Campfire Session — Summer 2025 Updates

Introduction • 00:00

• Lulu Gao introduces the session and agenda.

Ice-breaking news • 01:17

• A study in Nature evaluated AI tools' effectiveness. Knowledge acquisition efficacy was reported to be 5-9 percentage points higher than traditional tools.

• Interdisciplinary communication and creativity were improved by AI tools. However, critical thinking development was reported to be less pronounced.

• Universal principles for implementing AI tools were shared. Faculty co-design and iterative feedback loops were emphasized as essential.

Model upgrades • 07:42

• The models in Flint have been upgraded. The base LLM has changed from Claude Sonnet 3.7 to Claude Sonnet 4 for better coding support and reasoning.

• Image generation capabilities have improved with a switch to GPT image 1. This allows for better text rendering and image editing.

• Flint's assistant can now edit existing images. An example was shown where the assistant identified and annotated an image of a physics problem. The new image editing capabilities allow for removing and adding parts to images.

Builder chat saving • 13:15

• The ability to save activity-building chats is introduced. This feature allows users to document their inputs for future reference.

• Questions regarding the analytics section chats are addressed. It is confirmed that those chats do not save yet.

• Demo of the saved builder chats is shown.

Auto-naming of chats • 16:40

• Auto-naming for chats is now implemented. All chats will be automatically given a relevant name once the conversation has enough content to name.

Simplified workspace settings panel and SIS/LMS integration • 17:05

• Workspace settings and member management have been consolidated into a new panel called "Settings and members".

• The SIS and LMS integration flow has also been simplified. For more, check out last week's session on Workspace Management.

Introducing Sparky • 18:30

• New character Sparky is introduced as a teaching assistant. Flint is now the name of the platform and Sparky is the assistant.

Memories • 19:31

• Sparky can remember user preferences and profiles.

• Discussion on memory management for students is held. It is clarified that memories will affect both activities and individual chats.

• The process for creating new memories and viewing them is demonstrated.

Group-level learning goals • 26:30

• Group level learning goals are introduced as a new feature. This allows educators to set specific learning contexts for their classes. A demonstration of how to add these is provided.

• Sparky's access to campfire sessions is addressed. It is confirmed that Sparky does not have access to these sessions but can utilize help center documentation.

• Discussion on creating subgroups within classes occurs. A visual example of group settings is provided.

• Questions about subgroup creation and data import are addressed. Clarifications on how existing groups are managed during updates are provided.

• The functionality of syncing data with Learning Management Systems is clarified. It is explained that syncing must be manually triggered in Flint.

Live activity alerts • 40:01

• A new feature for live activity alerts is introduced. This feature allows teachers to see real-time updates on student engagement.

• Also for the sessions list, the system now automatically refreshes, improving user experience.

Google Drive integration • 44:00

• Google Drive integration is introduced for Flint. Users can now import files directly from their Google Drive accounts.

• The new input bar design is explained. Users can add documents and import files from Google Drive easily.

• Teachers are encouraged to use Flint for both in-class and at-home activities. The platform supports personalized learning and formative assessments.

Files and attachments reuse • 48:13

• Previously uploaded files and files created by Flint can now be easily added to new chats or activities in the attachment panel.

Feedback and Q&A • 49:29

• A collaborative student interaction model is proposed. Students could work in pairs or groups using the same chatbot.

• The potential for personalized student interactions is discussed. Students could identify themselves to enhance the chatbot's responses.

• Resources for building high school math activities are shared. Previous campfire sessions and a tools page are recommended.

• Feedback on summer updates was shared. Ideas for collaboration among teachers were discussed.

Conclusion • 56:01

• Plans for future sessions and newsletters were outlined. The recording of the session will be made available.

• A new Instagram account for teacher content was announced. The Flint community platform was promoted for educator collaboration.