Vicki Davis is a technology and Computer Science teacher since 2002 and has blogged at the Cool Cat Teacher blog since 2005. She podcasts at the 10 Minute Teacher Podcast and works to write helpful things for people passionate about teaching, technology, and personal success. She is Mom of three, wife of one, and has one cat and two dogs. She loves the outdoors, reading, and playing with tech.
I've been shocked at something. I kept getting incorrect definitions at the top of Google search (their generative AI) and from ChatGPT and perplexity so I started looking up definitions and including them in my show notes of all of my shows.
Table of Contents - Sept 9, 2025 Newsletter
Tips on creating graphics with AI
How teachers can be more assertive
The importance of kindergarten
Questions to ask EL learners when they join your classroom
Mastery based learning
Trauma informed discipline
How to create projects in ChatGPT, Claude, and Google Notebook LM
My presentation workflow using AI
Upcoming live stream this Thursday
Do you ever get away?
Here's the shocker. Guess how many definitions out of the ones from the past few weeks AI got correct.
Zero. Nada. None of them.
We've gone backwards. At least Google used to give a definition and a link at the top. ChatGPT gives me definitions and links, but the definitions aren't on those pages. Google just makes up the definitions and sometimes gives you links.
As we teach our students, I hope we're all wisely and intelligently using AI. I recently reported on error rates of AI which are as high as 30% and as low as 15%. I ask my students, "If you're not finding 15-20% errors or at least some of them with AI, why not? And if not, are you a human rubber stamp?"
What is the error rate of the AI models you're using?
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Tips on creating graphics with AI
Help me brainstorm 10 ideas for a speech I'm giving on ___ as the lead graphic that is repeated throughout the speech. Use the color scheme (insert it).
If you don't know what color scheme, go to Coolors and create one.
I usually use ChatGPT (Dall-E model is built in), and when I have the ideas for graphics I feed them into ChatGPT and into Midjourney and Gemini. ChatGPT has made the best graphics lately for me (and it can spell. Don't even try to use text in Midjourney.)
Once you're happy with the graphic. Prompt it to create a 16:9 graphic (if you're using ChatGPT) with the title of your speech on it.
Then, you may want to create additional graphics:
Of different racial backgrounds and hairstyles
Facing different directions
At a different place on the screen
This was a second version of the graphic I used as my dominant graphic for the speech last week. Often, AI doesn't give enough racial, age or hairstyle variety and you have to prompt for it.
Finally, if you want to make a graphic lighter or change a color, no matter what you create it in, I recommend using Google Gemini which has a model called nano banana. It will recolor in a quick minute.
You can also just create a standard background to use as well as I did below in ChatGPT.
This was a background I generated. I now use ChatGPT to generate custom graphics for the presentations I give.
πLook Ahead. Our mid-week show will be information I've pulled together to explain to my students and teachers how to understand AI as it relates to the first wrongful death suit against ChatGPT. They are all talking about it. Subscribe so you'll get that one when it releases.
The Power of Kindergarten with Isabelle C. Hauβ Isabelle shares why the early years are the foundation of everything else. She reminds us that relationships, play, and care in early childhood have lifelong impacts on learning, health, and well-being.
Questions Every Teacher Should Ask English Language Learners with Andrea Bittnerβ Andrea provides a simple but powerful framework of questions to ask new multilingual students. These questions build trust, honor identity, and help teachers better understand each childβs story.
Blended, Self-Paced, Mastery-Based Instruction with Robert Barnettβ Robert explains how the Modern Classrooms Project empowers teachers to reach every learner by combining videos, pacing flexibility, and mastery checks. Itβs not about replacing teachersβitβs about freeing them to build stronger relationships.
Trauma-Responsive Behavior Strategies with Joshua Stamperβ Josh shares how relationship-based approaches can transform behavior management. He reminds us that punishment alone doesnβt workβkids need connection, trust, and trauma-informed care.
πLook Ahead. This upcoming show on Wednesday at 4pm on WJDY 99.1 FM in Atlanta will start with the news and then we'll have Barbara Blackburn talk Rigor, Dr. Desiree Alexander talk time saving tips, Barb Flowers will share 3 Ways to Stress Less, and Maurie Beasley will talk about humor (and AI) in the classroom.
Next week I'll be ready to announce which FM and TVstations are picking up the show - we're over doubling our reach. Over 130K people (and climbing) each week tune in to Cool Cat Teacher Talk. That is amazing! We're having so much fun with the show!
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Thursday Deep Dive at Five
Every Thursday I have a "Deep Dive at 5." I've already shared:
Graphics Tools: Midjourney, DALL-E, and Google Gemini 2.5 Pro (Nano banana) comparison
What You'll Learn:
The Research Phase: How to use Perplexity Spaces for comprehensive research with proper citations
Training Data Creation: Building custom AI assistants with your own content
Model Testing: Why I test ChatGPT vs Claude for different tasks (spoiler: Claude won this round)
Prompt Stacking: Using one AI tool to write better prompts for another
Graphics Creation: Testing 3 different AI image generators and comparing results
Quality Control: Why you should expect to find 15-20% citation errors in AI research
My Key Takeaway:
AI is never neutral, but we can use it for good by testing models, discussing results, and maintaining deep knowledge about our topics. The goal isn't to replace human expertise but to enhance our ability to create meaningful content. We must look at AI with skepticism and apply what we know so that we can do and be more as human beings, if not, what's the point of AI at all?
πLook Ahead. This Thursday, I'll share how I use Game Based Learning to make my AP Computer Science Classroom high achieving and fun. You can follow on YouTube | Linked In | Facebook and it will notify you of the stream (and the recording you can listen to later.)
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Do you ever get away?
I don't get away. Enough, that is.
This past weekend my husband knew it was time. Time to get away for just a moment. It has been nonstop since July. And I needed it. He needed it.
Sure I have progress reports and so much more and so do you.
But we have to be human beings before we are human doings.
I do want to help you. But how can I if I'm not wise and don't help myself.
Sometimes in this career of teaching we couldn't afford to get away. But we have planned "staycation" weekends. And they've been sweet too. We planned it. We put our phones up. We shut down. We went quiet. We slept late. We said no.
So we could say yes to ourselves.
I do hope you're taking care of yourself. It is already September! So much is happening and life is busy. And no one will stop and tell you to take a deep breath unless you do.
Each moment is a gift. That's why we call it the present.
And you're a gift. To me, that is. Yes, you are.
If you've chosen to read and learn and share what I've shared, thank you. In December we'll celebrate 20 years since the Cool Cat Teacher blog started. It changed my life. And some of you have followed me for a long time and also taught me as well.
Thank you for that.
I still love my students. We still laugh. Honestly, I get upset less often. I've learned that so many things I used to think were big things were little things.
Do you have a story? Do you innovate like a turtle? Do you relate to educate? I'd love to hear your story, just reply to this email and tell me yours. I'm collecting them.
Teacher, Instructional Technology Coach, Wise and Effective Technology Use
Vicki Davis is a technology and Computer Science teacher since 2002 and has blogged at the Cool Cat Teacher blog since 2005. She podcasts at the 10 Minute Teacher Podcast and works to write helpful things for people passionate about teaching, technology, and personal success. She is Mom of three, wife of one, and has one cat and two dogs. She loves the outdoors, reading, and playing with tech.
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