Coffeechug AI Update
Trends, Tools & Reflections from the Edge of Innovation April 17th, 2025 Edition
In Case You Missed It — Two Quick LinkedIn Hits
Professional Development Shouldn’t Be a Slog
I reflected on the role of play, curiosity, and psychological safety in educator PD. Innovation doesn’t come from adding more content—but from giving educators space to tinker, mess up, and try again.
“We’re not just geeking out on AI—we’re designing space to be more human.”
Can AI Transform Education If Policy Doesn’t?
After reading draft after draft of AI policy, I shared a reflection on how most policies start with big promises—but deliver more compliance than transformation.
“These aren’t AI issues—they’re human ones.”
Prompt of the Week: Drop Anything into Anywhere
Want a fun way to explore GPT-4o's image abilities? In my latest PD I ran this week called AI Geeking, we played in the sandbox of 17 fun prompts to simply have fun to learn about possibilites. This one I wish I had to share so am sharing it here now. Please share what you create!
Here's the two-prompt workflow I’ve been experimenting with:
Create a base image.
Example Prompt:Create a cinematic top-down shot of a valley in the desertUpload your object.
Example Prompt:Add this image(attach image) to the existing image. Don’t change anything.
That’s it. You can now remix any scene with anything—pets, classroom items, historical figures, or inside jokes.
✨ Example: I started with a vintage image of action figures from Toys R Us and prompted ChatGPT with: create a toy store action figure aisle based on this retro toy shop
HEre is the reference image and below is what ChatGPT then created for me
I then loaded up my AI action figure of myself because didn’t we all make one last week? and prompted ChatGPT: Add this action figure of myself I made onto the shelf as one of the action figures
Here is the result
Try this: Add your classroom coffee mug to the moon. Or place a LEGO figure in the middle of the Renaissance. Let your imagination lead.
This Week in Research, Reports, and Real Talk
A roundup of the most thought-provoking AI content I read this week—curated for those navigating education, leadership, and ethical design.
Anthropic’s New Education Hub
An educator-focused space for learning with—and about—Claude AI. Includes lesson ideas, policy guidance, and literacy resources.
Question: How might AI literacy become a core part of the curriculum—not just a tech add-on?
Canva AI Launches: Text, Image, and Code!
Yes, you read that right—code. Canva AI can now generate apps, simulations, and interactive content—and it’s free for educators.
Question: What could happen if students could code with the same ease they design slides?
Rutgers Faculty on AI and Assessment
How do real college instructors balance AI, student agency, and authentic assessment? This short post gives a refreshingly honest take.
Question: How do we assess learning when tools like Claude are already part of the learning process?
Harvard's Guide to Effective AI Policy
Forget fear-based rules. This piece outlines how to write adaptable, collaborative AI policies that grow with your community.
Question: Is your school writing policy for how AI actually works—or how they’re afraid it might?
Netflix Tests AI Mood-Based Search
Coming soon to the U.S., Netflix’s OpenAI-powered search engine lets you browse based on feelings, not genres.
Question: What would it look like if students could search for learning experiences based on how they feel?
How College Students Use Claude
A fascinating report showing how students use Claude for brainstorming, summarizing, and exploring complex topics.
Question: Are we preparing students to use AI well—or just trying to block it?
Gallup Research on Gen Z
Gen Z values flexibility, purpose, and mental health. They’re not anti-tech—they want better tech boundaries.
Question: Are your systems built around Gen Z values—or legacy expectations?
Black Mirror Season 7: Fiction... or Foreshadowing?
This season of Black Mirror left me reeling—in the best way.
Yes, it’s fiction. But every episode pokes at something real. Neural subscriptions, synthetic reality, digital consciousness…
It all feels a little too close for comfort.
I pulled together a question for reflection for each new episode to help you process as you watch.
Full reflection and episode guide coming soon on my blog
Watching Black Mirror is like holding a mirror up to our future—except the reflection is glitching.
Claude’s Brain Upgrade: Deep Research + Workspace Access
Anthropic just dropped a massive Claude update:
Autonomous research mode (web + file searches)
Google Workspace integration (email, Docs, calendar)
Enterprise-grade document scanning using RAG
This combo of personal + public search is a big leap forward.
I even made a 4-panel comic about it—because sometimes a visual says it better than a policy memo. (Comic preview coming in next issue.)
Where I’ve Been (and Where I’m Headed)
It’s been an energizing few weeks of connecting with schools and educators. Here’s a quick look:
Recent PD Sessions
Critical AI Literacy for Media Specialists
Elementary PD: Differentiation with AI
“AI Geeking” sessions at four schools—a joyful way to explore AI through play and experimentation
🔜 Upcoming
Presentation to statewide tech leaders on AI strategy in education
3-day summer AI workshop for higher ed faculty in my region
It’s an exciting time to be learning together—and I’m grateful to be part of the journey.
☕️ Final Thought
If you made it this far: thank you. This work is messy, playful, human—and unfolding in real time. My goal is to keep asking better questions, and to bring people together who care about getting it right.
Let’s keep geeking, wondering, and imagining a future worth building.
— Aaron aka Coffeechug