Tech-Neill-ogy #102 - 27 July 2025

Your Weekly Guide to Leveraging Technology in College Counseling

Author

Jeffrey Neill
July 28, 2025

Welcome to Tech-Neill-ogy #102!

A lot is going on in the world. Read more below about the American “AI Action Plan,” in the Course Catalog section but also in the Final Exam section. Also, be sure to take a look at Girish Ballolla’s article in the Course Catalog section!

I’m back at work this week, working with the small army of new hires for the upcoming school year. Full faculty meetings begin next Monday, and classes will start the week after. So we are getting back into the swing of things. I wish you all the best with the start of the school year!

That said, I’m in the midst of planning my travel for the semester. I’m excited to head to Curitiba, Brazil for the #AI4Good Learning Conference in September. Then I am headed to Mumbai, India for the College Board Regional Forum from October 27-29, New York City for the College Board Forum from November 5-7, and then the Seville, Spain for the CIS Forum from November 13-15. If you have any options for consulting opportunities surrounding these events, please be in touch!

For now, though, enjoy this week’s newsletter!

He/Him/Human: Claiming Our Humanness in the Age of AI

At the IACAC conference last week, I co-presented a session on future‑proofing admissions and counseling in the age of AI - and the response was overwhelming. Not because I have all the answers, but because I’ve spent years living at this intersection - working alongside educators, counselors, and institutions - wrestling with the very

gennexteducation.com/humanness-in-the-age-of-ai

The U.S. White House Releases AI Playbook: A Bold Strategy to Lead the Global AI Race

US unveils bold AI Playbook to accelerate innovation, build infrastructure, and lead global AI race with workforce upskilling

www.marktechpost.com/2025/07/27/the-u-s-white-house-releases-ai-playbook-a-bold-strategy-to-lead-the-global-ai-race

U.S. Department of Education Issues Guidance on Artificial Intelligence Use in Schools, Proposes Additional Supplemental Priority

Today, the U.S. Department of Education sent a Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) to grantees and future grantees on leveraging federal grant funds to improve education outcomes through Artificial Intelligence (AI).

www.ed.gov/about/news/press-release/us-department-of-education-issues-guidance-artificial-intelligence-use-schools-proposes-additional-supplemental-priority

AFT Partners With OpenAI For AI Academy: Here’s What You Need To Know

The National Academy for AI Instruction will have a physical space in Manhattan as well as a robust virtual program, says Rob Weil from the Educational Issues Department of the AFT.

www.techlearning.com/news/aft-partners-with-openai-for-ai-academy-heres-what-you-need-to-know

Why AI Literacy Instruction Needs to Start Before Kindergarten

Waiting until kindergarten to start teaching AI literacy misses a key window of opportunity.

www.the74million.org/zero2eight/why-ai-literacy-instruction-needs-to-start-before-kindergarten

Duetoday - AI Lecture Notetaker and Flashcards

Duetoday turns raw lecture notes and recordings into summaries, study materials, and interactive quizzes. Includes live dictation, transcription, and ChatGPT. Try it out for free.

duetoday.ai

DeckSpeed - Efficient AI Slides Creating Tool

DeckSpeed is an innovative product that helps users create and manage presentations more efficiently.

www.deckspeed.com/en

Netus AI SEO Article Writer – AI-Powered SEO Content Writer

Generate high-quality, SEO-optimized articles instantly with our AI-powered SEO Article Generator. Perfect for bloggers, marketers, and content creators. Save time and boost your rankings!

netus.ai/seo-article-generator

Xavier AI - The First AI Strategy Consultant

Xavier AI - Strategic presentations via AI

www.xavier.ai

Tarly AI - Resume & Portfolio Website Builder

AI Resume & Portfolio Website Builder

tarly.works

https://edficacy.co/ - Tell them Jeff sent you!

Of course, there was a lot of chatter about President Trump’s 25-page “America’s AI Action Plan” release:

Americas-AI-Action-Plan.pdf509.39 KB • PDF File

This a lot to digest, so I applied this prompt, uploading the PDF of the document. 

Summarize the attachment like a journalist.

And here is the output:

In July 2025, the Trump Administration released America’s AI Action Plan, a sweeping 25-page policy framework declaring artificial intelligence a top national priority. The plan—framed as a race against China and other global competitors—outlines a three-pillar approach: accelerating AI innovation, building robust AI infrastructure, and leading in international AI diplomacy and security.

Pillar I aims to dismantle federal regulations perceived as barriers to AI advancement, rescinding key Biden-era oversight. It emphasizes free speech protections in AI models, promotes open-source development, and sets forth ambitious retraining and upskilling initiatives for American workers. Federal investment is proposed in next-gen manufacturing, AI-enabled science, and evaluation ecosystems for transparency and security.

Pillar II focuses on physical and digital infrastructure, including expanding semiconductor production, upgrading the power grid, and fast-tracking permits for data centers. It also proposes a national workforce strategy to train technicians critical to AI infrastructure and establishes cybersecurity protocols tailored for AI-specific threats.

Pillar III outlines a geopolitical AI strategy, including exporting U.S. AI to allies, tightening export controls on semiconductors, countering China’s influence in international bodies, and fortifying biosecurity measures against AI-enabled biothreats.

Signed by senior advisors Michael Kratsios, David Sacks, and Marco Rubio, the plan casts AI as a defining technology of the 21st century—one the U.S. must “win” to ensure economic prosperity and national security.

Simple and easy-to-read. Please, if you have any great prompts or ideas, please share! Send me a note at [email protected].

Webinars & Live Events Page

Look here for upcoming webinars and other events (and recorded ones) by the College Essay Guy! New events are happening all the time…

www.collegeessayguy.com/webinars-live-events

That’s about it, but first, here’s a great piece from The New York Times on “kid rotting”:

Is It OK for Your Kids to ‘Rot’ All Summer?

Some parents are choosing to forgo high-intensity camps and activities for their children in favor of weeks of unplanned time. Call it “kid rotting.”

www.nytimes.com/2025/06/08/style/summer-camp-kids-do-nothing.html

Enjoy your week! Happy counseling!

Jeff