Episode 7

Chalk Talk Straight Talk about AI

In this Episode

This episode features straight talk about AI, as co-hosts and founders of the Cleveland Teaching Collaborative, Dr. Molly Buckley-Marudas and Dr. Shelley Rose meet with three educators who are enthusiastic about opening discussions regarding the use, function, and innovations of artificial intelligence (AI). Melissa Clark, Becky Odom-Bartel, and Charles Ellenbogen come from various backgrounds to share their own experiences navigating the world of AI. We investigate the challenges, expectations, and implementation of AI through many different lenses, whether users come to these tools with curiosity, excitement, or anxiety. Based on their own experiences, these educators reveal various examples of AI’s potential to transform technology and computer science, increase accessibility for students, and promote inclusivity and diversity for discussions both inside- and outside- of the classroom. Tune in and join the conversations about AI and education!

Melissa Clark

Visiting Assistant Professor, Anthropology, Cleveland State University

Melissa Clark is a visiting assistant professor of anthropology at Cleveland State University, Facilitator of the Center for Faculty Excellence AI Faculty Learning Community, and AI faculty champion for CSU’s Tech Hub. She has bio-archeological fieldwork experience in Ireland, Croatia and Ohio and published a book with four colleagues entitled Introduction to Biological Anthropology (Top Hat, Toronto, Canada).

Becky Odom-Bartel

Assistant Professor of Computer Science Education, Cleveland State University

Rebecca Odom-Bartel (Becky)is an assistant professor in the College of Education and Public Affairs, Teacher Education department. Her research focuses on Computer Science Education. She is a graduate of the University of Alabama and has spent the last eight years working to advance computer science education in k-12 and college level settings. Her experience is both in college classrooms and secondary education classrooms teaching programming, web-design, CS methods, and robotics. Becky’s research is tied closely to her passion for CS education and has worked on multiple NSF CS4ALL and DOE EIR grants focusing on building pathways for pre-service and in-service teachers to become confident and strong CS teachers. Additionally, Becky works closely with several organizations and educational institutions to assist in the development of equitable and inclusive methods of teaching and sharing CS curriculum to high school and college students.

Charles Ellenbogen

English teacher and AVID coordinator at John Adams College and Career Academy in Cleveland’s Metropolitan School District

Charles Ellenbogen recently completed his 31st year of teaching. This includes 9 years of working with the International Baccalaureate program. He recently published a teaching memoir called This Isn’t the Movies. He taught at Baltimore City College High School from 2002-2005. This episode marks his return to the Cleveland Teaching Collaborative: he was a member of our first cohort of educators in 2020.

Links & References

aiedu.org, https://www.aiedu.org/
Benjamin, Ruha. Race after Technology: Abolitionist Tools for the New Jim Code. Medford, Ma: Polity, 2019.
Center for Computing Education and Instruction https://www.csuohio.edu/ccei/ccei
ChatGPT, https://chat.openai.com/
Artificial Intelligence in Teaching & Learning. Faculty Learning Community findings from 2023. https://pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu/teachingandlearning/part/ai/
Melissa Clark, “AI, Generative Production, & Accessibility” https://pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu/teachingandlearning/chapter/aiaccessibility/

This episode is dedicated to the Clark family.

Thank you to the Martha Holden Jennings Foundation for their generous support for the Chalk Talk Podcast!