Tech-Neill-ogy #83 - 23 February 2025

Your Weekly Guide to Leveraging Technology in College Counseling

Author

Jeffrey Neill
February 24, 2025

Welcome to Tech-Neill-ogy #83!

I hope this finds all of you doing well. Lots of chaotic stories in the news with the potential to impact the field of college counseling. That said, there is plenty of work to keep us preoccupied. We are in the midst of our grade 11 college counseling classes while about to kick-off the course selection process for grade 10 students. We have Carnival break (~spring break) next week, so I am looking forward to some R&R.

Anyway, enjoy this week’s newsletter!

In the age of gen AI upskilling, learn and let learn

Effective, sustainable use of gen AI requires a flexible training program within a culture that values collective, continuous learning.

venturebeat.com/ai/in-the-age-of-gen-ai-upskilling-learn-and-let-learn

The 7 best AI presentation makers in 2025 | Zapier

We spent a month testing all the best presentation software, focusing on the ones that use AI the best. Based that testing, these are the best AI presentation apps.

zapier.com/blog/best-ai-presentation-maker

The Future Is Human: 5 Career Skills Schools Must Prioritize Now

As a parent of two teenagers, I think a lot about the world they’re stepping into—one that looks vastly different from the one I prepared for when I was in school. As an educator and school leader, I also think about the thousands of students we are shaping in our schools right now.

www.linkedin.com/pulse/future-human-5-career-skills-schools-must-prioritize-now-dominguez-xyk7c

Google’s New AI Tutor LearnLM Is Trained On Learning Science and It Shows

I tested Google LearnLM and it’s the best AI tool for teaching that I’ve seen.

www.techlearning.com/how-to/googles-new-ai-tutor-learnlm-is-trained-on-learning-science-and-it-shows

ChatGPT’s Political Views Are Shifting Right, a New Analysis Finds

While the chatbot still seems to lean left on many issues, its bias is changing.

gizmodo.com/chatgpts-political-views-are-shifting-right-a-new-analysis-finds-2000562328

(A)dmissions (I)ntelligence

Transform Your College Essay with Expert-Trained AI Feedback. Get personalized feedback powered by AI trained on insights from former admissions officers within 24 hours.

admissionsintelligence.ai

Eloovor - AI Career Coach

AI-powered career coaching platform that helps you find the right job faster.

www.eloovor.com

Kounslr - Maximize Your High School and College Potential

Built by students, for students. Track your progress through high school, generate optimized school lists, streamline essay writing, and demystify the college application process. Create an account and start today.

kounslr.com

‎Reflect - Track Anything

‎Reflect: Track Anything, Run Experiments, Gain Insights Reflect is the ultimate app for tracking anything in your life, conducting self-experiments, setting goals and building habits, and gaining valuable insights from your data. Whether you want to monitor your mood, symptoms, habits, productivity…

apps.apple.com/us/app/reflect-track-anything/id6463800032

Refound | Leadership Development Platform

Become The Leader Your Team Is Waiting For with AI Leadership Coaching. Refound is the place where leaders go to uplevel their people skills and challenge themselves to grow.

refound.com

Here’s a third prompt by Traci Flowers from Deerfield Park, Illinois, another following the “hidden gems” pursuit for students: 

Can you provide a list of colleges that feel like 'hidden gems'—places where students might say, 'I’d never heard of this school, but it’s perfect for me'? I’m looking for schools with unique academic programs, a strong sense of community, and excellent outcomes for graduates, especially in [field or interest]. The list should avoid 'big brand' names and instead highlight schools with character, accessibility, and opportunities for students to stand out.

Give it a try! I gave each of the last three a try with different students, and the prompts produced great results. That said, 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

This week, I have been spending a lot of time reflecting on two different non-tech articles, and I figured I would share them both. First, this one:

7 Learning Myths Your Students Probably Believe

From left- and right-brain thinking to the notion that talent beats persistence, these common myths can hinder student learning. Here’s how teachers can help.

www.edutopia.org/article/learning-myths-students-believe

I continue to be struck, not necessarily by student misunderstandings of learning myths but rather by educators perpetuating them. The myth of learning styles is constantly popping up!

And here’s the second from Adam Grant:

The Case for Reading Fiction

Novels do more to build empathy than TV, movies, and nonfiction.

adamgrant.substack.com/p/the-case-for-reading-fiction

I particularly like this part: “It turns out that if you want to gain insight into other people’s thoughts, feelings, and motives, reading fiction typically beats nonfiction. Fiction is also better for enhancing empathy than watching TV and movies. Across 70 experiments, novels did more to boost concern for and understanding of others.”

Happy counseling!

Jeff