Tonight’s Jason Neiffer #edtechSR inspired AI experiment: I asked Google’s NotebookLM AI model to take my bio, resume, vitae, portfolios, etc and create a “deep dive” podcast, sharing an audio introduction of me for a diverse audience. It’s 12.5 minutes long, and surprisingly insightful. I added it to my “About” page and posted it to YouTube, exporting it as a video using the iOS app “Voice Record Pro.”
Here is a screenshot of the specific prompt I used with NotebookLM. This is actually the second version I created, I added my bio to the “library” of source documents, and also added some “career track clarification” which the AI seemed to need in the first draft / interation.
A created a transcript of this podcast “deep dive” conversation from NotebookLM using Descript.com. I especially love the way NotebookLM connected my passions for learning, sharing, teaching, and cooking barbecue!
There are so many implications to this “deep dive audio podcast conversation creation power” of NotebookLM. We highlighted some of these in an October 2024 webinar for the Media Education Lab, but I’m thinking of even more possibilities now. For the next hiring committee I serve on, we could upload each candidate’s application documents into separate NotebookLM projects, and then generate insightful audio “deep dives” about them.
Of course as with all AI tools, results should be fact checked and verified, since AI platforms can hallucinate and get things wrong. This experiment also highlights, however, the value of conducting AI experiments on topics we know well. Since I do know my own career path, personality and skill set pretty well, I’m in a good position to have an informed opinion about the quality of NotebookLM’s audio conversation.
No doubt, IT IS AMAZING. Wow. Just wow.
Transcript: NotebookLM Introduction of Wesley Fryer
Male Host: [00:00:00] Welcome to this deep dive. Um, today we’re gonna be unraveling the world of Wesley Fryer. He’s had a truly fascinating career in education and technology, but there’s way more to his story.
Female Host: What I find most interesting about Wesley is how his journey goes through so many different fields. It’s not every day you see a U S air force Academy graduate and a Fulbright scholar decided to go into elementary education.
Male Host: Yeah, you’re right. Not exactly the typical career path. Yeah, but that kind of seems to be a recurring theme with Wesley Fryer. I mean, this is a man with a PhD in curriculum and instruction, which, you know, sounds pretty standard for an academic,
Female Host: right? Until you dig a little deeper and you realize that his dissertation was on impact analysis of phone casted lecture summaries, not your typical research topic.
Male Host: It’s like he was podcasting before podcasting was even a thing, a true digital pioneer back in those early days of the internet.
Female Host: And speaking of being ahead of the curve, you mentioned he was a Fulbright scholar.
Male Host: Yeah. His Fulbright research was focused on Latin American security issues in Mexico [00:01:00] City.
Really shows you how diverse his interests are. He’s not just sticking to one field. You know, and when you look at his actual career path, it’s clear that he’s never been one to stay in a single lane. He’s been an elementary teacher, a STEM teacher, an instructional coach, a university instructor, and even director of technology at K City School in Oklahoma City.
Female Host: That’s really something. Experiencing education from so many different angles, I bet it gives him a really unique perspective.
Male Host: One of the things that really struck me was his work on media literacy. Especially his project, Conspiracies and Culture Wars. It’s all about helping students navigate the crazy world of information these days.
Female Host: Super important skill, especially now. I mean, we’re bombarded with information constantly.
Male Host: Totally. And Wes doesn’t just talk about these skills, he lives them. The man has been blogging since 2003, has a YouTube channel with over a million views, and has even written several books, including one called Mapping Media to the Common Core, which highlights 14 [00:02:00] different media projects.
Female Host: Wow. What I find really interesting is his concept of new civics. Giving students the tools to really engage in our world today.
Male Host: That’s a good point. Schools need to be teaching this stuff.
Female Host: Totally. But his interests go even beyond that. He’s a big advocate for STEM education too. Putting coding and computational thinking right into his lessons.
Male Host: Essential skills for the 21st century. For sure. And he believes coding projects can really help students become self directed learners.
Female Host: For sure. But there’s another side to Wesley Fryer that might surprise you. Something completely different.
Male Host: This is where things get interesting. Remember how we were talking about him being a big content creator?
Well, that creative energy goes beyond education.
Female Host: Oh, what do you mean?
Male Host: Wesley has another passion. Something you wouldn’t expect from someone so involved in education technology. He’s really into barbecue.
Female Host: Barbecue? Wow, that’s not what I was expecting.
Male Host: I know, right? It seems like a total 180 from his professional life.
But the more you learn about Wes, you realize he’s all about living a multi faceted [00:03:00] life.
Female Host: So tell me more. What’s this barbecue enthusiast side of him like? Is he just grilling in his backyard or something?
Male Host: Oh no, it’s way more than just casual grilling. He’s got this whole online persona built around his love of barbecue.
TikTok videos of brisket, Instagram photos of perfectly smoked ribs, even Facebook groups dedicated to discussing grilling techniques.
Female Host: Wow, it sounds like he’s created a whole community around barbecue.
Male Host: Exactly. He even has a blog, Cook with Wes, dedicated to everything barbecue. Recipes, instructions, even tips for troubleshooting common grilling problems.
Female Host: There’s that teacher instinct again, even in his barbecue.
Male Host: It’s amazing to see how these totally different interests of his actually connect. Whether he’s teaching students about media literacy or sharing his love for barbecue, there’s that thread of creativity, community, and empowerment running through it all.
Female Host: It really makes you think about how your own interests connect to each other.
Male Host: Wesley’s a great example of not being confined to a single box. You can be an educator, [00:04:00] a technologist, a barbecue enthusiast, all at the same time.
Female Host: It’s inspiring. Makes you wonder how he finds the time for everything, though.
Male Host: That’s what we’ll be looking at next. How he balances it all and keeps that passion going.
Female Host: It’s really amazing to see how Wesley’s passion for using technology and education really took off in the late 90s and early 2000s.
Male Host: Yeah, it was like a whole new world was opening up and he was right there embracing it.
Female Host: Think about it. building websites in the mid 90s, one of the first bloggers. He even produced educational videos way before YouTube even existed.
Male Host: He was ahead of the curve for sure, saw the potential of these tools right from the start.
Female Host: And you can see that forward thinking approach in his work with organizations like the Texas Education Network and his role as director of distance learning at Texas Tech University.
Male Host: He wasn’t afraid to push for change, to get technology into the classroom. Even when it wasn’t popular.
Female Host: And it wasn’t just about using the latest gadget. It was always about how technology could make learning better.
Male Host: Exactly. It’s easy to [00:05:00] get caught up in the hype sometimes, but you have to ask, how does this actually help students learn?
Female Host: Right. It’s all about choosing the right tool for the job.
Male Host: And talking about helping students learn, I have to bring up his work on cyberbullying and digital citizenship. Such a crucial topic these days.
Female Host: Absolutely. We need to make sure kids know how to navigate the online world safely and responsibly.
Male Host: It’s not just about using tech. It’s about using it in a way that’s ethical and safe.
Female Host: Like giving them the tools to explore this new digital landscape safely.
Male Host: And that ties right back into his work with media literacy that we discussed earlier.
Female Host: Being able to think critically about information is more important than ever.
Male Host: Especially now with social media and how quickly misinformation can spread.
Female Host: His Conspiracies and Culture Wars project is such a great example of how to help students develop those skills. It’s
Male Host: about teaching them how to think for themselves, not what to think.
Female Host: And to be able to have respectful conversations even when they disagree with someone.
Male Host: And to realize that just because something’s on the internet doesn’t make it [00:06:00] true.
Female Host: We have to be skeptical and question our sources.
Male Host: It’s a skill that goes way beyond the classroom.
Female Host: Definitely, and Wes has been a champion for that throughout his career.
Male Host: But it’s not just about absorbing information, it’s about creating it too.
Female Host: You’re right. We talked about his content creation earlier, but it’s worth taking a closer look.
Male Host: What’s fascinating is how he uses so many different ways to share his ideas.
Female Host: It’s not just blogs and YouTube videos. He’s podcasting, presenting at conferences, writing books, even doing multimedia projects with his students.
Male Host: He’s a true multimedia storyteller.
Female Host: Always looking for new ways to engage his audience and make learning more interactive.
Male Host: And he’s not afraid to experiment with new tech either.
Female Host: Always pushing the boundaries, trying new things.
Male Host: And he encourages his students to become creators too, not just consumers of information.
Female Host: Giving them a voice and a platform to share their own perspectives.
Male Host: It’s all about the power of storytelling.
Female Host: Yeah, Wesley believes in the power of stories to connect with people, to teach, to inspire.
Male Host: His work with the Story Chasers Project really shows that.
Female Host: Using [00:07:00] technology to capture and preserve stories that might be lost otherwise.
sharing them with the world.
Male Host: Such a great example of how tech can be used to bring people together and celebrate different experiences.
Female Host: A reminder that everyone has a story worth sharing.
Male Host: So we’ve talked about Wesley’s work in education, his passion for tech, his ideas about digital citizenship, and his belief in storytelling.
Female Host: But there’s another part of his life that we haven’t touched on yet, his faith.
Male Host: Yeah, it’s a big part of who he is, and it definitely comes through in his work in writing.
Female Host: His podcast, Stories of Faith, is a great example of that. It shows how much he believes in sharing spiritual journeys and finding those deeper connections.
Male Host: It reminds us that education is more than just academics.
Female Host: It’s about helping someone grow as a whole person. Hmm. Intellectually, emotionally, spiritually.
Male Host: Helping them find their place in the world.
Female Host: And Wesley has really done that throughout his career.
Male Host: He’s definitely an inspiration. But before we move on, I want to go back to something you mentioned before.
His varied [00:08:00] career path.
Female Host: Yeah, it’s remarkable how he’s been able to move so seamlessly between being an elementary teacher, a STEM teacher, A university instructor, a director of technology, and a digital learning consultant.
Male Host: It’s like he’s taken all these different experiences and woven them together.
Yeah,
Female Host: it’s given him such a wide range of knowledge and expertise.
Male Host: His ability to adapt and take on new challenges is something else.
Female Host: He’s a true lifelong learner. Always seeking out new things.
Male Host: That’s a great lesson for all of us in today’s world.
Female Host: We need to be adaptable, curious, and ready to learn new things all the time.
Male Host: And to be open to the journey, even when it takes you in unexpected directions.
Female Host: So what does all this mean for our listeners?
Male Host: It means you don’t have to limit yourself to just one path or one passion.
Female Host: You can be multifaceted, just like Wesley. Explore your interests and find those connections.
Male Host: And that brings us back to his love for barbecue.
It might seem like a completely separate thing, but it actually reflects a lot of who he is.
Female Host: In our next segment, we’re going to dive into that [00:09:00] culinary side of Wesley. We’ll explore how his love of barbecue connects to his values, his way of learning, and his desire to build community.
Male Host: It’s a great reminder that our passions can really influence each other in surprising ways.
So
Female Host: stay tuned as we fire up the grill and discover the delicious connection between barbecue and the world of Wesley Fryer.
Male Host: Welcome back to the Deep Dive. We’ve been exploring the many sides of Wesley Fryer. We’ve talked about his work in education, his passion for technology, and his thoughts on digital citizenship.
But now, let’s switch gears a little and talk about something a bit different. His love of barbecue.
Female Host: I have to admit, when we first started talking about this part of Wesley, I was a bit confused. It seemed so different from everything else we’ve discussed. But as we’ve gone deeper, I’m starting to see how it all fits together.
Male Host: It might seem unexpected, but Wesley is all about living a multifaceted life. He doesn’t limit himself to just one thing. And his barbecue journey is a great example of that.
Female Host: So tell me, what’s [00:10:00] this barbecue side of Wesley like?
Male Host: Well, it’s more than just grilling in the backyard. He’s really documented his barbecue experiments all over social media.
Tik Tok videos of sizzling brisket, Instagram photos of those perfectly smoked ribs, Facebook groups where he talks about all things barbecue.
Female Host: It’s clearly more than just a hobby for him. He’s put a lot of time and energy into it and he’s sharing that knowledge with others.
Male Host: And remember that blog we mentioned earlier, Cook with Wes is like a barbecue Bible.
You’ll find detailed recipes, step by step instructions, even tips for when things go wrong on the grill. He doesn’t just tell you how to cook, he explains the why behind it.
Female Host: That teacher instinct coming through again, even with barbecue.
Male Host: And here’s where it gets really interesting. Think about the similarities between barbecuing and everything else we’ve discussed about Wesley’s professional life.
They both need patience, attention to detail, a willingness to experiment, and that drive to keep improving.
Female Host: You’re right. It doesn’t matter if he’s developing a coding lesson, working on a [00:11:00] media literacy unit, or perfecting a brisket recipe. There’s that same approach. Focus on the process, try new things, and share what you’ve learned.
Male Host: And that sense of community that he builds around everything he does, just like he encourages collaboration in his classrooms and online, he’s created a space for people who love barbecue to connect and learn from each other.
Female Host: It’s a great reminder that learning can happen anywhere.
Male Host: So what can we take away from Wesley’s passion for barbecue?
Female Host: I think it shows us how he approaches life. It tells us that we don’t have to keep our interests separate. Our passions can influence each other in ways we might not expect.
Male Host: It’s a challenge for all of us to explore those hidden passions. What interests do we have that we can connect in new and interesting ways?
Female Host: Wesley’s story reminds us that it’s okay to be multifaceted, to keep learning throughout our lives, and to find those connections in unexpected places. This deep dive
Male Host: into Wesley’s world has been fascinating. He’s challenged us to think differently about career paths, education, and even the role of barbecue in a well rounded life.
Female Host: He’s [00:12:00] shown us what it means to embrace our different interests, keep learning, and build communities around things we’re passionate about.
Male Host: And as we wrap up, we want to leave you with this thought. What will your story be? What unique mix of passions and experiences will you bring to the world?
Female Host: Think about it, explore it, and most importantly, share it.
Your story matters. Thanks for joining us on this deep dive into the world of Wesley Fryer.
Source : NotebookLM Introduces Me
