Design authentic learning experiences aligned to your standards
Designing classroom-first applications...
Enter your standard and location. The AI will design accessible, classroom-based authentic tasks, with optional community extensions for teachers who have the capacity.
Mission
The REAL Connections Application is a specialized AI tool designed to bridge the gap between abstract academic standards and the real world. It empowers educators to create learning experiences that are simultaneously rigorous, standards-aligned, and deeply relevant to students' live, whether that learning happens inside the classroom or out in the community.
Underlying Technology
This application operates on a dual-engine architecture to ensure both pedagogical quality and local relevance:
Reasoning Engine (Google Gemini 2.5 Flash): The lesson design and curriculum analysis are powered by Google’s latest Gemini Flash model. This model was selected for its high-speed reasoning capabilities and its ability to follow complex pedagogical constraints, ensuring lesson plans are developmentally appropriate and logically structured.
Geospatial Engine (Google Maps Platform): Unlike standard chatbots that hallucinate locations, this tool integrates directly with the Google Places API. When community partners are suggested, the system queries real-time geographic data to locate actual organizations, NGOs, and businesses in your specific city.
Pedagogical Logic: "Classroom-First" Design
We recognize that authentic learning must be accessible to every teacher, regardless of budget or logistics. Therefore, this tool is programmed with a strict "Scaffolded Authenticity" protocol:
Core Activity (Equity & Access): The AI is instructed to first design a rigorous, hands-on simulation or data analysis task that can be executed entirely within a standard classroom using available materials.
Developmental Scaling: The system automatically adjusts the scope of "community" based on the selected grade level (e.g., K-2 focuses on the school/family unit, while High School focuses on regional/global contexts).
Optional Extension: External community partnerships are presented as optional enhancements, not requirements, ensuring the lesson remains usable even without external outreach.
Commitment to Educators
This tool adheres to three core principles:
Feasibility: We prioritize lessons that are teachable tomorrow, minimizing logistical barriers.
Accuracy: Local connections are verified through live mapping data, not generated text.
Privacy: User inputs (standards and locations) are processed transiently for the purpose of generating the lesson. We do not store your search history or build profiles on students or schools.
