Category Archives: Teaching

AI, Teaching, tutorial

Create your own Coloring Pages with AI

Coloring pages may bring to mind childhood afternoons filled with crayons, construction paper, and cartoon animals. But far from being just a nostalgic pastime, coloring has evolved into a multi-faceted educational and wellness tool. From preschool classrooms to graduate-level STEM programs, coloring pages are proving their worth in surprising and impactful ways.

The Foundations: Coloring in Early Education

Coloring has long held a valuable place in early childhood education. For Pre-K through elementary students, the benefits are well-documented:

  • Motor Skills Development: Gripping crayons and staying within lines strengthens hand muscles and improves fine motor control, which is foundational for writing.

  • Hand-Eye Coordination: Coloring encourages visual and spatial reasoning as children learn to coordinate sight and hand movement.

  • Color Recognition & Creativity: It’s an early introduction to color theory, symmetry, and emotional expression.

These early coloring activities aren’t just fun—they lay groundwork for cognitive and physical development that supports academic readiness.

Generated image showing a kids coloring page with mythical creatures

Coloring for Wellness: The Adult Coloring Book Trend

Coloring isn’t just for kids anymore. Over the past decade, adult coloring books have surged in popularity, often found alongside mindfulness journals and stress relief guides.

  • Mental Health Support: Coloring is meditative. It offers a structured yet creative outlet that helps reduce anxiety and promotes focus.

  • Digital Detox: In an age of constant screen time, analog activities like coloring offer a necessary and calming break.

  • Creativity for All: Adult coloring books span themes like architecture, nature, literature, and fantasy—inviting users to re-engage with play and imagination.

Generated image that says Mental Health Matters surrounding with fancy floral patterns to color in.

 

Coloring in Higher Education: A Study Tool with Serious Potential

What may surprise many is how coloring pages are being used as study tools in secondary and post-secondary education. When applied strategically, coloring supports memorization, spatial reasoning, and content engagement across disciplines:

Science and Medicine

  • Anatomy Diagrams: Coloring bones, muscles, and internal organs reinforces spatial understanding of the human body.

  • Biology Processes: Cellular structures, DNA replication cycles, and taxonomies become more tangible when color-coded.

  • Chemistry: Molecular diagrams, periodic tables, and lab safety signs are easier to recall when visually and kinesthetically processed.

Neuroscience and Psychology

  • Brain Mapping: Coloring different lobes and functional areas supports recall and understanding of cognitive pathways.

  • Behavioral Models: Reinforce theories like Maslow’s hierarchy or Pavlovian conditioning using symbolic visuals.

 

behaviour coloring example

Geography and History

  • Map Coloring: Students studying political boundaries, biomes, or historical trade routes engage more deeply by physically interacting with the content.

  • Historical Timelines: Color-coded eras or civilizations help clarify chronology and cultural evolution.

Engineering and Architecture

  • Mechanical Diagrams: For fields like mechanical, civil, or electrical engineering, coloring gears, circuits, or CAD printouts helps students see system relationships.

  • Blueprints and Drafts: Color can be used to identify materials, stress points, or workflow systems.

Fine Arts and Humanities

  • Masterpiece Studies: Recoloring works by Van Gogh or Kandinsky helps students internalize techniques, palettes, and emotional tones.

  • Literature & Language: Use thematic coloring to analyze character development, plot structures, or vocabulary clusters.

coloring example of protein folding

 

 

Why Coloring Works as a Cognitive Tool

  • Multisensory Learning: Coloring combines visual, tactile, and kinesthetic inputs—an ideal blend for many learners.

  • Memory Encoding: The act of choosing and applying color helps encode information more deeply than passive reading.

  • Pattern Recognition: Regularly coloring systems or diagrams builds a strong visual memory for complex patterns.

By using AI to generate custom coloring pages, we can now move far beyond cartoon animals and into a world of personalized learning, interactive study tools, and mindful relaxation—all tailored to age, subject, and interest.

Here is a step by step example of using Chat GPT for making your own coloring pages:

Chat GPT opening prompt, "What can I help with?" showing the icon to upload a file.

Click the + sign in the prompt text entry window.

expanded mouse hover over + view

Click Add photos and files

Image of the attached photo with prompt "please make this into a coloring page for me"screenshot showing the photo with the returned coloring page.

Click share (the arrow going up)

screenshot showing share options Copy Link and Download

(You can also drag photos/illustration to the prompt window and drag them back out to your desktop when they are finished being created if that works for you.)

accessibility, Teaching

LaTeX and Accessibility

This is an example of what LaTeX can look like:

a sample of latex

When I drop it (the image, not the LaTeX code) onto ChatGPT 4o, I get the following text:

“This image contains mathematical equations written in LaTeX format, specifically related to quantum mechanics. The equations involve wavefunctions (ψm\psi_m), coefficients (Cn(t)C_n(t)), Hamiltonians (H1H_1), and time evolution expressions.

Key elements:

  1. The Schrödinger equation in the interaction picture.
  2. Expansion in terms of basis states ψn\psi_n.
  3. The time evolution of coefficients Cn(t)C_n(t).
  4. Matrix elements of the perturbation Hamiltonian H1H_1.
  5. The final boxed equation represents the differential equation governing Cn(t)C_n(t), which is common in time-dependent perturbation theory.

Would you like me to extract and format this in LaTeX for better readability?”

and when I answer yes, I get this:

“Here is the LaTeX code for the equations in your image:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{amsmath}

\begin{document}

\begin{equation}
\langle \psi_m | \times \left( i\hbar \sum_n \dot{C}_n(t)e^{-iE_n^{(0)}t/\hbar} | \psi_n \rangle = \sum_n H_1 C_n(t)e^{-iE_n^{(0)}t/\hbar} | \psi_n \rangle \right)
\end{equation}

\begin{equation}
i\hbar \sum_n \dot{C}_n(t)e^{-iE_n^{(0)}t/\hbar} \delta_{m,n} = \sum_n C_n(t)e^{-iE_n^{(0)}t/\hbar} \langle \psi_m | H_1 | \psi_n \rangle
\end{equation}

\begin{equation}
i\hbar \dot{C}_m(t) = \sum_n C_n(t)e^{i(E_m^{(0)} – E_n^{(0)})t/\hbar} \langle \psi_m | H_1 | \psi_n \rangle
\end{equation}

\begin{equation}
\boxed{ \dot{C}_m(t) = -\frac{i}{\hbar} \sum_n C_n(t)e^{i\omega_{mn}t} \langle \psi_m | H_1 | \psi_n \rangle }
\end{equation}

\end{document}

Explanation:

  • The equations describe the time evolution of coefficients Cn(t)C_n(t) in quantum mechanics.
  • The boxed equation is a common result in time-dependent perturbation theory.
  • The notation ⟨ψm∣H1∣ψn⟩\langle \psi_m | H_1 | \psi_n \rangle represents the matrix elements of the perturbation Hamiltonian.

You can compile this LaTeX code in Overleaf or any LaTeX editor to reproduce the formatted output. Let me know if you need modifications! 😊”

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–
To go into more detail about producing this type of content in a manner that is most friendly to screen readers:

When it comes to LaTeX accessibility, the most recommended tool is Pandoc, which allows you to convert your LaTeX documents into HTML with MathML support, ensuring screen readers can interpret mathematical content effectively; this is considered the best way to make LaTeX documents accessible, especially for complex math equations. 

Key points about using Pandoc for LaTeX accessibility:
  • Conversion to HTML:
    Pandoc can convert your LaTeX file directly into HTML, which is generally better supported by screen readers than native PDF output from LaTeX.
  • MathML support:
    When converting to HTML, Pandoc can translate your LaTeX math expressions into MathML, a standard format for representing mathematical notation that is well-read by screen readers.
  • Cross-platform compatibility:

    Pandoc is available across various operating systems, making it widely accessible. 

Other considerations for LaTeX accessibility:
  • Alt text:
    Always provide descriptive alt text for images and figures within your LaTeX document.
  • Semantic structure:
    Use appropriate LaTeX commands for headings, lists, and other structural elements to improve screen reader navigation.
  • Metadata inclusion:
    Add relevant metadata like document title, author, and keywords to enhance accessibility. 

 

Given this information, I went back to ChatGPT and asked if it could render it into html for me.  It gave me this code:

”

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang=”en”>
<head>
<meta charset=”UTF-8″>
<meta name=”viewport” content=”width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0″>
<title>Quantum Mechanics Equations</title>
<script type=”text/javascript” async
src=”https://polyfill.io/v3/polyfill.min.js?features=es6″>
</script>
<script type=”text/javascript” async
src=”https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/mathjax@3/es5/tex-mml-chtml.js”>
</script>
</head>
<body>

<h2>Quantum Mechanics Equations</h2>

<p>
\[
\langle \psi_m | \times \left( i\hbar \sum_n \dot{C}_n(t)e^{-iE_n^{(0)}t/\hbar} | \psi_n \rangle = \sum_n H_1 C_n(t)e^{-iE_n^{(0)}t/\hbar} | \psi_n \rangle \right)
\]
</p>

<p>
\[
i\hbar \sum_n \dot{C}_n(t)e^{-iE_n^{(0)}t/\hbar} \delta_{m,n} = \sum_n C_n(t)e^{-iE_n^{(0)}t/\hbar} \langle \psi_m | H_1 | \psi_n \rangle
\]
</p>

<p>
\[
i\hbar \dot{C}_m(t) = \sum_n C_n(t)e^{i(E_m^{(0)} – E_n^{(0)})t/\hbar} \langle \psi_m | H_1 | \psi_n \rangle
\]
</p>

<p>
\[
\boxed{ \dot{C}_m(t) = -\frac{i}{\hbar} \sum_n C_n(t)e^{i\omega_{mn}t} \langle \psi_m | H_1 | \psi_n \rangle }
\]
\]
</p>

</body>
</html>”

which when copied into a index.html file looks like this:

 

picture of the html render of the latex example.

Which I believe looks just like the original image:

a sample of latex

 

What is the point?  This started with a picture and ended with screen readable html.

 We can do this lift.

one more thing….

I tried to find handwritten math notes online and had a really difficult time.  Most everything that came up was stock images.  So I ended up drawing out the last line of the above formula.

handdrawn math from the same formula we were using before.

 

Dropping this onto ChatGPT gave me this:

The handwritten equation in the image appears to be:

a screen shot of the result of the interpretation

which also gave me the html code resulting in:

screen shot of the html code

Feel free to send me handwritten notes to play with!

 

 

assessment, Teaching, tutorial, Uncategorized

Brightspace: Advanced Assessments

Previously Titled: New Feature in Brightspace: Graders and Grade Release Permissions

 

Step by Step Advance Assessments

Create an assignment in Brightspace

Go to the Evaluations & Feedback side panel and expand it to see the options.

visual of side panels associated with assignements

expanded evaluation & feedback vidual

These options, depending on what you pick, reveal additional options.

Click on Select Evaluators (you can choose from the people enrolled in your course with a grading permissions role.)

picture of the select evaluators area of brightspace

Choose how evaluations will process with multiple evaluators.  You can choose between:

  • All evaluators work on the same evaluation together. Publishers release this evaluation to learners.
  • Evaluators work on their own evaluations separately. Publishers aggregate results into one final evaluation and release it to learners.

screenshot of the stated evaluation options

IF you have multiple evaluators: Allocate Evaluators to Learners (select which graders will grade which students)

 

the pull down menu lets you choose from

  • Allocate all evaluators to every learner
  • Randomly allocate 1 evaluator to every learner evenly

screenshot of the allocation methods

You can manually finese these generic selections by using the Evaluator Allocations options area and checking or unchecking students for a given evaluator.

If you have new students come in to the course, Brightspace will follow the automatic allocation method you picked for the new learner enrollments.

Choose publishers:

screenshot of the select publishers area

 

Important: It’s best to configure these settings when creating your assignment. If that’s not possible, make any necessary adjustments before receiving submissions. Once a student has been graded, these settings become locked and cannot be changed. Additionally, if submissions exist but no students have been graded, removing all evaluators will permanently disable advanced assessment features. This means grading will revert to the standard assignment process as it existed before these features were introduced to Brightspace.

 

 

notebooklm icon to indicate chat featureChat with my Advanced Assessments NotebookLM about this subject if you have any questions. You must use your SBU gmail to use this feature. (I am learning how to do this and may need to add each person who wants to use this chat. Feel free to reach out with a request if that turns out to be the case.)

 

Deep Dive by NotebookLM: Listen to the Audio here.

 

assessment, Teaching

Brightspace had a conference: Fusion Highlights and Followup

Highlights:

  • Achievement Plus Product Tour, September 10, 3-3:45pm EST (register here)
information, Teaching

Brightspace March updates

As with the February Brightspace release, the March 2024 release is also on the smaller side, however, I did want to highlight 2 of the items in the update here. This release is scheduled to be deployed on the evening of March 14th, 2024. The full release notes can be found here: https://community.d2l.com/brightspace/kb/articles/25427-march-2024-20-24-3

The two features highlighted in this email do not require any updates to permissions or enabling of variables.

Brightspace Editor – Consistent link creation with the ability to choose link format:

 

Inserting a link into the Brightspace Editor opens the Add Link dialog, allowing users to determine if their links open in a new window (default) or in the current window, as well as to add text to their link. This provides users with a consistent workflow and control over how links respond in their content.

Add Link opens when inserting links with the context menu or with the keyboard shortcut ctrl+K or command+K:

Additionally, the dialog includes a new Insert Quicklink option, allowing for users to insert a Quicklink:

[Note: a quicklink is a link to another location in your course and it will not break if you copy it forward to other courses.]

The same Link, Text, and Open In options are displayed whether adding a Link or Quicklink, which helps ensure a consistent link creation workflow:

Finally – this feature updates the icons shown in the Insert Quicklink menu so that they all have the same visual style.

In summary, previously, adding links had different field options and behaviors based on how the link was being added to the course. This updates makes the adding link menus consistent across all areas where this can be done.

I encourage you to read the full release notes for this specific update, located here: https://community.d2l.com/brightspace/kb/articles/25427-march-2024-20-24-3#brightspace-editor-consistent-link-creation-with-the-ability-to-choose-link-format-updated

Quizzes – Improved experience for generating quiz reports:

This release introduces a better experience for instructors when running and exporting quiz reports with large amounts of data:


  1.  As an instructor, select a Quiz inManage Quizzes> Statistics.
  2. Select one of the tabs on the top of the page:3. After selecting the desired tab, click either Export option (CSV or Excel)

Upon doing this, a new window appears with a message indicating that the report is being generated:

4. When the report is done being generated, users will be alerted via the Bell icon. Clicking the alert will bring them to the screen to download the report.

Previously, clicking either export button would open a new window and depending on the size of the report, it could hang, freeze or even time-out altogether. This new method of report generation prevents this from happening.

A note about Brightspace updates:

Brightspace uses a Continuous Delivery model for monthly updates and SUNY is part of “Wave 3” on the update schedule. Please see this Wave Schedule for the date range of when an update will be deployed: https://community.d2l.com/brightspace/kb/articles/1048-wave-schedule. Current, past and future release notes can also be located in the sidebar of this page.

Teaching

PointSolutions Workshops (Clickers)

assessment, Teaching, tutorial

Open Workshops for polling/clickers today

Echo360 (which bought Turning Technologies) will be on campus today (9/12/23) to run two workshops and to assist walkup students with their clickers/mobile licenses.  Workshops are in the Faculty Center in the Melville Library 10-11 and 3-4 (beginner and advanced).  Students should go  to the SINC site for the walk up assistance.

 

Teaching, tutorial

Brightspace – Managing Restrictions in Discussions with Groups

If you want to have discussion boards used in  your class, and also use groups in such a way that members of different groups do not see each others posts… rather they only see the posts from their own group in the discussion board – these are the steps you follow.

Please note that these are steps that should be taken before the discussion board has any posts.

Go to Groups:

Set up your Groups, by creating a Group Category:  I used the # of groups “Enrollment Type” option.

Click Save.

Go to Discussions:

*This assumes you already have the discussion boards in place.*

Use the drop down to the right of the Topic name to “Edit Topic”.

Go to “Availability Dates & Conditions” on the right hand part of the screen.

Click on “Manage Restrictions”.

Select “Restrict Topic and Separate Threads” Users in the selected groups/sections can view this topic but will only see threads from their group/section.

It is possible to have multiple Group Categories and Course sections to chose from.   You will probably have only one Group Category.

Click Add.  Click Save and Close.

 

You should now see under the topic name an indication that Group/section restrictions have been applied.

 

 

 

 

adaptive learning, Teaching

ALEKS (McGraw Hill) added to Brightspace.

As you know, many items can be added to the basic Brightspace experience.  For a full list of the current “add ons” – you can look here: https://it.stonybrook.edu/help/kb/brightspace-add-onsltis

ALEKS is a product made by McGraw Hill “ALEKS is a research-based, online learning program that offers course products for Math, Chemistry, Statistics, and more. Rooted in 20 years of research and analytics, ALEKS is a proven, online learning platform that helps educators and parents understand each student’s knowledge and learning progress in depth, and provides the individual support required for every student to achieve mastery.” Right now it is being used in some Chemistry classes here at SBU.

Any additional instructors interested in using this should feel free to reach out and let us know so that we may turn it on for your course.

To locate these tools inside of Brightspace, you would go to Content, find or create the module that you want your link to appear within, and then go to Existing Activities search through the list to see if what you are looking for is there and if not, click on External Learning Tools for access the more items.  Make sure to click on the link to the tool after creating it to assure that it is fully configured for your class.

 

 

Teaching, tests, tutorial, Uncategorized

Need to regrade a finished quiz?

If you realized after the fact that a quiz/exam assessment had an error – just fixing the question will let you know that it will only affect future users who take the exam.  You should still correct it there, but in order to regrade, we need to do something else.

Go to the Exams/Quizzes area.  Find the assessment that had the problem.  Click on the dropdown menu to the right of the name of the assessment.  Click on Grade.

 

 

 

Now click on Questions

Check the radio button for Update all attempts.  Find the Question that had an issue.

Clicking on the question will give you a break down of how it was answered and shows what was graded as correct.

Here you can choose whether to give every one points, or just give points to the people who answers in the desired manner.

Click Save.