Education 679: Blended Learning Experiences for Students in Urban Schools

Blended Learning Technology Presentation

How can schools utilize Amazon Web Services' Artificial Intelligence tools 1). keep schools safer and 2.) develop students' MIL skills?

On this webpage, I present two Amazon Web Services (AWS) based applications that use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to identify harmful online student behaviors, such as cyberbullying, mental health crisis, and campus threats. I also present ways that teachers can introduce students to AWS without the high costs and risks of traditional AWS accounts.

This presentation mentions, but does not go into detail, topics such as self-harm, suicide, and school violence. Please proceed with caution.

Why AWS?

AWS is a system of resources (cloud) that is used for data storage, websites, gaming, robotics, social media apps, and much more. It is the largest cloud infrastructure in the world. Educational companies such as Pearson, Blackboard, and Clever already utilize AWS services for functions such as administrative tasks, media processing, and storing private data. AWS has several powerful AI and machine learning programs that hold huge potential benefits for students and educators alike.

AWS Applications Overview

Application Uses
Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2)
Launching and configuring instances (virtual web servers)
Relational Database Service (RDS)
Database management tasks (set-up, operating, scaling) and administrative tasks (failure detection, backup, recovery)
Elastic Block Store (EBS)
Block storage
SageMaker
Build, train, and deploy machine-learning models

Saasyan

QR code for company webpage

Saasyan is a cloud-based online safety platform that runs via AWS EC2 and EBS. According to an AWS article, Saasyan uses AI to "monitor and analyze web searches, website visits, videos, chat, email, images, and documents" for "cyberbullying, self-harm, threats of violence, online grooming, and image-based abuse" (AWS, 2023). Saasyan can monitor up to 100,000 messages and logs per second.

Image Courtesy of Assure Technical and Security Overview

Schools That Use Saasyan

Lightspeed Systems

QR code for company webpage

Lightspeed Systems is a set of digital products designed to monitor students' online activity, increase student engagement, and make managing digital devices easier for teachers and administration. Lightspeed runs on AWS EC2, RDS, Simple Storage Service (S3), Lamda, as well as advanced AI technology.

Product Description
Lightspeed Filter Uses an AI generated database to filter and block websites
Lightspeed Alert Patented AI techonology identifies online threats of violence, self-harm, and suicide
Lightspeed Classroom Management Allows teachers to monitor student screens, detect inapproriate online behavior, and analyze classroom engagement
Lightspeed Digital Insight Allows IT specialists to monitor digital privacy, identify students with internet access issues, and monitor how school applications are being used
Lightspped Mobile Device Management Remotely manage student devices, recover lost or stolen devices, ensure devices adhere to school policies

School districts that use Lightspeed Systems

AWS Educate

Students can use AWS to build websites, games, and machine learning programs. If a student pursues a career in technology, he or she will most likely interact with AWS at some point. However, allowing a student to create a traditional AWS account is risky because it is easy to spend money without realizing it. Fortunately, there are many educational programs that introduce students to AWS with the appropriate safeguards.

Programs:

These programs allow students to access, learn and familiarize themselves with the many tools of AWS. They also allow teachers to take advantage of the AI programs and applications developed on AWS. There are many resources on AWS that have the potential to benefit students, and the ones mentioned here represent a tiny sample of what's available.

You can find my reference page here.

Created By Elizabeth Wan

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