The Cabazon Elementary School has been chosen as the test site for Merlyn Mind in the Banning Unified School District, an artificial intelligence (AI) software meant to automate classroom communications with technology and make lessons more engaging.
Second-grade teacher Anita Thao and first-grader instructor Krista Bautista began utilizing the Merlyn Mind technology in their classes in early October. The equipment allows teachers to move between applications, tabs, and tools on their computers without switching screens or using remote control through voice commands or intelligent remotes.
During social science and scientific lessons, Bautista and Thao have utilized Merlyn Mind for classroom management and student questions. They stated that several of the program’s shortcuts were useful when setting timers or controlling her computer from across the room.
“The students seem to be more interested in the lesson when Merlyn is involved because it pushes students to use their imagination and drives innovation,” Bautista said. “These tools allow me to move about the classroom, which drives engagement and allows me to monitor behavior during lessons. I look forward to teaching other instructors about the tool and its many benefits.”
“I’m looking forward to seeing our teachers using the Merlyn system in their classrooms in the coming months,” Cabazon Principal Dr. Ricky Anderson said.
“When I watched the team come out to demonstrate the functions to the two classrooms, I was amazed at the system’s capabilities. I look forward to the endless possibilities this system will bring our students and staff.”
Banning Unified School District hopes that the Merlyn Mind will be a great accessory tool that teachers can use to aid them in helping students learn and become more engaged with their lesson plans. The Merlyn Mind is excellent for games in the classroom as well.
“The Merlyn Mind is cool when you play hide and seek with it,” first-grader Kayden Navario said. “Someone will hide the remote and we can talk to it and the remote will give us clues to help us find it. It’s really fun and It also helps my teacher.”
What is the Merlyn Mind?
Merlyn mind is an AI-powered assistant that allows teachers to control different products in their classroom seamlessly and receive instructions on making the experience more engaging. For example, Merlyn Mind can do it remotely with voice instead of walking to the desk and activating a presentation manually.
Symphony classroom is an AI appliance that combines hardware, AI services, and software to support teachers in their classrooms. This unique solution features Merlyn, the world’s first digital assistant for education. It was designed to help teachers navigate all of the technology in their classrooms seamlessly and naturally, removing friction and frustration.
Symphony Classroom is powered by EdgeAI™ technology, which enables lightning-fast responsiveness and allows for an option to have speech processed locally. The AI software platform will enable Merlyn to respond to teacher commands, integrate with the devices and applications teachers already use, and constantly learn and improve the shortcuts Merlyn provides to help teachers with their work.
More appliances will feature the Merlyn mind, similar to how Google Home systems work with multiple technology assistants.
Educators around the country will be able to give feedback and send their data to help the software become more fluid and robust.
Student Hires Programs and AI
At Student Hires, we are committed to helping disadvantaged youth in our community become career-ready. Our college students lead our programs and provide hands-on learning. For example, we have courses on how students can manage their finances properly. Through AI, we can tailor each program to the individual needs of each teacher and student.
AI also allows us to keep track of student progress and provide support when needed. As a result, we work with schools that offer AI-powered programs and try to make things easier for everyone. If you are interested in learning more about our programs, check out the partner page.
Conclusion
New technology always comes with a certain level of unknowns and unease. But that doesn’t mean we should shy away from it. After all, some of the most incredible advances in human history came about because someone took a chance at something new.
With suitable precautions in place – like ensuring data privacy – there’s no reason artificial intelligence can’t benefit us in the classroom and beyond. So are you for or against using AI in schools? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!