From Chaos to Creation: Your December Survival Guide

Let's be honest about December in schools: it's chaos.

Teachers are running on fumes. Attention spans are measured in seconds, not minutes.

So this month, I'm sending this newsletter earlier than usual, because the best way to tame December chaos is to get ahead of it.

Here's how to move from chaos to creation with tools and activities that work with December's energy, not against it.

⛄️ 13 Days of AI Literacy Advent Calendar: 5 minute interactive activities to have the important conversations

🎨 Vibe Coding with Canva AI: Create your own advent calendar or other interactive learning activities

🥽 Your VR & AR Entry Point: Start with immersive learning (no expensive headsets required)

🧠 Learning Opportunities: A new course and webinars

⛄️ 13 Days of AI Literacy Advent Calendar

The Chaos: December's energy means students need movement and engagement. Teachers need something that actually works without extensive prep.

The Creation: An interactive advent calendar with 13 AI literacy activities that take 5 minutes or less.

Here's how it works: Project the advent calendar. Click a snowman. Complete the activity together. Have the conversations using the provided discussion questions. Done.

Use them as warm-ups, brain breaks, or end-of-class wind-downs. Several activities involve movement (like the K-Pop Dance Challenge), making them perfect for redirecting that December energy into learning.

Why 13? I wanted to give you a random number advent calendar that puts no pressure on you to complete. If you only get through three days, that’s a win. If you get through all 13, that’s a win. Heck, come back after winter break and keep working through the activities if you don’t get through them before break.

Create Your Own Interactive Learning Activities with Canva AI

The Chaos: You don't have hours to learn new tech tools or create new learning activities (especially in December).

The Creation: Vibe coding changes everything. Describe what you want, and AI builds it for you.

The AI Literacy advent calendar? I made it in 10 minutes using Canva AI.

Vibe coding is when you describe what you want to an AI tool, and it generates the code for you. Instead of learning HTML or JavaScript, you describe the vibe: "Create an interactive advent calendar where students click snowmen to reveal activities." The AI does the rest.

Canva AI is vibe coding built for educators. And this post shows you exactly how to use Canva AI to create interactive learning activities:

Immersive Learning Without Breaking the Bank (Or Your Brain)

The Chaos: Immersive learning sounds expensive, complicated, and overwhelming. The terminology alone (XR, VR, AR, MR) makes your head spin.

The Creation: You don't need expensive VR headsets or a tech degree. You just need the right entry point.

This guide shows you exactly where to start with immersive learning based on your goals, budget, and comfort level. It is packed with tool opitons!

Bonus: there is also a visual reference guide you can print and keep at your desk.

The Eggs are Egging

In last month's newsletter, I shared my brand new LindyHoc website. What I didn't tell you? I hid Easter eggs throughout the site. 🥚

Reply to this email with one Easter egg that you found and a mailing address. I will send you a "Make EdTech 100" friendship bracelet!

🧠 Learning Opportunities

• ​Rethinking Assessment: Measuring Human Intelligence when AI Answers are Everywhere: I am moderating this panel on Monday, December 15. Catch it live at noon Eastern or watch the replay.
• ​AI Literacy Isn’t Extra, It’s Core​: AI literacy doesn’t have to be “one more thing.” In this free webinar, I show how AI concepts like patterns and bias connect naturally to core content areas. You can watch the replay!
• ​Math Behind the Machine: Finding Real World Math in AI Literacy​: Explore the real math powering today’s AI tools. In this free course, I break down AI concepts into classroom-friendly examples that help students connect algorithms to real-world math. Create a free Fobizz account to access the course. You will even receive a certificate upon completion.
• ​FETC 2026: I am presenting many, many sessions at the FETC conference this January in Orlando. Hope to see you there!
• ​Learning.com at FETC 2026: I will be in the Learning.com room for two of these FETC sessions: AI Literacy Isn’t Extra—It’s Core and There’s No Such Thing as Digital Citizenship—Just Citizenship
• ​NCCE 2026: Join me in Seattle this February!

The shift from "I could never make that" to "I just made that in 10 minutes" is real. Vibe coding, interactive tools, and accessible immersive tech are putting creation back in teachers' and students' hands.

Go make something amazing this December. Click that first snowman. Build your first interactive activity. Find your immersive learning entry point.

Then hit reply and share what you created!

Lindy Hockenbary K–12 EdTech Advisor she/her 406-853-2661 ​lindyhoc.com​