeing their progress fuelsmotivation and a love for learning.
Introducing BaseRow
The Secret Weapon for Student-Led Learning!
BaseRow is an amazing database that makes this ALL EASY and SATISFYING!
Just like the feeling of ticking off a completed task (trust us, it's addictive!)
BaseRow empowers students to take charge of their learning journey. This is the key to unlocking student agency!
How do you build a simple journal database in Baserow
Instructions courtesy of from Max at 100Days
Find out more about databases. What is a Database? What is a relational database?
FLOW
Why Does It Matter?
STAY FOCUSSED, GET INTO FLOW GAIN UP TO 20 EXTRA DAYS by removing INTERRUPTIONS
Studies show that up to 20 days a year are lost because of interruptions.
So remove them and you get up to 20 days extra of quality learning time. Studies show that Improved focus and flow, reduces behaviour problems, improves motivation and learning as well as overall well being and happiness. Interruptions are FOCUS Killers.
There can be 10 to 12 interruptions to a classroom in one day, phone calls from the office, student late arrivals, lost property, borrowing equipment, intercom announcements, class pet escapes, organising team sports, lunchtime activities and a dozen other things.
Does this sound like your classroom?
Most of these interruptions are well intentioned but, is the focus on these more important than well, FOCUSING on LEARNING.
It is estimated that it takes up to 15 minutes for focus to be regained after these types of interruptions and up to 20 days lost over the year.
STUDIES SHOW that constant interruptions in the classroom are closely linked to the rise in behaviour problems and negatively impact the learning environment.
Check out the VIRTUAL TEACHER article on FLOW
Check out the research at
The Big Problem with Little Interruptions to Classroom Learning
This amusing video is a great starting point to start discussions about reducing Interruptions.
Are YOU Ready to
LET STUDENTS LEAD?
Ever dream of a classroom buzzing with self-directed learners, diving deep into knowledge with insatiable curiosity? We all have!
BUT that nagging voice whispers, "How can I possibly manage personalized learning for every single student?" I hear you!
Here's the secret:
Empower your students to LEAD their own learning journey!
I know, I know, you're thinking, "But how do I keep track of 25 different paths?" It's actually SIMPLE!
Let Students Take Charge!
Self-Monitoring Progress: Ditch the teacher-centric grading! Empower students to track their own learning!
This builds ownership & responsibility.
Self-Evaluation
Move beyond teacher-led assessments. Let students evaluate theirunderstanding! This fosters critical thinking and metacognition.
Difficulty Gauges
Ditch the one-size-fits-all approach! Let students determine taskdifficulty. This personalizes the learning experience.
Independent GoalSetting
Empower students to chart their own course!
Let them settheir next steps and confidently seek help when needed.
Celebrating Success
Let students revel in their own accomplishments!
Seeing their progress fuelsmotivation and a love for learning.
Introducing BaseRow
The Secret Weapon for Student-Led Learning!
BaseRow is an amazing database that makes this ALL EASY and SATISFYING!
Just like the feeling of ticking off a completed task (trust us, it's addictive!)
BaseRow empowers students to take charge of their learning journey. This is the key to unlocking student agency!
How do you build a simple journal database in Baserow
Instructions courtesy of from Max at 100Days
Find out more about databases. What is a Database? What is a relational database?
Explore the Virtual Teacher Website here are some
ABSOLUTELY Splendid resources
YOU will love.
Click on the PUSH button, top right, to see more fabulous links.
Making Movies
The Language of Film
Basic Camera Shots
Camera Angles
Camera Movement
Light, Colour & Sound
Archival Site
Original VT site first published in 1998
Includes Articles
Is there a Doctor in the Mouse?
& Writer’s Block
InfoGraphics
If we let science do the talking you'd hear that the brain is a real sucker for visual information.
JIU University
Rainforests
Virtual Field Trip Amazon Forest
View it here Introduce your students to the layers of the rainforest and the animals who live there. Explore the adaptations that have evolved over time.
Mind Candy
The Starfish Story
An old man had a habit of early morning walks on the beach. One day, after a storm, he saw a human figure in the distance moving like a dancer.
"It made a difference for that one."
Maths
Fabulous Maths websites to explore.
Great Videos
Splendid apps.
Flextangles
Exploding Dots
Hexaflexagon
- one of my favourites
Doing STEM well, is hard and focused work,
will the kids be happy to work hard?
ABSOLUTELY…
Code of the Netizens
This Website & Newsletter is not free, despite the misleading advertising above.
The FEE is now due.
Each week you must help one colleague on the Internet who has less knowledge than you.
Help that person even if you have to visit their classroom or do a little research and get back to them. Trust me, this will help a lot of people get their classrooms running much better much faster.
Oh! and send them a link to VT for inspiration.
OK I'm trusting you!!!
Why I love writing VT - there is no force or other authority in the world more powerful than a lot of people thinking differently and writing about it!!!!.
© Cathy Brown 1998 - 2024 © All images & Videos Cathy Brown Located in Sydney NSW Australia all rights reserved.
No unauthorised reproduction without written permission. Webmaster & Designer - Cathy L. Brown
system / project should
use the AIAF.
Virtual Teacher is committed to ensuring that our AI systems & assistants are used responsibly & ethically. Our AI is designed to support educators & students by providing personalized learning experiences, enhancing engagement & promoting understanding. We prioritize the safety, privacy, & security of our users, ensuring that our AI tools operate transparently & align with the best practices in the industry.
The NSW AI AssessmentFramework requires self assessment to deterimin Determine whether your system / project should use the AIAF. All AI projects used by Virtual TEacher are Low Risk or No Risk applications. Check out the Risk Evaluation page attached.