Tech-Neill-ogy #8 - 16 July 2023

Your Weekly Guide to Leveraging Technology in College Counseling

Author

Jeffrey Neill
July 17, 2023

Welcome to newsletter #8!

I have just returned from the International ACAC conference in hot and sunny Miami where artificial intelligence and the recent Supreme Court ruling were certainly the hot topics. (Read more here!) This newsletter continues to grow, and I thank those of you who have shared it with others! It continues to evolve based on user feedback, and I think this week’s format is likely to persist moving forward.

In any case, this week’s issue is teeming with a variety of stimulating content revolving around technology and AI. I have gathered a wealth of educational resources to help both beginners and experts better understand and navigate the complex landscape of AI. Whether you prefer in-depth guides or enlightening podcasts, there is something for you.

I understand that you readers often have your fingers on the pulse of the tech world. As such, I welcome you to share any interesting news, articles, or resources you come across. Your contributions greatly enhance the richness of our newsletter. Send them to me at [email protected]!

For now, enjoy the read!

How to Use AI to Do Stuff: An Opinionated Guide

Produced by Penn AI prof Ethan Mollick, this guide aims to provide an orientation to the current state of AI and help users choose the right tool for their needs. A bit more advanced, but really good!

www.oneusefulthing.org/p/how-to-use-ai-to-do-stuff-an-opinionated

Learn Prompting: Your Guide to Communicating with AI

Shared previously, but this is a goldmine for someone learning to prompt AND for others with prompting experience who want to elevate their game.

learnprompting.org

‎AI Breakfast Podcast

This is an accessible and interesting podcast that provides a weekly analysis of Artificial Intelligence news, tools, and projects.

podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ai-breakfast-podcast/id1679995601

IACAC 2023 - The Junior Project

Here is the slide deck from one of the sessions I participated in at IACAC: “Do you struggle with getting students to embody the concept of best fit and not best school? This presentation will explore an opportunity called the junior project that seeks to assist students in personal and academic reflection through a structured powerpoint presentation that culminates with them identifying multiple schools that are the best fit for their individual needs. We will also discuss how universities can help echo the message of best fit during their high school visits.” See toward the end for a mega prompt…

docs.google.com/presentation/d/14fP957N-1iVT3FP-Wb1aWZv2P2w2C4Wm22QWSh5Nio8/edit?usp=sharing

Beamcast

In the free version of this tool, you are provided with a certain number of credits that allow you to highlight text, whether it's your own in a document or on a website. Then, it provides access to a few helpful prompts that apply artificial intelligence techniques to enhance the highlighted text. Give it a try!

beamcast.app

Julius

This site allows you to upload data and then to interact with it using an AI chatbot. I’m having a blast using it to chat with a spreadsheet of my recently graduated class’s application data!

julius.ai

Presentations.AI

Effortlessly build a beautiful presentation using AI with Presentations.AI. Type in a prompt and generate entire PPT presentations from scratch within seconds using AI. I have used this one a few times with great success.

www.presentations.ai

Simplebio

If you use LinkedIn and need a bio, this site will use your LinkedIn profile and subject it to AI to create a bio and then, if you choose, to create a website. A pretty cool tool with some interesting applications with students.

simplebio.co

Character Counter

This is a web tool for creating content. Paste content to extract text, then set a word or character target. If you go over your target, you can use the button below to condense the text to the target. The tool tracks and displays your text's length. If you exceed your target, the surplus text is highlighted in red, making it easy to edit. Perfect for those character-limited essays like on UCAS!

originality.ai/character-counter

Did you know that ChatGPT can help flesh out goals for you or for your students with a logical approach. While the prompt below may not yield the results you are looking for, consider reading more on this this link here! 

Help me create 3 goals for the upcoming academic year.

Take a few minutes and copy-and-paste this into ChatGPT to get some ideas! Give it a try! If you’d like to deeper into this prompt, follow this link.

This is my last week of vacation as my family and I will make our way back to São Paulo this weekend ahead of work beginning next Monday. I hope you all are able to enjoy whatever holiday time you have left. And I hope this newsletter provides a little inspiration for how you might incorporate some technology into your work in the coming months!

Happy counseling,

Jeff