AVID Partners with Packback to Offer Free AI Writing Coach to Grades 7–10

  • By Kate Lucariello
  • 08/01/23

Student success preparation company AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) has teamed up with digital writing tutor Packback to provide free access to Packback’s AI-enabled platform for AVID middle and high school teachers through the 2023-24 school year.

The platform will be available to AVID Excel Elective grade 7-8 teachers and AVID Elective grade 9-10 teachers to help students strengthen their critical thinking and writing skills.

The Packback digital writing coach relies on Bloom’s Taxonomy to foster critical thinking and assigns students a “curiosity score,” the company said. It uses “instructional AI” rather than generative AI, AVID notes.The AI gives students individual feedback as they write and helps them recognize and correct errors in real time. A detection tool for both traditional and AI-generated content alerts teachers so they can see how students are using AI for assignments.

"Packback will help students with their individual learning needs and free up time for AVID teachers to provide students with thoughtful feedback on their content and ideas while also demonstrating what the effective use of AI in the classroom can look like,” said Thuan Nguyen, AVID CEO.

AVID teachers who opt to use the platform will be given training and support, the company said. Packback has already been added to 12 AVID Weeks at a Glance lessons and 12 digital planning guides. In addition, a live webinar on the new integration will be hosted by leaders from both companies and those who have used the platform on Thursday, Aug. 3, at noon PT.

Visit this page to learn more about the partnership and to sign up for the webinar.

About the Author

Kate Lucariello is a former newspaper editor, EAST Lab high school teacher and college English teacher.

Featured

  • student and teacher using AI-enabled laptops, with rising arrows on a graph

    Research: Student and Teacher AI Use Jumps Nearly 30% in One Year

    In a survey from learning platform Quizlet, 85% of high school and college students and teachers said they use AI technology, compared to 66% in 2024 — a 29% increase year over year.

  • laptop with AI symbol on screen

    Google Launches Lightweight Gemma 3n, Expanding Emphasis on Edge AI

    Google DeepMind has officially launched Gemma 3n, the latest version of its lightweight generative AI model designed specifically for mobile and edge devices — a move that reinforces the company's focus on on-device computing.

  • stylized illustration of a desktop, laptop, tablet, and smartphone all displaying an orange AI icon

    Survey: AI Shifting from Cloud to PCs

    A recent Intel-commissioned report identifies a significant shift in AI adoption, moving away from the cloud and closer to the user. Businesses are increasingly turning to the specialized hardware of AI PCs, the survey found, recognizing their potential not just for productivity gains, but for revolutionizing IT efficiency, fortifying data security, and delivering a compelling return on investment by bringing AI capabilities directly to the edge.

  • students raising their hands and participating in a classroom discussion

    Report Explores Link Between Student Engagement and Learning

    Over 90% of teachers, principals, and superintendents agree that student engagement is a critical metric for understanding overall achievement, according to a new survey report from Discovery Education.