Tech-Neill-ogy #81 - 9 February 2025

Your Weekly Guide to Leveraging Technology in College Counseling

Author

Jeffrey Neill
February 10, 2025

Welcome to Tech-Neill-ogy #81!

It’s always interesting to me to see the growth of the newsletter. Some weeks there are no new subscribers, but then there are weeks like last with 12 from seemingly all over the world. I’m intrigued to know where new subscribers learned of my newsletter…

In any case, I hope that the Eagles fans out there are happy and hat the Chiefs fans aren’t taking it too hard. Fun game to watch at least…

I’m working on a few new projects and hope to share one of them next week, a student’s toolbox for using AI in the college application process. We’ll see how it turns out. That said, it is mock exam week for our seniors here at Graded, and we are doing our best to support them. (See more on Instagram.) I’m off to Rio tomorrow for a side project for a few days.

Anyway, enjoy this week’s newsletter!

Embracing AI: Are You a Doomer, Gloomer, Zoomer, or Bloomer?

LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman talks about the four ways people relate to AI, and why all will need to participate in our AI-powered future.

knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/embracing-ai-are-you-a-doomer-gloomer-zoomer-or-bloomer

What exactly is an AI agent? | TechCrunch

Regardless of how they're defined, the agents are for helping complete tasks in an automated way with as little human interaction as possible.

techcrunch.com/2024/12/15/what-exactly-is-an-ai-agent

Top 20 Profitable AI Business Ideas in 2024 | ClickUp

Check out various AI business ideas. Learn the impact of AI, its challenges, and the benefits of implementing AI in your business operations.

clickup.com/blog/ai-business-ideas

Skilled Trades Embrace AI As Enabling Education Technology

While a disrupting force in many areas, AI is an enabling technology for skilled trades education and a vital component of what is being learned and how it is learned.

www.forbes.com/sites/rayravaglia/2025/02/03/skilled-trades-embrace-ai-as-enabling-education-technology

New Book Says There’s More to Holding Students’ Attention Than Silencing Phones

From the myth of multitasking to ‘attention contagion,’ high school teacher Blake Harvard hopes to arm educators with the tools of cognitive science.

www.the74million.org/article/new-book-says-theres-more-to-holding-students-attention-than-silencing-phones

Natura Umana - the Future of Human-Machine Interaction

Join Natura Umana: Revolutionary AI platform offering personalized, always-on AI companions through HumanPods and NatureOS. First access to transformative voice-based technology that reimagines human-machine interaction.

www.naturaumana.ai/?referralCode=czia099&refSource=copy

Voice Coach

Speak Confidently with AI Conversation Practice

www.voice.coach

Listening: Text to Speech for Academic Papers | Listening

Create a revolutionary study experience by listening to academic research on the go. Embark on a new learning adventure—try it free today!

www.listening.com

Meco: The #1 newsletter aggregator | Declutter your inbox

Meco app is your space to read newsletters outside the inbox. Add your newsletters in seconds and liberate your inbox today.

meco.app

Sendspark | Record and Share Personalized Videos

Build relationships with personalized videos. Get started for free.

www.sendspark.com

I received some very helpful prompts from subscriber Tracy Flowers. I think that they are great. Here’s one: 

I’m looking for colleges that are less well-known but offer exceptional opportunities in [specific field or major, e.g., environmental science, theater, engineering]. Please include smaller or regional schools, hidden gems, or colleges with unique programs that might not be on the typical 'big name' list. The list should focus on [desired location or region, e.g., the Midwest, Southeast] and consider [specific priorities, e.g., affordability, hands-on learning opportunities, diversity, or strong alumni networks]. Please exclude highly selective institutions and emphasize schools with accessible admissions and strong academic or extracurricular programs in [field/major].

I love the approach here, encouraging the chatbot to think a bit differently about the search, including “hidden gems.” Give it a try! If you have any great prompts or ideas, please share! Send me a note at [email protected].

iVisa

Say goodbye to your visa processing worries and say hello to effortless travel! With iVisa, you can be sure of a smooth journey. Give iVisa a go. You’ll only regret not using it before.

HTTP://share.ivisa.com/6G3rVP

FREE PD Micro-credentials

Rapid AI for Learning courses have a Human Centred AI approach and a unique framework we call REARI.  We encourage our learners to implement AI Tools into their practice using the methodology RESEARCH, EVALUATE. APPLY, REVIEW, IMPROVE

ai4l.com.au/collections/free-pd-micro-credentials

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

AI, Access, and Accountability: Ethical Issues in College Admissions — AI in College Admissions

As AI becomes an integral part of the college admissions process, questions about ethics, transparency, and fairness are more urgent than ever. This panel event will bring together thought leaders and practitioners to explore the ethical complexities of AI in admissions.

www.edhub.ai/events/20250228-ethics-of-ai-in-college-admissions

Navigating College Applications with AI: Insights from the Latest Research — AI in College Admissions

Join us for an engaging webinar that explores groundbreaking findings from the latest research report, Navigating College Applications with AI.

www.edhub.ai/events/20250318-navigating-college-applications-with-ai-research-insights

For this week’s non-tech article, try this one on for size:

Students Pour Their Hearts Into College Admissions. Do Schools Care?

The college application process is arguably one of the most significant financial investments anyone makes in their life.

www.forbes.com/sites/vinaybhaskara/2025/02/04/students-pour-their-hearts-into-college-admissions-do-schools-care

Some food for thought: “While students invest significant time—60 to 200 hours— into their college applications, admissions teams often have about 90 seconds or less to review them on the first round.” Not anything we didn’t know, but a great article. Enjoy!

Happy counseling!

Jeff