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Today didn’t go badly, actually.
I was entrusted to teach my colleagues how they could use Gen-AI tools to write the testimonials of their graduating students. You can probably infer that writing testimonials is a dreaded chore for many teachers because of the level of rigour involved.
So I did several things to enliven the workshop. I wore my workplaces school uniform and used props to role-play a student so that my colleagues could use three personal qualities (PQ) to describe me. I also used the memory palace to great effect and got my colleagues to remember the seven parts of the testimonial: Intro, PQ, Academic, CCA, IEP, VIA & Conclusion.
I don’t think I have to explain the 7 parts. You just need to know that we Singaporeans rely heavily on acronyms to remember stuff, lol.
The ChatGPT aspect went okay too. So, I designed the prompt and colour-coded it with three colours so that my colleagues could replace it with the details of their student and get ChatGPT to generate a response. Because I was autocratic and insisted that my colleagues do it step by step with me, I think most of them knew how to effectively use the prompt at the end of the workshop.
Why this gnawing sense of dissatisfaction then? My head of department discovered another Gen-AI tool that was recently launched by GovTech, the government organisation in charge of propelling AI products. It was called Appraiser and boasted the ability for teachers to generate Multiple testimonials at once. Truly a game-changer. So the plan was to get teachers to use ChatGPT to generate a well-written testimonial once - and then use it as the sample for Appraiser to model after.
Subsequently, teachers just had to key in the details of their students into an Excel template. Once they uploaded it to Appraiser, they could go and have a cup of coffee and come back to have multiple testimonials waiting for them.
I guess I dropped the ball for this part. Teachers were confused about the transition from ChatGPT to Appraiser. Why did they have to grapple with two tools? What was the value-add of Appraiser? What did the work flow actually entail? I went around trying to clarify doubts, but due to the shortage of time, I feel that I might not have done a creditable job.
Now that I write it all down, my workshop didn’t seem to be a disaster lol. I guess I would learn from this experience and do better next time! Best not to dwell on it.
Would like to end this with some specific praise from my co-worker to massage my own ego lol:
Sensei was really good in explaining how to use AI for the SGC (School Graduation Certificate) and how to remember the sequence. After doing sgc just less than a year ago..i still dont rmb the sequence till today😂😂 but he was so effective in getting me to rmb it. truly an educator👍🏽💯
What is a "testimonial"? Who reads it, and why?
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Thanks for reading to the end haha. It made me realise that testimonials may not be available in other countries’ education systems.
We award students a testimonial that describes their achievements as well as positive qualities when they graduate from secondary school. That way, if employers and educators of higher institutes of learning wish to get a sense of how they were like in school, they can refer to the testimonial for ideas. Here’s a sample paragraph I generated with ChatGPT:
X is a dedicated and kind-hearted individual, known for his strong work ethic and caring nature. Always cheerful, he embodies the school's values of Sincerity, Honesty, Innovation, Network, and Excellence. In recognition of his exemplary qualities, X received the prestigious SHINE Award in Term 3 of 2022. Additionally, his outstanding display of values and civic responsibility earned him the Edusave Character Award in 2023. X sets a positive example for others with his commitment to both hard work and compassion.
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