Another Attempt with Canva.ai to create a template for guiding Ss to write a prompt

 https://www.canva.com/ai/

MY PROMPT: 

I am a university teacher teaching students how to write a good prompt. A good prompt should include (1) the user's role or persona (eg, a university student who is the chairperson of the Student Union), (2) the goal (eg, an email to all students inviting them to join the Student Union, (3) the audience (eg, fellow university students, (4) style and tone (eg, friendly and encouraging), and (5) the format of the output (eg, an email)

AT THIS POINT, I HIT 'ENTER' ACCIDENTALLY (BEFORE i WOULD TELL THE APP WHAT TO DO). THE APP JUST CONTINUED TO CODE, AND ENDED UP WITH THE FOLLOWING INTERACTIVE GUIDE TEMPLATE.

OUTPUT

https://paulsze.net/prompt-writing-mastery

OBSERVATIONS

1. I had a try with the prompt-writing guide template. It did provide me with a prompt that I could copy and use with a chatbot.

2. The Guide provides an example for each of the 5 elements. I did not give those examples in my prompt.

2. The 'copy' button, however, does not work.

3. Of course, this guide is not for experienced prompt writers.

4. So far, I can conclude that Canva AI, compared with POE's |"Create CANVAS APP", excels in the resulting app's visual/page design.

Trying VEED.IO again: Pluses and Minuses

 Tried VEED.IO again: Pluses and Minuses

(I've tried it before)

PLUSES

- The free plan is quite generous. 

- You can easily generate a two-minute video from a text prompt. 

MINUSES

- the website is slow. 

- the video contains a few images related to the theme, but they don't tell a story together. 

Tried https://deevid.ai/ for creating a short video from a text prompt or image

 Just tried https://deevid.ai/ for: 

1. generating a video from an image

2. generating a video from a text prompt. 

My attempt at 2: 

My text prompt: 

a middle-aged man and a middle-aged woman are talking to each other in a park. They look cheerful. Some kids are playing in the background.

Dialogue: 

Middle-aged man: How are you today, my friend? 

Middoe-aged woman: Well, it's just another day. 

Output: 

OBSERVATIONS

0. There is no audio in the video. To add audio, upload the previous video, and do another round using lip sync has to be used by inputting your script (costing more credits). PROBLEM: Only MONOLOGUE. 

1. Runs on credits system: US$7 for 200 credits (The above 5-second sample took 5 credits.)

2. Like other similar apps, 10 seconds maximum. 

3. I also tried the Image to Video function. Result acceptable. 

What is a Story Mountain Worksheet?

 https://www.twinkl.com.hk/resource/t-l-6156-story-mountain-activity-sheet

Attending this year's Hong Kong Book Fair

 如果今天下午你也去書展，我們有可能碰面呢！不過我會先出席我有份寫一個chapter的新書發佈會；如果你前往聯合出版集團展館(1E-B16），有機會看到這本書呢！

Visit to the EDUHK Jockey Club Primary School - a Microsoft Showcase School

 又是收穫滿滿的一天，連同資深 fellow ELT educators Ada Lam and Becky Cheung 拜訪香港教育大學賽馬會小學，聆聽他們英文老師分享應用AI 於 English language teaching 的心得和經驗，他們有组織和極具創意的AI 運用，令人大開眼界；而且教師團隊都有極高的digital education的素養，不愧是Microsoft Showcase School。

額外收獲：⑴收到很豐富的紀念品，⑵發現原來和老師們這麼多mutual friends。

Comparing POE and CANVA.AI for creating an interactive jumbled sentences game

 my prompt: 

"create an interactive game for students to put each of  7 jumbled sentences in the correct order. The students are upper elementary ESL students. The 7 jumbled sentences should all be in Passive Voice. "

OUTPUT BY CANVA AI

https://paulsze.net/passive-voice-jumbled-sentences

OUTPUT BY POE GPT4.0 MINI

https://poe.com/preview/9JmGekQz4WWfRItAOU1p

OBSERVATIONS

1. Not much difference between the 2 apps. 

2. The same 7 sentences used when the page is being refreshed, ie, no new sentences will appear. 

Chatbots can erase street names in a map

 Map i used: a map showing one area of Shamshuipo

Chatbot: Perplexity

Prompt: Erase the street names in the attached map

Map uploaded:

RESULT:

OBSERVATIONS

- All street names removed.

- A few place names, and map icons, changed. 

Using Canva AI to create a chatbot: "Identifying an app to make based on Harvard's See-Think-Wonder model'

 After using Canva AI to create an interactive vocabulary game, I continued to try creating a customised chatbot. I viewed Jenny Leung's explainer video on using Canva AI to create a DSE English Writing Assistant template https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKZIFQLA3Sg ), and tried out her chatbot template https://missjennyhk.my.canva.site/dsewritingassistant... )

Then I followed her example, and also made use of Ha Sir's idea of Harvard's See-Think-Wonder example when he demonstrated how to use POE's Prompt Bot function to create a customised bot ( https://poe.com/App_SeeThinkWonder ). In other words, I was combining Ha Sir's idea (helping Ss to decide on what app they will produce) and Jenny Leung's use of Canva AI in coming up with the following chatbot. It's not sophisticated at all, and can be further customised/improved. In any case, it is a useful learning experience to me. 

https://paulsze.net/chatbot-for-student-app-brainstorming

Created a vocabulary matching game with Canva AI: Emotion Adjectives

 Didn't realise that I can also create an interactive game with Canva AI. It goes like the "create canvas app" procedure that Ha Sir  introduced the other day. It's really a piece of cake. The matching game below is my first attempt. Now I'm really worried for Wordwall!

https://emotion-adjectives-match.my.canva.site/

Guiding a chatbot to write a prompt for creating another chatbot: Ha Sir's See-Think-Wonder example

 Ha Sir's Explainer Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMxnxFernp8

Just had a go with this chatbot created by Ha Sir. It's actually good fun interacting with the chatbot. Plus, I learnt that I can actually ask a chatbot to write a prompt for creating another chatbot, so that I don't even have to write the prompt myself. (Of course some initial interaction with the chatbot is needed to clarify your needs.)

Sometimes, students themselves don't know what they want to create (in this case: apps). The purpose of this chatbot by Ha Sir, which draws on Harvard's See-Think-Wonder model, is to guide Ss to gradually come to see more concretely what app they want to create. The name of Ha Sir's explainer video on Youtube is 結合 See-Think-Wonder 思考法與 AI chatbot 啟發學生 APP 創意教學

Click below to access Ha Sir's chatbot:

https://poe.com/App_SeeThinkWonder

====================================

Below is the prompt written by Ha Sir (after some initial interaction with the chatbot) to ask the chatbot to create a detailed prompt for creating a bot (which he used in a new round of 'creating a bot'. 

CANVA: MAGIC WRITE for getting an initial draft of something

 Just tried the Magic Write function inside 'Create Doc' in CANVA: 

My request: 

a welcome email to a group of new students who have signed up for my course on Methodology for Teaching English as a Second Language. The students are inservice teachers of English in secondary schools in Hong Kong.

RESULT:

# Welcome to the Methodology for Teaching English as a Second Language Course

Dear Educators,

Welcome to our course on **Methodology for Teaching English as a Second Language**! We're thrilled to have you join us on this educational journey. Your decision to enhance your teaching skills is commendable and we are here to support you every step of the way.

## About the Course

This course is designed specifically for in-service teachers like yourselves, working in secondary schools across Hong Kong. Our aim is to equip you with innovative strategies and methodologies to effectively teach English as a second language. We will explore various techniques that not only foster language acquisition but also engage and inspire your students.

## What to Expect

Throughout this course, you will have the opportunity to:

- **Explore Cutting-Edge Teaching Strategies**: Learn about the latest methodologies and how to implement them in your classroom.

- **Collaborate with Fellow Educators**: Share experiences and ideas with your peers, fostering a community of learning and support.

- **Develop Practical Skills**: Gain hands-on experience through assignments and projects that you can directly apply in your teaching environment.

## Getting Started

To ensure a smooth start, please take note of the following:

- **Course Materials**: All necessary materials and resources will be provided through our online platform. You’ll receive login details shortly.

- **Communication**: Keep an eye on your email for updates and announcements. For any questions or support, feel free to reach out to me directly.

- **Orientation Session**: We will hold an online orientation session on [Date & Time]. This will be a great opportunity to meet your fellow participants and get acquainted with the course structure.

We look forward to embarking on this journey together and are excited to see the positive impact it will have on your teaching practice. Your dedication to improving as educators is truly inspiring, and we are honored to be a part of your professional development.

Thank you once again for joining us. Let's make this a rewarding and enriching experience!

Warm regards,

[Your Name]  

[Your Position/Title]  

[Contact Information]

observations

- Of course, the resulting doc requires customisation. But it gives you a good starting point that includes the major sections and content ideas. 

ElevenLabs for Speech to Text Conversion: Good performance for Monologues

 Elevenlabs for converting speech to text: It doesn't allow for real time voice recording. You can only upload an audio file for it to transcribe. 

Audio file I uploaded: My readaloud of 'why I still enjoy teaching'

RESULT: 

"One evening, I was working late in my office in the university when someone knocked on my door. I opened the door and found Sisi standing cheerfully outside. What caught my eyes instantly about Sisi was her exuberance and vitality, something often absent in today's teachers. What had put her in such high spirits? Was it because she was enjoying her work? Sisi, who finished her teacher training at the university two years before, had come in to pick up her transcript. I invited her in, thanked her for stopping by, and immediately began to probe her experience as a young teacher. I wanted to confirm my observation that she was enjoying her teaching. My heart is with these young teachers. Although teachers today have to shoulder loads of non-teaching duties, I still believe that teaching is a meaningful job. I still hope that these new teachers, after they have found their feet in their schools and survived the initial work frenzy, will be able to find meaning and satisfaction in their work. But today, the surging pressures of teaching can break the backs of even the most energetic and resilient teachers. One student from the previous year's cohort, despite her total dedication to her work, had to quit two months into the first year of her teaching. She was totally devastated by her huge workload. So whenever I come across young teachers who have managed to hold on, I will seize the opportunity to find out how they have done it. Sisi worked at a school where most of the students were well-behaved, but she still had a 12-hour workday and marking her students' work had become part of the evening routine. Sisi found that she belonged to the classroom, where she often got rousing and heartwarming responses from her students. When she was making her round during the recess, she was surrounded by circles of students who clung to her as if she was their big sister. But when she entered the staff room and saw the piles of exercise books rising up to the roof, she wondered if she would ever see light at the end of this never-ending marking tunnel. So I inquired, "Are you able to cope with all the pressures? Are you losing momentum? Do you still like your job?" It didn't take one second for Sisi to proclaim her answer. "I like my work. In fact, I've found that teaching is the best job for me." And that is despite all the hardships. Absolutely. Sisi, what is behind your energy? What is it that's helping to keep up your zest? Is it your sense of mission? Is it because you want to do something meaningful? Is it something to do with your values? Your character? Is it because you like children? Is it because you've always wanted to become a teacher? "Paul, it's everything you've just said.""

OBSERVATIONS

1. It does an excellent job in transcribing monologues. 

2. Even the punctuation marks are inserted correctly.