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Tag: tools

  • AIGernon: An Always-On AI Assistant Powered by Assess-Decide-Do

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    In hindsight, it was inevitable. But let’s take it slowly.

    A few months ago, I published a mega-prompt teaching Claude the Assess-Decide-Do framework. It was an experiment, but, to my surprise, it landed better than I expected. The Reddit post went viral. The repo now has 67 stars and 15 forks. It’s not mainstream, but it’s real. It shows a few dozens of people are interested in mapping human cognitive frameworks on top of LLMs.

    So, I continued to iterate. I added a Claude Cowork plugin alongside, and extracted the skills in a separate repo. The experiment evolved into a real product, with a modular structure that everybody can adjust to their needs.

    But there was always something more lurking in the back of my mind. What if I turn this thin layer into a proper always-on agent? Think OpenClaw, but ADD enhanced.

    So, after a couple of weeks of back and forth, I’m in a place where I can make public the first release.

    Introducing AIGernon

    AIGernon is a fork of nanobot, a very thin always-on agent, with just 4000 lines of code (OpenClaw has 450,000+), but with proper Assess-Decide-Do skills.

    Name Choice

    “Flowers for Algernon” is a famous sci-fi novel about a mouse named Algernon who gains extraordinary intelligence through an experiment. A man named Charlie, intellectually disabled and working as a janitor in the lab, undergoes the same procedure. He becomes brilliant — but at the peak of his new mind, he watches Algernon deteriorate and die. Charlie knows he’s next. Eventually, he regresses to who he was before, losing everything he gained. But one thing remains: he keeps placing flowers on Algernon’s small, strange grave, without even remembering why.

    Our intelligence is fleeting, so AIGernon will work the same. I know the insane pace of AI evolution will eventually make parts of it – or the whole project – obsolete, yet I believe there’s a lot to gain right now, in the moment.

    Also, and that’s probably the most important angle: every Assess-Decide-Do cycle, no matter how small or big, is a reminder of our impermanence. We all function inside these cycles, and once we reach completion in Do, we achieve a liveline, not a deadline, restarting the cycle.

    Use Cases

    The first and most important one is to support my own work. I created AIGernon for my own schedule: 50+ veteran coder, with a one year old, living location independent. There’s a lot to manage in this position, and, while I am doing it ok right now, I can definitely use some support. Especially when my work routine is interrupted for 2-3 days at a time, or when I need to adjust to a new place, or when I just need a break. The ecosystem of products that I rely on: this blog, my apps, my coaching practice, all these must survive these interruptions, and, most importantly, I need to maintain control and a clear head around all these routines.

    So, I expect AIGernon to function as an ADD-enhanced personal assistant for a busy and scattered individual. That’s number one.

    Number two is even more interesting, and I’m excited about this. I want to use it as a coaching support assistant. How will this work? Well, I can position it as an always-on layer between me and my clients. It will probably work on premises or in a sandboxed environment, and it will function as a cognitive buffer between the client and me.

    See, sometimes my clients have situations that need immediate action, but we’re in between sessions. Or they just remembered some key question, and, again, we’re not available to each other. AIGernon can capture this, store it in a special memory space and bring it together during practice. My client has a place to securely store, immediately, any thought, question or idea and I have a much better insight on my client’s current context.

    We’re moving from async interaction to something closer to continuous cognitive sync — without either of us needing to be online at the same time.

    What Can It Do?

    Here’s the highlight reel:

    Cognitive Companion (ADD Framework)

    • Detects if you’re in Assess, Decide, or Do mode based on your language
    • Adapts response style to match your current thinking realm
    • Watches for stuck patterns (analysis paralysis, decision avoidance, perpetual doing)
    • Logs realm activity to daily memory notes
    • Tracks your cognitive patterns over time

    Memory System

    • Daily notes saved to memory/YYYY-MM-DD.md
    • Long-term memory in memory/MEMORY.md
    • Recent memory recall (last 7 days by default)
    • Realm flow summaries appended to daily notes

    Skills System

    • Loadable markdown-based skills
    • Six ADD skills included (core, assess, decide, do, imbalance, realm-detection)
    • Built-in skills: GitHub CLI, weather, summarization, tmux control, cron, skill creator
    • Custom skills can be added to workspace

    Tools

    • Read, write, and edit files
    • Execute shell commands (with safety blocks)
    • Search the web (Brave Search API)
    • Fetch and parse web pages
    • Spawn background subagents for complex tasks

    Chat, LLMs, and Infrastructure

    AIGernon supports 6 chat channels (CLI, Telegram, Discord, WhatsApp, Feishu, DingTalk), 11 LLM providers (including Claude, GPT-4, Gemini, DeepSeek, and local models via vLLM), plus Docker support, workspace sandboxing, cron-based scheduling with natural language task creation, and JSON configuration with environment variable overrides. Full details in the repo.

    AIGernon is not just a wrapper on top of an LLM — it has real “flesh and bones” and it drives the underlying LLM instead of just extracting knowledge.

    Next Steps

    Here’s the repo, if you want to play with it: https://github.com/dragosroua/aigernon. I will continue testing and improving it. If you want to stay in touch, subscribe to my newsletter (there’s a form below the post).

    If you already tried it, I would love your feedback.

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    dragos@dragosroua.com (Dragos Roua)

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  • Assess Decide Do in Claude, but with Skills – Dragos Roua

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    When I first integrated my Assess-Decide-Do framework into Claude, I used a 24,000-character megaprompt. It worked remarkably well – and it was my first experiment ever with applying a human cognitive framework to an LLM (potentially the first one ever). A recent update to Claude Code changed something really deep, and added unexpected tools to improve my implementation. Now the same framework runs with 94% less overhead, and with features I couldn’t implement before.

    What is ADD?

    Assess-Decide-Do is a simple idea: at any moment, you’re in one of three mental states:

    • Assess — You’re exploring, gathering information, asking “what if?”
    • Decide — You’re choosing, committing, allocating resources
    • Do — You’re executing, completing, finishing

    These states are sequential. You can’t decide well without assessing first. You can’t execute well without deciding first. And when you skip steps—jumping from idea to execution without thinking it through—things tend to go wrong.

    I created this framework 15 years ago to manage my own scattered thinking. It became an iOS app (addTaskManager), and eventually I wondered: could AI understand this framework too?

    My Original Approach: One Big MegaPrompt

    My first integration was almost blunt—a 24KB megaprompt that explained everything: what each realm means, how to detect which realm someone is in, what language patterns indicate each state, how to recognize when someone is stuck, and how to respond appropriately.

    Every conversation loaded the entire framework context. Claude would read 24,000 characters before even responding to “hello.”

    Did it work? Yes, surprisingly well. Users reported Claude feeling “weirdly empathic”—it understood whether they were exploring or executing, and responded accordingly. The github repo got 60+ stars, forked 10+ times and the Reddit post became viral.

    The problem? Context is precious. Loading 24KB of framework instructions for every exchange meant less room for actual conversation. It was like bringing an encyclopedia to answer what time it is.

    Replacing the Monolithic Megaprompt with Skills

    In January 2026, Claude Code merged slash commands and skills into a unified system. Two features mattered most:

    1. Progressive disclosure — Skills load context dynamically, only when needed
    2. Subagent support — Skills can spawn isolated agents that don’t pollute your main conversation

    This enabled things that the ADD integration couldn’t do with the megaprompt.

    The New Architecture

    Instead of one massive prompt, the framework now has two layers:

    Layer 1: Minimal Core (~1.5KB)

    The CLAUDE.md file contains just the essentials—realm definitions, detection patterns, imbalance recognition. Enough for Claude to operate with ADD awareness without loading everything.

    Layer 2: Skills On Demand

    Deep support lives in focused skill files that load only when relevant:

    .claude/skills/
├── add-flow-check.md    # Automatic status updates
├── add-status.md        # /add-status command
├── add-reflect.md       # Session reflection
├── add-assess.md        # Assess realm support
├── add-decide.md        # Decide realm support
├── add-do.md            # Do realm support
└── add-imbalance.md     # Stuck pattern detection

    Let’s Look at the Numbers

    Approach Base Load Additional
    Megaprompt (before) ~26KB every time None
    Skills (after) ~1.5KB ~2KB per skill when needed

    That’s 94% less context overhead for typical conversations.

    New Capabilities

    1. User Commands

    Users can now explicitly check their flow:

    /add-status

    Response:

    [ADD Flow: 🟠? Decide | Narrowing phase - 3 options → 1 finalist]

Session Metrics:
- Exchanges this session: 12
- Realm transitions: 3
- Time in current realm: 4 exchanges
- Flow quality: Balanced

    Before, users had to ask “where am I in my flow?” and hope Claude remembered to track it. Now there’s an explicit command.

    2. Automatic Status Updates

    The add-flow-check skill is model-invocable—Claude calls it automatically at conversation boundaries. The status file updates silently, and the visual statusline at the bottom of Claude Code shows current state.

    Before, this required Claude to “remember” to update status. Now it’s built into the system.

    3. Session Reflection with Isolated Context

    This is the biggest improvement. The /add-reflect command analyzes your entire session for patterns:

    /add-reflect

Session reflection captured.

Quick summary:
- Flow quality: Balanced
- Realm focus: Assess-heavy (exploration phase)
- Key insight: Thorough foundation built for upcoming decisions

Full reflection saved to .add-session-history.md

    The icing on the cake: this runs in a forked context. The reflection analysis—which requires reviewing the entire conversation—happens in an isolated subagent. Your main conversation stays clean. The history file accumulates over time, letting you see patterns across sessions.

    Before skills supported subagents, this kind of reflection would clutter your working context with meta-analysis. Now it’s cleanly separated.

    Practical Examples

    When You’re Stuck in Research Mode

    Imagine you’ve been exploring authentication approaches for 15 exchanges. The status bar shows:

    [ADD Flow: 🔴+ Assess | Circular pattern - revisiting authentication 3x]

    The pattern is surfaced and made visible. Claude’s responses gently acknowledge the depth of exploration without pushing you to decide before you’re ready.

    When You Jump to Execution Too Fast

    You say “How do I implement OAuth?” without any context. Claude recognizes this pattern:

    “Before we dive into implementation, let’s explore what you need. What’s driving the authentication requirement? Understanding the ‘why’ helps ensure the ‘how’ actually fits.”

    The add-imbalance skill provides this guidance—but only loads when the pattern is detected.

    When You Complete Something

    You finish a task. The framework recognizes this as a “liveline”—not an ending, but a new beginning:

    [ADD Flow: 🟢- Do | Liveline created - completion opening new assessment]

    “That’s done. What does this completion open up? What’s emerging in the space it creates?”

    The cycle continues naturally.

    What This Means for Framework Integration

    The ADD evolution demonstrates something broader: AI frameworks benefit from the same architecture principles as software.

    The megaprompt was a monolith. It worked, but it was inefficient.

    The skills approach is modular:

    • Separation of concerns — Each skill handles one thing
    • Progressive loading — Context loads on demand
    • Isolated execution — Subagents don’t pollute main context
    • User control — Commands give explicit access

    This pattern applies to any framework you might integrate with Claude. Instead of one massive prompt, consider:

    1. Core awareness — Minimal instructions that load every time
    2. Modular skills — Detailed support that loads when relevant
    3. User commands — Explicit actions users can invoke
    4. Background automation — Model-invocable skills that maintain state

    Getting Started

    If you want to try the ADD framework:

    For Claude Code Users (Recommended)

    Fork or clone the repository. The skills-first architecture activates automatically:

    • CLAUDE.md loads minimal core awareness (~1.5KB)
    • Skills in .claude/skills/ activate on demand
    • Try /add-status and /add-reflect commands
    • Watch the statusline for real-time realm tracking

    For claude.ai or Claude Desktop

    These don’t support skills yet. Use the megaprompt approach:

    • Download docs/ADD_FRAMEWORK_MEGAPROMPT_USER_CONTEXT.md
    • Attach it to your conversation or add to Custom Instructions

    The megaprompt still works great—it’s just not as efficient as skills.

    The Bigger Picture

    What started as a personal productivity framework became an iOS app, then a Claude integration, and now a native skills implementation. Each evolution taught me something:

    • Frameworks work when they match how humans actually think — ADD succeeds because it names states people already experience
    • AI can learn cognitive frameworks — Not through training, but through well-structured prompts
    • Architecture matters — The same logic runs better when properly modularized

    The skills merge in Claude Code wasn’t designed for ADD. It was designed for general extensibility. But it enabled exactly what ADD needed: dynamic loading, user commands, and isolated reflection.

    Sometimes the platform evolves in ways that make your specific use case dramatically better. This was one of those times.

    Resources

    The ADD framework is open source and available for anyone to use or adapt. The skills implementation works with Claude Code as of January 2026.

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    dragos@dragosroua.com (Dragos Roua)

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  • Measuring student global competency learning using direct peer connections

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    Key points:

    Our students are coming of age in a world that demands global competency. From economic interdependence to the accelerating effects of climate change and mass migration, students need to develop the knowledge and skills to engage and succeed in this diverse and interconnected world. Consequently, the need for global competency education is more important than ever.

    “Being born into a global world does not make people global citizens,” Andreas Schleicher of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has said. “We must deliberately and systematically educate our children in global competence.” 

    Here at Global Cities, we regularly talk with educators eager to bring global competency into their classrooms in ways that engage and excite students to learn. Educators recognize the need, but ask a vital question: How do we teach something we can’t measure?

    It’s clear that in today’s competitive and data-driven education environment, we need to expand and evaluate what students need to know to be globally competent adults. Global competency education requires evaluation tools to determine what and whether students are learning.

    The good news is that two recent independent research studies found that educators can use a new tool, the Global Cities’ Codebook for Global Student Learning Outcomes, to identify what global competency learning looks like and to assess whether students are learning by examining student writing. The research successfully used the evaluation tool for global competency programs with different models and curricula and across different student populations.

    Global Cities developed the Codebook to help researchers, program designers, and educators identify, teach, and measure global competency in their own classrooms. Created in partnership with Harvard Graduate School of Education’s The Open Canopy, the Codebook captures 55 observable indicators across four core global learning outcomes: Appreciation for Diversity, Cultural Understanding, Global Knowledge, and Global Engagement. The Codebook was developed using data from our own Global Scholars virtual exchange program, which since 2014 has connected more than 139,000 students in 126 cities worldwide to teach global competency.

    In Global Scholars, we’ve seen firsthand the excitement of directly connecting students with their international peers and sparking meaningful discussions about culture, community, and shared challenges. We know how teachers can effectively use the Codebook and how Global Cities workshops extend the reach of this approach to a larger audience of K-12 teachers. This research was designed to determine whether the same tool could be used to assess global competency learning in other virtual exchange programs, not only Global Cities’ Global Scholars program.

    These studies make clear that the Codebook can reliably identify global learning in diverse contexts and help educators see where and how their students are developing global competency skills in virtual exchange curricula. You can examine the tool (the Codebook) here. You can explore the full research findings here.

    The first study looked at two AFS Intercultural Programs curricula, Global You Changemaker and Global Up Teen. The second study analyzed student work from The Open Canopy‘s Planetary Health and Remembering the Past learning journeys.

    In the AFS Intercultural Programs data, researchers found clear examples of students from across the globe showing Appreciation for Diversity and Cultural Understanding. In these AFS online discussion boards, students showed evidence they were learning about their own and other cultures, expressed positive attitudes about one another’s cultures, and demonstrated tolerance for different backgrounds and points of view. Additionally, the discussion boards offered opportunities for students to interact with each other virtually, and there were many examples of students from different parts of the world listening to one another and interacting in positive and respectful ways. When the curriculum invited students to design projects addressing community or global issues, they demonstrated strong evidence of Global Engagement as well.

    Students in The Open Canopy program demonstrated the three most prevalent indicators of global learning that reflect core skills essential to effective virtual exchange: listening to others and discussing issues in a respectful and unbiased way; interacting with people of different backgrounds positively and respectfully; and using digital tools to learn from and communicate with peers around the world. Many of the Remembering the Past posts were especially rich and coded for multiple indicators of global learning.

    Together, these studies show that global competency can be taught–and measured. They also highlight simple, but powerful strategies educators everywhere can use:

    • Structured opportunities for exchange help students listen and interact respectfully with one another
    • Virtual exchange prompts students to share their cultures and experiences across lines of difference in positive, curious ways
    • Assignments that include reflection questions–why something matters, not just what it is–help students think critically about culture and global issues
    • Opportunities for students to give their opinion and to decide to take action, even hypothetically, builds their sense of agency in addressing global challenges

    The Codebook is available free to all educators, along with hands-on professional development workshops that guide teachers in using the tool to design curriculum, teach intentionally, and assess learning. Its comprehensive set of indicators gives educators and curriculum designers a menu of options–some they might not have initially considered–that can enrich students’ global learning experiences.

    Our message to educators is simple: A community of educators (Global Ed Lab), a research-supported framework, and practical tools can help you teach students global competency and evaluate their work.

    The question is no longer whether we need more global competency education. We clearly do. Now with the Codebook and the Global Ed Lab, teachers can learn how to teach this subject matter effectively and use tools to assess student learning.

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    Marjorie B. Tiven, Global Cities, Inc.

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  • AI for empathy: Using generative tools to deepen, not replace, human connection in schools

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    Key points:

    For the last two years, conversations about AI in education have tended to fall into two camps: excitement about efficiency or fear of replacement. Teachers worry they’ll lose authenticity. Leaders worry about academic integrity. And across the country, schools are trying to make sense of a technology that feels both promising and overwhelming.

    But there’s a quieter, more human-centered opportunity emerging–one that rarely makes the headlines: AI can actually strengthen empathy and improve the quality of our interactions with students and staff.

    Not by automating relationships, but by helping us become more reflective, intentional, and attuned to the people we serve.

    As a middle school assistant principal and a higher education instructor, I’ve found that AI is most valuable not as a productivity tool, but as a perspective-taking tool. When used thoughtfully, it supports the emotional labor of teaching and leadership–the part of our work that cannot be automated.

    From efficiency to empathy

    Schools do not thrive because we write faster emails or generate quicker lesson plans. They thrive because students feel known. Teachers feel supported. Families feel included.

    AI can assist with the operational tasks, but the real potential lies in the way it can help us:

    • Reflect on tone before hitting “send” on a difficult email
    • Understand how a message may land for someone under stress
    • Role-play sensitive conversations with students or staff
    • Anticipate barriers that multilingual families might face
    • Rehearse a restorative response rather than reacting in the moment

    These are human actions–ones that require situational awareness and empathy. AI can’t perform them for us, but it can help us practice and prepare for them.

    A middle school use case: Preparing for the hard conversations

    Middle school is an emotional ecosystem. Students are forming identity, navigating social pressures, and learning how to advocate for themselves. Staff are juggling instructional demands while building trust with young adolescents whose needs shift by the week.

    Some days, the work feels like equal parts counselor, coach, and crisis navigator.

    One of the ways I’ve leveraged AI is by simulating difficult conversations before they happen. For example:

    • A student is anxious about returning to class after an incident
    • A teacher feels unsupported and frustrated
    • A family is confused about a schedule change or intervention plan

    By giving the AI a brief description and asking it to take on the perspective of the other person, I can rehearse responses that center calm, clarity, and compassion.

    This has made me more intentional in real interactions–I’m less reactive, more prepared, and more attuned to the emotions beneath the surface.

    Empathy improves when we get to “practice” it.

    Supporting newcomers and multilingual learners

    Schools like mine welcome dozens of newcomers each year, many with interrupted formal education. They bring extraordinary resilience–and significant emotional and linguistic needs.

    AI tools can support staff in ways that deepen connection, not diminish it:

    • Drafting bilingual communication with a softer, more culturally responsive tone
    • Helping teachers anticipate trauma triggers based on student histories
    • Rewriting classroom expectations in family-friendly language
    • Generating gentle scripts for welcoming a student experiencing culture shock

    The technology is not a substitute for bilingual staff or cultural competence. But it can serve as a bridge–helping educators reach families and students with more warmth, clarity, and accuracy.

    When language becomes more accessible, relationships strengthen.

    AI as a mirror for leadership

    One unexpected benefit of AI is that it acts as a mirror. When I ask it to review the clarity of a communication, or identify potential ambiguities, it often highlights blind spots:

    • “This sentence may sound punitive.”
    • “This may be interpreted as dismissing the student’s perspective.”
    • “Consider acknowledging the parent’s concern earlier in the message.”

    These are the kinds of insights reflective leaders try to surface–but in the rush of a school day, they are easy to miss.

    AI doesn’t remove responsibility; it enhances accountability. It helps us lead with more emotional intelligence, not less.

    What this looks like in teacher practice

    For teachers, AI can support empathy in similarly grounded ways:

    1. Building more inclusive lessons

    Teachers can ask AI to scan a lesson for hidden barriers–assumptions about background knowledge, vocabulary loads, or unclear steps that could frustrate students.

    2. Rewriting directions for struggling learners

    A slight shift in wording can make all the difference for a student with anxiety or processing challenges.

    3. Anticipating misconceptions before they happen

    AI can run through multiple “student responses” so teachers can see where confusion might arise.

    4. Practicing restorative language

    Teachers can try out scripts for responding to behavioral issues in ways that preserve dignity and connection.

    These aren’t shortcuts. They’re tools that elevate the craft.

    Human connection is the point

    The heart of education is human. AI doesn’t change that–in fact, it makes it more obvious.

    When we reduce the cognitive load of planning, we free up space for attunement.
    When we rehearse hard conversations, we show up with more steadiness.
    When we write in more inclusive language, more families feel seen.
    When we reflect on our tone, we build trust.

    The goal isn’t to create AI-enhanced classrooms. It’s to create relationship-centered classrooms where AI quietly supports the skills that matter most: empathy, clarity, and connection.

    Schools don’t need more automation.

    They need more humanity–and AI, used wisely, can help us get there.

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    Timothy Montalvo, Iona University & the College of Westchester

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  • How an hour in January can help your finances throughout the year – WTOP News

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    Planning the finances for a new year is a task many put off, because it sounds daunting and time-consuming. But one financial expert says it doesn’t have to be that scary, and it doesn’t need to take that long.

    Mapping out a financial plan for the new year is a task many put off, because it sounds daunting and time-consuming. But one financial expert said it doesn’t have to be that scary, and it doesn’t need to take that long.

    “I wish our listeners would just take an hour or two to set aside time and hire yourself to dive into your finances,” said Barry Glassman, founder and president of Glassman Wealth Services.

    Within the hour or so that’s set aside, Glassman said the time can easily be used to establish automated payment schedules and savings allocations.

    “So let’s say you wanted to build up a cash reserve, you want to set aside money to buy a house. Take a look at your 401(k) holding,” Glassman said. “Make sure you’re getting the match, those kinds of things. Set those things up automatically in January.”

    Reviewing credit card statements is also key, Glassman said, as many include summaries that lay out specifically how funds are being spent.

    “If you see where your money went last year, nine times out of 10 you’ll likely reprioritize where you want to spend in 2026,” he said. “If you’re sharing expenses with a loved one or a roommate, go through those expenses and have an open conversation. Is this where we want our money to go in 2026?”

    It’s also worth prioritizing investment interests for the year, and figuring out the dollar amount that will go toward the rainy day fund. Glassman said even five bucks a week can go a long way over time.

    “A lot of people are overwhelmed with, ‘I don’t know how to start saving,’” Glassman said. “Start small. If it’s $10, if it’s $100, it doesn’t matter.”

    When it comes to useful financial planning tools, AI chatbots can also be used to help identify best ways to save and plan, according to Glassman.

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    Ian Crawford

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  • Grading student work with AI: What we lose when AI replaces teachers

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    eSchool News is counting down the 10 most-read stories of 2025. Story #8 focuses on the debate around teachers vs. AI.

    Key points:

    A colleague of ours recently attended an AI training where the opening slide featured a list of all the ways AI can revolutionize our classrooms. Grading was listed at the top. Sure, AI can grade papers in mere seconds, but should it?

    As one of our students, Jane, stated: “It has a rubric and can quantify it. It has benchmarks. But that is not what actually goes into writing.” Our students recognize that AI cannot replace the empathy and deep understanding that recognizes the growth, effort, and development of their voice. What concerns us most about grading our students’ written work with AI is the transformation of their audience from human to robot.

    If we teach our students throughout their writing lives that what the grading robot says matters most, then we are teaching them that their audience doesn’t matter. As Wyatt, another student, put it: “If you can use AI to grade me, I can use AI to write.” NCTE, in its position statements for Generative AI, reminds us that writing is a human act, not a mechanical one. Reducing it to automated scores undermines its value and teaches students, like Wyatt and Jane, that the only time we write is for a grade. That is a future of teaching writing we hope to never see.

    We need to pause when tech companies tout AI as the grader of student writing. This isn’t a question of capability. AI can score essays. It can be calibrated to rubrics. It can, as Jane said, provide students with encouragement and feedback specific to their developing skills. And we have no doubt it has the potential to make a teacher’s grading life easier. But just because we can outsource some educational functions to technology doesn’t mean we should.

    It is bad enough how many students already see their teacher as their only audience. Or worse, when students are writing for teachers who see their written work strictly through the lens of a rubric, their audience is limited to the rubric. Even those options are better than writing for a bot. Instead, let’s question how often our students write to a broader audience of their peers, parents, community, or a panel of judges for a writing contest. We need to reengage with writing as a process and implement AI as a guide or aide rather than a judge with the last word on an essay score.

    Our best foot forward is to put AI in its place. The use of AI in the writing process is better served in the developing stages of writing. AI is excellent as a guide for brainstorming. It can help in a variety of ways when a student is struggling and looking for five alternatives to their current ending or an idea for a metaphor. And if you or your students like AI’s grading feature, they can paste their work into a bot for feedback prior to handing it in as a final draft.

    We need to recognize that there are grave consequences if we let a bot do all the grading. As teachers, we should recognize bot grading for what it is: automated education. We can and should leave the promises of hundreds of essays graded in an hour for the standardized test providers. Our classrooms are alive with people who have stories to tell, arguments to make, and research to conduct. We see our students beyond the raw data of their work. We recognize that the poem our student has written for their sick grandparent might be a little flawed, but it matters a whole lot to the person writing it and to the person they are writing it for. We see the excitement or determination in our students’ eyes when they’ve chosen a research topic that is important to them. They want their cause to be known and understood by others, not processed and graded by a bot.

    The adoption of AI into education should be conducted with caution. Many educators are experimenting with using AI tools in thoughtful and student-centered ways. In a recent article, David Cutler describes his experience using an AI-assisted platform to provide feedback on his students’ essays. While Cutler found the tool surprisingly accurate and helpful, the true value lies in the feedback being used as part of the revision process. As this article reinforces, the role of a teacher is not just to grade, but to support and guide learning. When used intentionally (and we emphasize, as in-process feedback) AI can enhance that learning, but the final word, and the relationship behind it, must still come from a human being.

    When we hand over grading to AI, we risk handing over something much bigger–our students’ belief that their words matter and deserve an audience. Our students don’t write to impress a rubric, they write to be heard. And when we replace the reader with a robot, we risk teaching our students that their voices only matter to the machine. We need to let AI support the writing process, not define the product. Let it offer ideas, not deliver grades. When we use it at the right moments and for the right reasons, it can make us better teachers and help our students grow. But let’s never confuse efficiency with empathy. Or algorithms with understanding.

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    Dennis Magliozzi & Kristina Peterson, University of New Hampshire’s Writers Academy

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  • An educator’s top tips to integrate AI into the classroom

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    eSchool News is counting down the 10 most-read stories of 2025. Story #10 focuses on teaching strategies around AI.

    Key points:

    In the last year, we’ve seen an extraordinary push toward integrating artificial intelligence in classrooms. Among educators, that trend has evoked responses from optimism to opposition. “Will AI replace educators?” “Can it really help kids?” “Is it safe?” Just a few years ago, these questions were unthinkable, and now they’re in every K-12 school, hanging in the air.

    Given the pace at which AI technologies are changing, there’s a lot still to be determined, and I won’t pretend to have all the answers. But as a school counselor in Kansas who has been using SchoolAI to support students for years, I’ve seen that AI absolutely can help kids and is safe when supervised. At this point, I think it’s much more likely to help us do our jobs better than to produce any other outcome. I’ve discovered that if you implement AI thoughtfully, it empowers students to explore their futures, stay on track for graduation, learn new skills, and even improve their mental health.

    Full disclosure: I have something adjacent to a tech background. I worked for a web development marketing firm before moving into education. However, I want to emphasize that you don’t have to be an expert to use AI effectively. Success is rooted in curiosity, trial and error, and commitment to student well-being. Above all, I would urge educators to remember that AI isn’t about replacing us. It allows us to extend our reach to students and our capacity to cater to individual needs, especially when shorthanded.

    Let me show you what that looks like.

    Building emotional resilience

    Students today face enormous emotional pressures. And with national student-to-counselor ratios at nearly double the recommended 250-to-1, school staff can’t always be there right when students need us.

    That’s why I created a chatbot named Pickles (based on my dog at home, whom the kids love but who is too rambunctious to come to school with me). This emotional support bot gives my students a way to process small problems like feeling left out at recess or arguing with a friend. It doesn’t replace my role, but it does help triage students so I can give immediate attention to those facing the most urgent challenges.

    Speaking of which, AI has revealed some issues I might’ve otherwise missed. One fourth grader, who didn’t want to talk to me directly, opened up to the chatbot about her parents’ divorce. Because I was able to review her conversation, I knew to follow up with her. In another case, a shy fifth grader who struggled to maintain conversations learned to initiate dialogue with her peers using chatbot-guided social scripts. After practicing over spring break, she returned more confident and socially fluent.

    Aside from giving students real-time assistance, these tools offer me critical visibility and failsafes while I’m running around trying to do 10 things at once.

    Personalized career exploration and academic support

    One of my core responsibilities as a counselor is helping students think about their futures. Often, the goals they bring to me are undeveloped (as you would expect—they’re in elementary school, after all): They say, “I’m going to be a lawyer,” or “I’m going to be a doctor.” In the past, I would point them toward resources I thought would help, and that was usually the end of it. But I always wanted them to reflect more deeply about their options.

    So, I started using an AI chatbot to open up that conversation. Instead of jumping to a job title, students are prompted to answer what they’re interested in and why. The results have been fascinating—and inspiring. In a discussion with one student recently, I was trying to help her find careers that would suit her love of travel. After we plugged in her strengths and interests, the chatbot suggested cultural journalism, which she was instantly excited about. She started journaling and blogging that same night. She’s in sixth grade.

    What makes this process especially powerful is that it challenges biases. By the end of elementary school, many kids have already internalized what careers they think they can or can’t pursue–often based on race, gender, or socioeconomic status. AI can disrupt that. It doesn’t know what a student looks like or where they’re from. It just responds to their curiosity. These tools surface career options for kids–like esports management or environmental engineering–that I might not be able to come up with in the moment. It’s making me a better counselor and keeping me apprised of workforce trends, all while encouraging my students to dream bigger and in more detail.

    Along with career decisions, AI helps students make better academic decisions, especially in virtual school environments where requirements vary district to district. I recently worked with a virtual school to create an AI-powered tool that helps students identify which classes they need for graduation. It even links them to district-specific resources and state education departments to guide their planning. These kinds of tools lighten the load of general advising questions for school counselors and allow us to spend more time supporting students one on one.

    My advice to educators: Try it

    We tell our students that failure is part of learning. So why should we be afraid to try something new? When I started using AI, I made mistakes. But AI doesn’t have to be perfect to be powerful. Around the globe, AI school assistants are already springing up and serving an ever-wider range of use cases.

    I recommend educators start small. Use a trusted platform. And most importantly, stay human. AI should never replace the relationships at the heart of education. But if used wisely, it can extend your reach, personalize your impact, and unlock your students’ potential.

    We have to prepare our students for a world that’s changing fast–maybe faster than ever. I, for one, am glad I have AI by my side to help them get there.

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    Hanna Kemble-Mick, Indian Hills Elementary

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  • 3 AI Skills For Better Content Creation –

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    I already wrote about moving my 15-year-old blog from WordPress to Cloudflare. What I didn’t mention is what came out of that process besides a faster website: three AI tools (Claude skills, precisely) that I now use regularly and decided to open-source. For context, these apply to a WordPress backed website, but served statically via Cloudflare Pages.

    If you manage any kind of content at scale — a blog, documentation, a knowledge base — these might save you some headaches.

    Link Analyzer: Fix What’s Broken

    First problem: after 1,300+ posts and multiple URL structure changes over the years, I had no idea what was broken. Hundreds of dead links, orphan pages that even I forgot existed, posts linking to themselves in weird loops.

    The Link Analyzer crawls your static site and tells you:

    • Which links are dead
    • Which pages have zero inbound links (orphans)
    • Which pages link too much or too little
    • Overall linking health

    I ran it, got a report, fixed the critical stuff first. Simple.

    SEO WordPress Manager: Smart Batch Updates

    Some of my meta descriptions were written in 2012. They were… not great. Updating them one by one through the WordPress admin? For hundreds of posts? No thanks.

    This tool connects to WordPress via GraphQL and lets you batch update Yoast SEO fields — titles, descriptions, focus keyphrases. It has a preview mode so you can see changes before applying them, and it tracks progress so you can stop and resume.

    I used Claude to help generate better descriptions based on the actual content, then pushed them in batches. What would have taken weeks took an afternoon.

    Astro CTA Injector: Smart Placement

    Old posts had CTAs for products I don’t sell anymore. New posts needed CTAs but adding them manually to 1,300 articles was out of the question.

    The CTA Injector places call-to-action blocks into your content based on rules: at the end, after 50% of the article, after 60%, or after specific headings. It scores content for relevance so you’re not putting a productivity app CTA into a post about travel photography.

    It also tracks what it changed, so you can roll back if something looks off.

    Automation With A Dash of Brain

    All these skills are basically automation with a brain attached. Repetitive tasks with a thin layer of understanding on top.

    The difference between traditional scripts and AI-assisted tools is context. A script replaces text. An AI tool can read a post about financial habits and decide it deserves a different CTA than a post about location independence.

    I still review the output. But reviewing is much faster than creating from scratch.

    This is what I meant when I wrote about AI and jobs — the tech doesn’t replace judgment, it lets you apply your judgment to more stuff in less time.

    Get the Tools

    You can find these on GitHub: claude-content-skills

    They’re built as Claude Code skills, but the patterns work elsewhere. MIT license, use them however you want.

    If you’re managing a content archive that needs cleanup, give them a shot. Worst case, you’ll find out how many broken links you’ve been ignoring.

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    dragos@dragosroua.com (Dragos Roua)

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  • Quick Takes With: Richard Hayden – Gardenista

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    Piet Oudolf designed a set of long-handled hand tools, a spade and a fork. They’re perfect for when you’re working on your knees, but need more leverage than the normal hand spade can provide. They’re especially good for digging and dividing grasses and more stout perennials. https://sneeboer.com/en-us/hand-forged-garden-tools/piet-oudolf-hand-spade

    Go-to gardening outfit:

    I usually wore cargo shorts and a long sleeved camp shirt, but that was in California. Wearing that on this coast, where I keep running into mosquitos and poison ivy, I’ve had to really reduce the skin exposure. And of course a holster for my left-handed Felco pruners and my soil knife.

    Favorite nursery, plant shop, or seed company:

    I love Hudson Valley Seeds. They’re currently growing a variety of eco-type native pollinator perennials sourced to the Hudson Valley. I think it’s important to plant those local natives when you can.

    On your wishlist:

    Above: Jasper enjoys my roof terrace on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Potted plants include: Karl Foerster grass, calibrachoa, sedums, and geraniums. Photograph by Richard Hayden.

    A garden of my own! I have a little roof space with my New York City rental apartment, where I grow some herbs and a couple of really resilient grasses and pollinator plants. It’s a brutal environment to be gardening on an asphalt roof on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Plus it’s six flights up, so I’ve really resisted my urge to add pots and plants. But it’s fascinating to see all the pollinators that show up even on a random roof in the middle of the city!

    Not-to-be-missed public garden/park/botanical garden:

    On the East Coast, I love Mt. Cuba Center in Delaware. It’s a former estate garden, but planted with all natives in a very thoughtfully designed way. They also do amazing research on various perennials in their extensive trial gardens. On the West Coast it’s Lotusland, another former estate garden in Montecito near Santa Barbara, CA. Just a crazy, fantastical mix of palms, succulents, cycads, and cactus arranged in the most impressive way.

    The REAL reason you garden:

    Above: Photograph by Liz Ligon.

    Because plants are the basis of all life on Earth, and I believe that creating and caring for gardens are, therefore, the highest form of art and interpretation that you can achieve. To create opportunities for human emotion and connection while supporting our endangered wildlife is the noblest of callings.

    Anything else you’d like us to know? Future projects?

    We’re renovating a garden on the High Line between 17th and 18th Streets that was impacted by nearby construction. Piet Oudolf designed a brand new planting scheme that will add 18 new plants to the High Line. We planted this in mid-November.

    Thanks so much, Richard! (You can follow him on Instagram @naturegardener.)

    For our full archive of Quick Takes, head here.

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  • 4 ways AI can make your PD more effective

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    Key points:

    If you lead professional learning, whether as a school leader or PD facilitator, your goal is to make each session relevant, engaging, and lasting. AI can help you get there by streamlining prep, differentiating for diverse learners, combining follow-ups with accessibility for absentees, and turning feedback into actionable improvements.

    1. Streamline prep

    Preparing PD can take hours as you move between drafting agendas, building slides, writing handouts, and finding the right examples. For many facilitators, the preparation phase becomes a race against time, leaving less room for creativity and interaction. The challenge is not only to create materials, but to design them so they are relevant to the audience and aligned with clear learning goals.

    AI can help by taking the raw information you provide–your session objectives, focus area, and audience details–and producing a solid first draft of your session materials. This may include a structured agenda, a concise session description, refined learning objectives, a curated resource list, and even a presentation deck with placeholder slides and talking points. Instead of starting from scratch, you begin with a framework that you can adapt for tone, style, and participant needs.

    AI quick start:

    • Fine-tune your PD session objectives or description so they align with learning goals and audience needs.
    • Design engaging PD slides that support active learning and discussion.
    • Create custom visuals to illustrate key concepts and examples for your PD session.

    2. Differentiate adult learning

    Educators bring different levels of expertise, roles, and learning preferences to PD. AI can go beyond sorting participants into groups; it can analyze pre-session survey data to identify common challenges, preferred formats, and specific areas of curiosity. With this insight, you can design activities that meet everyone’s needs while keeping the group moving forward together.

    For instance, an AI analysis of survey results might reveal that one group wants practical, ready-to-use classroom strategies while another is interested in deepening their understanding of instructional frameworks. You can then create choice-based sessions or breakout activities that address both needs, allowing participants to select the format that works best for them. This targeted approach makes PD more relevant and increases engagement because participants see their own goals reflected in the design.

    AI quick start:

    • Create a pre-session survey form to collect participant goals, roles, and preferences.
    • Analyze survey responses qualitatively to identify trends or themes.
    • Develop differentiated activities and resources for each participant group.

    3. Make PD accessible for those who miss it

    Even the most engaging PD can lose its impact without reinforcement, and some participants will inevitably miss the live session. Illness, scheduling conflicts, and urgent school needs happen. Without intentional follow-up, these absences can create gaps in knowledge and skills that affect team performance.

    AI can help close these gaps by turning your agenda, notes, or recordings into follow-up materials that recap key ideas, highlight next steps, and provide easy access to resources. This ensures that all educators, regardless of whether they attended, can engage with the same content and apply it in their work.

    Imagine hosting a PD session on integrating literacy strategies across the curriculum. Several teachers cannot attend due to testing responsibilities. By using AI to transcribe the recording, produce a well-organized summary, and embed links to articles and templates, you give absent staff members a clear path to catch up. You can also create a short bridge-to-practice activity that both attendees and absentees complete, so everyone comes to the next session prepared.

    This approach not only supports ongoing learning but also reinforces a culture of equity in professional development, where everyone has access to the same high-quality materials and expectations. Over time, storing these AI-generated summaries and resources in a shared space can create an accessible PD archive that benefits the entire organization.

    AI quick start:

    • Transcribe your PD session recording for a complete text record.
    • Summarize the content into a clear, concise recap with next steps.
    • Integrate links to resources and bridge-to-practice activities so all participants can act on the learning.

    4. Turn participant feedback into action

    Open-ended survey responses are valuable, but analyzing them can be time-consuming. AI can code and group feedback so you can quickly identify trends and make informed changes before your next session.

    For example, AI might cluster dozens of survey comments into themes such as “more classroom examples,” “more time for practice,” or “deeper technology integration.” Instead of reading through each comment manually, you receive a concise report that highlights key priorities. You can then use this information to adjust your content, pacing, or format to better meet participants’ needs.

    By integrating this kind of rapid analysis into your PD process, you create a feedback loop that keeps your sessions evolving and responsive. Over time, this builds trust among participants, who see that their input is valued and acted upon.

    AI quick start:

    • Compile and organize participant feedback into a single dataset.
    • Categorize comments into clear, actionable themes.
    • Summarize insights to highlight priority areas for improvement.

    Final word

    AI will not replace your skill as a facilitator, but it can strengthen the entire PD cycle from planning and delivery to post-session coaching, accessibility, and data analysis. By taking on repetitive, time-intensive tasks, AI allows you to focus on creating experiences that are engaging, relevant, and equitable.

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    Andy Szeto, Ed.D, Professor and District Administrator

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  • Rethinking icebreakers in professional learning

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    Key points:

    I was once asked during an icebreaker in a professional learning session to share a story about my last name. What I thought would be a light moment quickly became emotional. My grandfather borrowed another name to come to America, but his attempt was not successful, and yet our family remained with it. Being asked to share that story on the spot caught me off guard. It was personal, it was heavy, and it was rushed into the open by an activity intended to be lighthearted.

    That highlights the problem with many icebreakers. Facilitators often ask for vulnerability without context, pushing people into performances disconnected from the session’s purpose. For some educators, especially those from historically marginalized backgrounds, being asked to disclose personal details without trust can feel unsafe. I have both delivered and received professional learning where icebreakers were the first order of business, and they often felt irrelevant. I have had to supply “fun facts” I had not thought about in years or invent something just to move the activity along.

    And inevitably, somewhere later in the day, the facilitator says, “We are running out of time” or “We do not have time to discuss this in depth.” The irony is sharp: Meaningful discussion gets cut short while minutes were spent on activities that added little value.

    Why icebreakers persist

    Why do icebreakers persist despite their limitations? Part of it is tradition. They are familiar, and many facilitators replicate what they have experienced in their own professional learning. Another reason is belief in their power to foster collaboration or energize a room. Research suggests there is some basis for this. Chlup and Collins (2010) found that icebreakers and “re-energizers” can, when used thoughtfully, improve motivation, encourage interaction, and create a sense of safety for adult learners. These potential benefits help explain why facilitators continue to use them.

    But the promise is rarely matched by practice. Too often, icebreakers are poorly designed fillers, disconnected from learning goals, or stretched too long, leaving participants disengaged rather than energized.

    The costs of misuse

    Even outside education, icebreakers have a negative reputation. As Kirsch (2025) noted in The New York Times, many professionals “hate them,” questioning their relevance and treating them with suspicion. Leaders in other fields rarely tolerate activities that feel disconnected from their core work, and teachers should not be expected to, either.

    Research on professional development supports this skepticism. Guskey (2003) found that professional learning only matters when it is carefully structured and purposefully directed. Simply gathering people together does not guarantee effectiveness. The most valued feature of professional development is deepening educators’ content and pedagogical knowledge in ways that improve student learning–something icebreakers rarely achieve.

    School leaders are also raising the same concerns. Jared Lamb, head of BASIS Baton Rouge Mattera Charter School in Louisiana and known for his viral leadership videos on social media, argues that principals and teachers have better uses of their time. “We do not ask surgeons to play two truths and a lie before surgery,” he remarked, “so why subject our educators to the same?” His critique may sound extreme, but it reflects a broader frustration with how professional learning time is spent.

    I would not go that far. While I agree with Lamb that educators’ time must be honored, the solution is not to eliminate icebreakers entirely, but to plan them with intention. When designed thoughtfully, they can help establish norms, foster trust, and build connection. The key is ensuring they are tied to the goals of the session and respect the professionalism of participants.

    Toward more authentic connection

    The most effective way to build community in professional learning is through purposeful engagement. Facilitators can co-create norms, clarify shared goals, or invite participants to reflect on meaningful moments from their teaching or leadership journeys. Aguilar (2022), in Arise, reminds us that authentic connections and peer groups sustain teachers far more effectively than manufactured activities. Professional trust grows not from gimmicks but from structures that honor educators’ humanity and expertise.

    Practical alternatives to icebreakers include:

    • Norm setting with purpose: Co-create group norms or commitments that establish shared expectations and respect.
    • Instructional entry points: Use a short analysis of student work, a case study, or a data snapshot to ground the session in instructional practice immediately.
    • Structured reflection: Invite participants to share a meaningful moment from their teaching or leadership journey using protocols like the Four A’s. These provide choice and safety while deepening professional dialogue.
    • Collaborative problem-solving: Begin with a design challenge or pressing instructional issue that requires participants to work together immediately.

    These approaches avoid the pitfalls of forced vulnerability. They also account for equity by ensuring participation is based on professional engagement, not personal disclosures.

    Closing reflections

    Professional learning should honor educators’ time and expertise. Under the right conditions, icebreakers can enhance learning, but more often, they create discomfort, waste minutes, and fail to build trust.

    I still remember being asked to tell my last name story. What emerged was a family history rooted in migration, struggle, and survival, not a “fun fact.” That moment reminds me: when we ask educators to share, we must do so with care, with planning, and with purpose.

    If we model superficial activities for teachers, we risk signaling that superficial activities are acceptable for students. School leaders and facilitators must design professional learning that is purposeful, respectful, and relevant. When every activity ties to practice and trust, participants leave not only connected but also better equipped to serve their students. That is the kind of professional learning worth everyone’s time.

    References

    Aguilar, E. (2022). Arise: The art of transformative leadership in schools. Jossey-Bass.

    Chlup, D. T., & Collins, T. E. (2010). Breaking the ice: Using ice-breakers and re-energizers with adult learners. Adult Learning, 21(3–4), 34–39. https://doi.org/10.1177/104515951002100305

    Guskey, T. R. (2003). What makes professional development effective? Phi Delta Kappan, 48(10), 748–750.

    Kirsch, M. (2025, March 29). Breaking through. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/29/briefing/breaking-through.html

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    Andy Szeto, Ed.D, Professor and District Administrator

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  • Useful Gifts for Gardeners for Under $35: Stocking Stuffer Ideas

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    Small gifts for gardeners abound in gift shops and at online retailers, but if we’re honest? Many of them aren’t great picks for true gardeners (we wouldn’t dare pick out seeds for another gardener, for example.) So we’ve gathered a list of 10 stocking stuffer-sized gifts that we think Gardenista readers will actually appreciate. Our […]

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  • 18 Of The Best Formative Assessment Tools For Digital Exit Tickets

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    contributed by Ryan Schaaf, Assistant Professor of Technology, Notre Dame of Maryland University



    Digital Exit Slips: 21 Formative Assessment Tools for Grades 8-12

    You have a classroom full of students packing up after an instructional lesson.

    Your mind goes to the critical questions: Did my students get the lesson? Are there any concepts or skills they are still unsure of? Do students have misconceptions about the content? Do I need to review anything tomorrow?

    These are the questions reflective educators contemplate. These questions are addressed immediately by using an **exit ticket**. Exit tickets are a simple, quick, and insightful **formative assessment** method employed at the end of a lesson. They require learners to answer a few questions or perform a task based on the content explored during class.

    Exit ticket formats vary. You can use multiple-choice, short written responses, matching, or polls. Exit tickets must be short, concise, and engage learners in reviewing the skills explored. They are also ideal for continuing the learning into the next class, often used to activate students’ previous knowledge immediately upon entry.

    In the age of digital learning, exit tickets are no longer confined to paper slips. Numerous digital tools are available to collect this valuable performance data instantly.

    These tools move beyond simple paper collection, providing you with student data in real time or in easy-to-analyze reports, streamlining your instructional decisions.

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    TeachThought Staff

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  • Reliable and relatable resources build confident students: The triple Rs of scholastic esports

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    Key points:

    I know what it feels like to stand in front of a classroom that does not have enough. Not enough computers. Not enough up-to-date software and technical tools. Not enough resources to give every student the experience they deserve. When students notice these gaps, they notice more than the missing tools. They begin to question whether their education and, by extension, their potential really matters. That doubt can quietly drain their confidence.

    This is why dependable resources are not simply a bonus in education. They are a lifeline. In my role leading the Scholastic Esports Academy in the Five Carat Choice Program at Palm Beach Lakes High School, I have watched how access to quality equipment and meaningful project-based learning transforms students from the inside out. It is not only about what they learn but about how they begin to see themselves.

    I have been fortunate to develop partnerships with organizations like Cleverlike Studios, changing the game for my students by bringing advanced technology and creativity directly into the classroom. For example, they learned how to create new characters for Minecraft and designed custom esports jerseys for their Minecraft characters. Students were engaged while learning in games they know and love. These experiences allow them to express their creativity and see their ideas come to life while building complex skills such as coding, digital media, and game design.  

    When students make the leap from simple play to design, careers in technology and digital media suddenly seem accessible, even if they have never seen themselves in these fields before. Scholastic esports is an avenue within the educational landscape that merges the captivating realm of the video game industry with project based learning and educational objectives. It capitalizes on students’ existing interests for STEM subjects, including gamification, digital media, robotics, and financial literacy, directing them towards a structured and educational setting.

    In just five years, the Palm Beach Lakes Scholastic Esports Academy has grown from a small club of ten students to more than five hundred, becoming a full CTE academy that operates both during the school day and after school. Through this experience, students are earning four to five industry certifications along their four year pathway. Their success demonstrates what happens when resources are reliable, relatable, and creativity is encouraged. Students are now able to see themselves in real time through 3D models and their own digital designs, creating new characters for Minecraft and customizing their own esports jerseys.

    Recognizing this success, the Pew Foundation invested nearly $500,000 to expand our infrastructure and transform the program from an after school club into a full daytime classroom experience, creating even greater opportunities for growth and student success. Now, when our students walk into the Esports classroom, they enter a space built around their passions. They see powerful gaming computers, professional streaming equipment, and projects that speak their language. Suddenly, the skills they once thought were only for others become reachable. They begin to realize that their love for video games, robotics, and digital media can open doors to real world careers and college opportunities.

    The results speak for themselves:

    • In FY23 Palm Beach Lakes High School used a Pew Grant to launch the esports course and compared outcomes with a matched group of students.
    • Students who participated in esports had significantly lower rates of in-school or out-of-school suspension, with about half as many incidents as their non-esports peers.
    • Absenteeism among esports students was also slightly lower.
    • While GPA and certification pass rates were similar, the behavioral improvements were clear and meaningful.

    These numbers match what I see every day. Students who once struggled to stay engaged now show up early to practice. They stay late to collaborate. They treat each other with a level of respect and teamwork that carries over into their other classes.

    None of this would be possible without reliable and relatable resources that connect directly to students’ interests and experiences. In a Title I school, these tools make learning meaningful by turning abstract ideas into hands-on projects that students can see, touch, and create. Expanding their minds through hands-on learning and project based materials from companies like Cleverlike Studios, our students gain access to educational tools that connect classroom lessons to real world applications. Coding challenges, game design projects, and digital media activities inspire creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration. Most importantly, this work helps students see that their ideas and talents have value and that their creativity can open doors to future opportunities. 

    For many of my students’ resources have always been scarce. But in the Scholastic Esports Academy they find more than equipment. They find opportunity. They discover that their skills have value beyond the game and that their voices and ideas matter. They begin to picture themselves as leaders in technology, media, and STEM fields.

    Student Alyssa Chavez said, “Last year, we completed an assignment to design a jersey for our esports teams to wear on Minecraft. The Esports Jersey assignment was very helpful and even inspiring to me because it helped me learn to adapt and appeal to the suggestions and requirements that a client or partner would want me to apply to a project.   The use of the Blockbench program helped me to understand the importance of knowing how to navigate and use a program to do my best work for certain projects. When making the jersey, I took the elements and colors of our ‘Retro Rams’ branding and applied them to the jersey to create a design that represents unity and teamwork, showcasing the unity of our esports team.”

    This is why I believe scholastic esports is not just about gaming. It is about creating a bridge between curiosity and opportunity. It is about giving students in under-resourced communities the confidence to dream bigger and the tools to make those dreams real.

    The ongoing success of our academy is proof that when education is supported with vision, dedication, and the right resources, students will rise. We have created a space where learning feels real, where creativity thrives, and where confidence is built through experience. Partners like Cleverlike Studios have played a part in this progress by providing educational tools that enhance what we do every day. Together, we are demonstrating that reliable and relatable learning environments not only inspire achievement but also prepare students to succeed beyond the classroom.

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    Julius Edwards, Palm Beach Lakes Esports & Sunshine State Esports League

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  • These 5 tech stocks could let you play earnings season like a pro

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    These 5 tech stocks could let you play earnings season like a pro

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  • Moving From WordPress to Cloudflare Static Pages – Dragos Roua

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    Two days ago, I flipped the switch. After almost 20 years on WordPress, dragosroua.com now runs as a static site on Cloudflare Pages, built with Astro. But here’s the twist: WordPress isn’t gone. It’s still running on a different domain, but now as my backend CMS.

    I still write in WordPress. I still hit publish in WordPress. But what the world sees is static HTML, deployed in seconds, optimized for speed and search engines.

    Why Decouple After 15 Years?

    WordPress and I never had problems. From 2008 onward, I published consistently—even ran 100-day writing challenges. The blog grew popular in the productivity space, listed alongside Zen Habits and Steve Pavlina. WordPress handled it all.

    But over almost 2 decades, clutter grew exponentially.

    The real problems:

    • 2,000+ posts with inconsistent SEO (half had zero optimization)
    • Cluttered category structures that made little to no sense anymore
    • Plugin bloat from experiments I’d forgotten – polluting content with weird shortcodes
    • No systematic approach to metadata
    • WordPress serving dynamic pages when 99% of my content never changed

    The unexpected consequence of success was complexity.

    The Actual Architecture: WordPress as Backend

    Here’s how it works now:

    Write in WordPress (wp.dragosroua.com)
        ?
Hit "Publish" or trigger webhook
        ?
GitHub Actions pulls content via WordPress API
        ?
Astro builds static site with optimized SEO
        ?
Deploys to Cloudflare Pages (dragosroua.com)
        ?
Live in 30 seconds

    WordPress remains my CMS:

    • Familiar writing interface (20 years of muscle memory)
    • Acts as media library for images
    • Draft/scheduling capabilities

    But the public site is pure static:

    • No database queries on page load
    • No PHP execution
    • geographically balanced CDN-distributed HTML that loads in 400ms

    Best of both worlds. I keep the admin interface I know, but serve the performance users deserve.

    Why This Matters: The SEO Blindness Problem

    The real trigger wasn’t speed or security—it was SEO blindness at scale.

    With 2,000+ posts accumulated over 20 years:

    • Half had auto-generated excerpts as meta descriptions
    • Focus keywords? Random or missing (if any at all)
    • Internal linking? Chaotic and most of the time broken
    • Image alt tags? Inconsistent
    • URL structure? Whatever WordPress decided in 2008 – outdated or incomplete schema

    The static rebuild forced systematic optimization:

    • Every post got a real meta description (AI-assisted, human-reviewed)
    • Every post got focus keywords based on actual content
    • Refactored site-wide schema: clean HTML semantics
    • Image optimization became part of the build process
    • Internal linking could be programmatically verified

    This wasn’t migration—it was refactoring at scale.

    The Technical Stack: Astro + Cloudflare + WordPress API

    After 35 years of coding (since 1987), I’ve learned to trust tools that solve one thing well:

    WordPress for content management. It’s still the best writing interface I’ve used. The Gutenberg editor works. The media library works. Version control works.

    Astro for static generation. Astro is philosophy-agnostic framework that renders to pure HTML with zero JavaScript bloat. It pulls WordPress API data and produces fast, clean pages.

    Cloudflare Pages for hosting. Their free tier handles millions of requests on a global CDN. It takes care of HTTPS, including certificates and the deploy is made via a simple GitHub push.

    The bridge: A build script that:

    1. Fetches posts from WordPress REST API
    2. Converts to HTML with proper frontmatter
    3. Optimizes images (WebP conversion, responsive sizing)
    4. Generates consistent SEO metadata
    5. Builds static site
    6. Deploys automatically

    Two trigger modes:

    • Webhook: Publish in WordPress ? webhook hits ? rebuild starts automatically
    • Manual: Run build script when I’ve batch-edited multiple posts

    Most days, it’s invisible. Write, publish, live in 30 seconds.

    The Migration Process: Declutter, Reorganize, Optimize

    Step 1: Content Audit (The Hard Part)

    Not deletion—curation. I went through 2,000+ posts asking: Does this still serve my purpose?

    • The “100 Ways To Live A Better Life” series—essential, stayed
    • 100-day writing challenges—great content, kept
    • financial resilience, location independence, meaningful relationships posts: all kept
    • Random promotions or tutorials about dead tools—archived locally, not published
    • Half-formed thoughts that never matured—let go

    I kept 1,800 posts. Not because I deleted 200, but because I chose 1,800.

    Step 2: Systematic SEO Optimization

    For each of the 1,800 posts, I needed:

    • Meta description (150 chars, compelling, keyword-aware)
    • Focus keyword (based on actual content, not guessing)
    • Clean URL structure
    • Proper heading hierarchy
    • Image alt text that describes, not decorates

    I wrote a few scripts to make all this happen, but every single meta description got human review. This took about 120+ hours of work. This was the actual migration process.

    Step 3: Build the Astro Frontend

    Astro let me design the site I wanted—not some random WordPress theme that I need to customize for hours or days.

    Clean typography, lightning fast loading and minimalistic design that puts words first. I got rid of the comments too. Also, no more sidebar clutter. No “related posts” algorithm. Just writing and whitespace.

    Step 4: Test, Deploy, Monitor

    First build took 2 minutes for 1,800 posts. Subsequent rebuilds when I publish one new post: 50-60 seconds.

    Speed comparison:

    • Old WordPress site: 2.5 seconds average load
    • New static site: 400ms average load

    That’s 6x faster.

    What I Learned: Technical and Philosophical

    On organization: Entropy isn’t failure—it’s the natural result of consistent creation. Refactoring isn’t fixing what’s broken; it’s honoring what you built by making it sustainable.

    On tools: WordPress is a brilliant CMS. It’s a mediocre web server. Decoupling lets each tool do what it does best.

    On SEO at scale: You can’t optimize 2,000 posts one admin page at a time. You need systematic processing. Static generation forces this discipline.

    On speed: Fast sites aren’t just better UX—they’re respect for the reader’s time. Every millisecond of load time is cognitive friction. Also, this confirmed my assumption that Google prioritizes fast loading sites, regardless of their content. In other words, you can be brilliant, but if your site is slow, Google thinks you’re not existing.

    On future-proofing: Static files are portable. If Cloudflare shuts down tomorrow, I have HTML files that work anywhere. If WordPress dies, my writing survives. The hybrid approach gives me both flexibility in creation and durability in output.

    The Results: Waiting for Google

    As of two days ago, Google has crawled 1,500 pages but hasn’t indexed them yet. The “Discovered – currently not indexed” status means Google is evaluating quality before committing to search results.

    With a 20+ year domain, proper SEO on every page, and clean HTML, I expect:

    • Full indexing within 2-3 weeks
    • Organic traffic significant increase within 60 days
    • Better rankings due to speed improvements

    For Anyone Considering This Setup

    You should do this if:

    • You have 500+ posts accumulated over years
    • Your SEO is inconsistent or nonexistent
    • You want speed without sacrificing your familiar CMS
    • You’re comfortable with Git and build processes
    • You value organization over just constant publishing

    You should stay purely WordPress if:

    • You need comments, forums, or user-generated content
    • Non-technical team members need to manage the site
    • Your site is simple enough that optimization isn’t overwhelming

    The hardest part isn’t the tech—it’s the systematic curation. Writing 1,800 unique meta descriptions takes discipline. But it’s also the most valuable SEO work you’ll ever do.

    What’s Next

    The blog is live. The SEO is systematically optimized. Now I wait for Google to catch up.

    Beyond that: I’m building addTaskManager (iOS productivity app for ADHD minds)

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    dragos@dragosroua.com (Dragos Roua)

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  • Tools and ideas to engage students in career-connected learning

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    Key points:

    For nearly two decades, I’ve worked to improve teaching and learning with technology. And while the continuously evolving nature of technology has changed the trajectory of my career many times, I have always tried to drive deeper student engagement.

    Education stakeholders agree on the importance of engagement in learning. According to the recently released Education Insights Report, K-12 leaders, teachers, parents, and students overwhelmingly agree that engagement drives learning. To be more specific, 93 percent of educators say it’s a critical metric for achievement, 99 percent of superintendents rank it among the top predictors of school success, and 92 percent of students report that engaging lessons make school more enjoyable.

    During my career, I’ve found that one of the best ways to engage students in learning is to connect what is being taught to students in the classroom to potential career paths. One way to connect the dots between classroom lessons and their application to a potential career is through career-connected learning.

    Career-connected learning (CCL) experiences–such as classroom career lessons, job fairs, and mentorships–have a measurable impact on student engagement and future orientation. A recent report found that 88 percent of students participate in at least one CCL opportunity, and that having a mentor nearly doubles student engagement (37 percent vs. 16 percent), while also increasing students’ hope about their future (40 percent vs. 25 percent).

    Educational technology can help educators scale CCL learning in their district. At my school, I’ve found success with Career Connect, which can be accessed through Discovery Education Experience. This technology solution is an innovative, virtual platform that facilitates direct, real-time connections between K-12 educators, students, and industry professionals. Key features include on-demand, virtual classroom visits and an easy-to-navigate dashboard with accompanying standards-aligned lesson plans and activities.

    Career Connect has allowed instructional specialists and professional development consultants in our field to assist CTE teachers with additional credible and trusted resources. This enables our educators to create meaningful connections and higher engagement by embedding real-world voices to help students see the “why” behind learning, which sparks curiosity and motivation. Plus, the solution helps ensure equitable access for all students, because the virtual format allows schools anywhere to bring a broad range of professionals from all the over the world directly into their classrooms.

    Another favorite tool is CareerPrepped, a free resource by the Association for Career and Technical Education. Designed to meet the needs of learners, educators, and employers, the platform supports skills-based hiring, soft-skills development, and work-based learning through a dynamic digital platform.

    With over 40 essential workforce skills, students can build Skill Builders across competencies like teamwork, communication, problem-solving, time management, and more. These skills are demonstrated through Skill Badges and a career portfolio that houses real-world evidence such as project artifacts and multimedia illustrations. Students can create a personal portfolio that connect to platforms like LinkedIn. Then, students can request feedback on their skill evidence from peers, educators, and industry mentors, helping them understand strengths and areas for improvement.

    CareerPrepped offers value for educators by bridging the gap between academic learning and employability while enhancing work-based learning outcomes. Students actively document and prove their skills to employers and class alike.

    Implementing career-focused technology tools such as Career Connect and CareerPrepped in education offers many ways to integrate CCL into the classroom. Here are some potential strategies to consider:

    • Employee Spotlights: Host brief live or recorded talks with people in various careers to hear about job journeys and directly tie in a classroom lesson to that career. Bonus points if that employee is a former student of that district!
    • Micro-Internships: Arrange one-hour or one-day job shadows with local partners.
    • Challenge-Based Projects: Partner with businesses on real problems, like designing a locally-sourced cafeteria menu or revamping a playground.

    In summary, career-connected learning is a vital component of any classroom in this day and age, because it brings together traditional learning with real-world opportunities. By engaging students with industry partners, mentors, and authentic workplace experiences, students are empowered to see clear pathways from education to career success.

    These connections not only strengthen technical and employability skills but also foster confidence and purpose for each student. Ultimately, career connections ensure that all students graduate prepared, inspired, and equipped to thrive in both postsecondary education and the workforce.

    Latest posts by eSchool Media Contributors (see all)

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    Grace Maliska

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  • Tools and ideas to engage students in career-connected learning

    [ad_1]

    Key points:

    For nearly two decades, I’ve worked to improve teaching and learning with technology. And while the continuously evolving nature of technology has changed the trajectory of my career many times, I have always tried to drive deeper student engagement.

    Education stakeholders agree on the importance of engagement in learning. According to the recently released Education Insights Report, K-12 leaders, teachers, parents, and students overwhelmingly agree that engagement drives learning. To be more specific, 93 percent of educators say it’s a critical metric for achievement, 99 percent of superintendents rank it among the top predictors of school success, and 92 percent of students report that engaging lessons make school more enjoyable.

    During my career, I’ve found that one of the best ways to engage students in learning is to connect what is being taught to students in the classroom to potential career paths. One way to connect the dots between classroom lessons and their application to a potential career is through career-connected learning.

    Career-connected learning (CCL) experiences–such as classroom career lessons, job fairs, and mentorships–have a measurable impact on student engagement and future orientation. A recent report found that 88 percent of students participate in at least one CCL opportunity, and that having a mentor nearly doubles student engagement (37 percent vs. 16 percent), while also increasing students’ hope about their future (40 percent vs. 25 percent).

    Educational technology can help educators scale CCL learning in their district. At my school, I’ve found success with Career Connect, which can be accessed through Discovery Education Experience. This technology solution is an innovative, virtual platform that facilitates direct, real-time connections between K-12 educators, students, and industry professionals. Key features include on-demand, virtual classroom visits and an easy-to-navigate dashboard with accompanying standards-aligned lesson plans and activities.

    Career Connect has allowed instructional specialists and professional development consultants in our field to assist CTE teachers with additional credible and trusted resources. This enables our educators to create meaningful connections and higher engagement by embedding real-world voices to help students see the “why” behind learning, which sparks curiosity and motivation. Plus, the solution helps ensure equitable access for all students, because the virtual format allows schools anywhere to bring a broad range of professionals from all the over the world directly into their classrooms.

    Another favorite tool is CareerPrepped, a free resource by the Association for Career and Technical Education. Designed to meet the needs of learners, educators, and employers, the platform supports skills-based hiring, soft-skills development, and work-based learning through a dynamic digital platform.

    With over 40 essential workforce skills, students can build Skill Builders across competencies like teamwork, communication, problem-solving, time management, and more. These skills are demonstrated through Skill Badges and a career portfolio that houses real-world evidence such as project artifacts and multimedia illustrations. Students can create a personal portfolio that connect to platforms like LinkedIn. Then, students can request feedback on their skill evidence from peers, educators, and industry mentors, helping them understand strengths and areas for improvement.

    CareerPrepped offers value for educators by bridging the gap between academic learning and employability while enhancing work-based learning outcomes. Students actively document and prove their skills to employers and class alike.

    Implementing career-focused technology tools such as Career Connect and CareerPrepped in education offers many ways to integrate CCL into the classroom. Here are some potential strategies to consider:

    • Employee Spotlights: Host brief live or recorded talks with people in various careers to hear about job journeys and directly tie in a classroom lesson to that career. Bonus points if that employee is a former student of that district!
    • Micro-Internships: Arrange one-hour or one-day job shadows with local partners.
    • Challenge-Based Projects: Partner with businesses on real problems, like designing a locally-sourced cafeteria menu or revamping a playground.

    In summary, career-connected learning is a vital component of any classroom in this day and age, because it brings together traditional learning with real-world opportunities. By engaging students with industry partners, mentors, and authentic workplace experiences, students are empowered to see clear pathways from education to career success.

    These connections not only strengthen technical and employability skills but also foster confidence and purpose for each student. Ultimately, career connections ensure that all students graduate prepared, inspired, and equipped to thrive in both postsecondary education and the workforce.

    Latest posts by eSchool Media Contributors (see all)

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    Dr. Angie Haro, EdD, Education Service Center Region 19

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  • Rethinking substitute teacher preparation

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    Key points:

    Many of us remember the days when having a substitute teacher meant movie day–a wheeled video cart appeared, and the substitute teacher’s main goal was making sure students stayed quiet until the bell rang. Times, and students’ needs, have changed.

    Even with teacher vacancies stabilizing in some areas, exhausted teachers still average missing 11 days of the school year, or 5-6 percent of a 186-day year, leaving students spending not single days, but weeks or even months, with substitute teachers. As a result, today’s substitute teachers must do far more than serve as placeholders. This shift demands a fundamental rethinking of how school districts prepare, support, and deploy substitute teachers. They can no longer view substitutes as temporary placeholders; they need capable, prepared educators who can keep learning on track and maintain continuity when regular teachers are absent.

    Professionalizing the substitute teaching role through standards-based training

    The first step toward professionalizing substitute teaching is acknowledging that substitutes are an essential part of the educational ecosystem and that their impact on student learning is quantifiable. A recent meta-analysis of studies demonstrated a positive link between teacher professional development, teaching practices, and student achievement.

    • Fully certified teachers tend to produce better student outcomes compared to those with provisional or no certification.
    • Underprepared teachers leave sooner, increasing instability.
    • Trained teachers are more likely to stay and build effectiveness over time.

    Yet many districts have failed to apply this same logic to substitute teachers, who may work with the same students for extended periods.

    A standards-based approach to substitute preparation mirrors what school leaders expect for all other educational roles. Just as they demand competency-based frameworks for students and research-backed training for teachers, substitute teachers need clearly defined expectations and aligned professional development.

    Seventy-seven percent of districts provide no training to substitute teachers.  When training is offered, the focus is primarily on logistics: Don’t be late, dress appropriately, and find the main office. While these basics matter, they represent only a fraction of what today’s substitutes need to know. Forward-thinking districts are adopting structured frameworks that move beyond ad hoc training approaches and bare minimum orientations. One promising model is the LEARN framework, which establishes five core standards for substitute teacher preparation:

    • Leads and supports instruction for all learners: Substitutes understand their instructional role and can facilitate meaningful learning experiences rather than simply supervising students.
    • Ensures a safe and productive learning environment: Substitutes move beyond basic classroom management to maintaining continuity of instruction and keeping learning productive.
    • Acts with professionalism and ethics: This standard emphasizes both professional behavior and ethical decision-making in educational settings.
    • Recognizes the whole child: Substitutes understand diverse learner needs, from special education students to those from high-poverty backgrounds, and can adapt accordingly.
    • Navigates the educational setting appropriately: This encompasses communication, collaboration, and connection with colleagues and school culture.

    What makes this framework powerful is its focus on supporting a safe, productive environment that keeps learning going from day one. Rather than hoping substitutes will figure things out through trial and error, districts can ensure every substitute enters the classroom prepared to continue learning from their first assignment.

    The framework also allows for tiered development. Basic training might cover essential competencies for short-term assignments, while enhanced modules provide more robust exploration of the LEARN standards relevant for different roles and needs. Additional content can be available to develop instructional best practices and student learning theory for longer-term placements. Advanced training might explore supporting diverse populations and specialized instructional strategies in working with students with special needs.

    Building a strategic substitute workforce through targeted professional development

    To begin implementing LEARN or any other framework for substitute teachers, districts should conduct an honest assessment that includes questions such as:

    • Do you provide consistent training for this critical role?
    • Does your substitute training address all essential competencies?
    • Are you expecting substitutes to maintain instructional continuity without providing the tools to do so?

    If gaps exist–perhaps you’re strong on professional expectations but weak on instructional preparation, or focused on behavior management while neglecting lesson plan interpretation–you face the choice between investing your time and money to develop comprehensive programs on your own or partnering with a provider who can deliver research-backed training.

    The classroom impact of having well-prepared substitute teachers in the classrooms becomes evident immediately. Untrained substitutes may default to worksheets and videos because they lack confidence and preparation. This can lead to disengaged students, behavior concerns, and other challenges. Trained substitutes, on the other hand, can facilitate small-group activities, manage learning centers, and guide students through complex tasks because they understand classroom routines and are confident in their ability to maintain established systems. As one teacher commented after training, “I can better engage students, adapt to their learning styles, and support stronger academic growth.”

    District leaders also see the impact of rigorous training, which one leader said “is helping to create more subs at a time they are desperately needed. The training they are getting helps them understand how to manage a classroom effectively–more so than the credit hour requirements.”

    This difference matters enormously for instructional continuity. When teachers know their substitutes can handle their established classroom routines and learning activities, they’re less likely to water down instruction or leave generic busy work. As a result, students experience fewer disruptions to their learning progression.

    From a workforce perspective, training drives retention. Employees who feel prepared and confident in their roles are more likely to continue working and stay with organizations longer. This principle, well-established in human resources research, applies equally to substitute teachers. When substitutes have the support they need to successfully manage classrooms and support student learning, they’re more likely to accept assignments and remain in the candidate pool.

    The path forward is clear: Districts must move beyond treating substitute teaching as an afterthought and embrace it as a critical component of education. By adopting standards-based frameworks, implementing comprehensive training programs, and strategically developing their substitute workforce, districts can ensure that learning continues regardless of which adult is leading the classroom. Districts that invest in professionalizing their substitute workforce will see returns in instructional continuity, teacher satisfaction, and ultimately, student achievement.

    Latest posts by eSchool Media Contributors (see all)

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    Dr. Stephanie Wall, Kelly Education

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  • The AI-Powered Patent Check That Is Reducing Risk for Startups and Their Lawyers

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    AI is changing patent work in the same way spreadsheets changed accounting. The busy-work shrinks, and expert judgment matters more. That shift is good news for founders, investors, and, most crucially, attorneys who want to deliver earlier, more precise answers about, “Can we ship this without stepping on someone else’s patent?” 

    Why AI patent work matters now 

    In fast cycles, teams commit to features, designs, and markets long before the full extent of legal risk is known. Traditional patent searching is thorough but slow and expensive when used as the first step for every idea. AI, however, flips the order. It makes a quick, inexpensive first pass possible at the start, so attorneys can focus time where it counts. 

    What’s an early FTO check  

    Freedom to operate (FTO) is about risk. “Are there patents out there that our product might infringe?” A pre-FTO or triage pass is a fast screen—minutes, not weeks—that scans the landscape and highlights likely collisions. It’s not a legal opinion. It’s a map that says, “Pay attention here,” so counsel can dive deep efficiently. 

    What’s changed about the patent process 

    Modern AI can read and understand any sort of document fast and reliably, break it into claim-like elements—such as features, methods, and signals—and match those against huge patent corpora to surface the closest neighbors. AI is great at recall and ranking. The lawyer is great at boundaries and remedies—deciding if a claim overlaps, proposing a design-around, or advising to avoid jurisdiction. 

    The attorney angle and advantage 

    AI doesn’t replace legal judgment; it routes work to it sooner. That means attorneys can offer productized, fixed-fee “front-door” services without guessing. Think of it as a standard intake: 

    1. Triage: This is fast and low cost. Run the idea through a pre-FTO screen; get a ranked list of potential conflicts with plain-language notes. 
    2. Counsel review: This can be flat or fixed. An attorney interprets the overlaps, tests claim boundaries, and recommends changes (“Use method B, not A; file here, avoid there”). 
    3. Formal opinion: This is customized. Where warranted, the full FTO or targeted non-infringement analysis in specific jurisdictions. 

    Clients get speed and clarity while attorneys spend time on judgment, not on stitching together PDFs and queries. 

    Ultimately, tools make all the difference. For example, Evalify, a Nobody Studios portfolio company led and co-founded by William Carbone and Nick Sgobba, is one of the next-gen tools making that front door workable. Teams upload a short product brief or even a presentation deck. The system maps it to relevant patents and returns a preliminary FTO score with the closest references and a readable rationale in minutes. Attorneys then take that packet as the starting point for review, strategy, and, when needed, formal opinions. It’s the intake layer, not the last word. 

    Guardrails that make this safe 

    • Privilege and confidentiality: Matter data is isolated, logs are auditable, and default settings avoid cross-matter training, unless a client explicitly opts in. 
    • Explainability: This is every reference link to why it was flagged. No black-box magic is required to justify the next steps. 
    • Right tool, right moment: Pre-FTO is for early decisions. It doesn’t replace patentability searches, litigation strategy, or full clearance opinions. 

    It’s a win-win for the whole startup ecosystem 

    • Founders and product leaders can add deck-to-pre-FTO to their idea checklist before locking the roadmap. This equals cleaner calls, earlier. 
    • Investors can ask portfolio companies for a triage pass at the proposal stage. This reduces avoidable risk and speeds de-risking. 
    • Attorneys and firms can now offer a clear entry product—priced, scoped, and fast. They’ll use AI to widen the top of the funnel and reserve expert time for what they do best. 

    The future of patent work 

    AI won’t practice law, and it definitely won’t replace attorneys. However, it will make the front end of patent risk faster, cheaper, and easier to understand. It will also do this at a more predictable, if not fixed, cost. Firms that produce this intake—and founders who make it a habit—will move faster with fewer surprises. That’s not disruption for disruption’s sake. It’s simply better timing for everyone. 

    The opinions expressed here by Inc.com columnists are their own, not those of Inc.com.

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    Peter Economy

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