"CREATING THE CAPTION FIRST"

An analogy of what students are doing when they create AI images of Bible scenes

I've been thinking about a comparison between having kids generate AI images in a Bible study to something we already do in Sunday School. One good comparison is when we ask kids to "caption" their artwork or photos and "explain" what their image is about. Creating AI generated images REVERSES that way of teaching by asking the kids to CREATE A CAPTION FIRST.

Of course, that caption needs to be loaded with pertinent keywords from the story, or verse, or scene in order for the AI to create good results. Discussion about which keywords the student might use can include looking at key verses, summarizing scenes, and thinking about their meaning. This would happen before creating the image, as a review after the image is created, and as a way to help them refine their thoughts/keywords to make a "better" image.

The choice of artistic"style" can be interesting too. I might ask, "what's the best art style to depict Goliath?" He was kind of a villainous superhero. Or how about the Elijah talking to God? It happens in a cave but what does the presence of God feel like? Sculpture? Impressionist? Fingerpaint?  It's all discussion fodder, and it would help to have a list of styles in mind ahead of time to help the kids. "Fingerpainting" btw, looks a lot like impressionist art in many of my results

Because the results can vary and they can do it again and again, this learning activity also gives them a fun way to come up with better keywords. And any learning that feels like "play" is teaching gold.

The possibilities are endless, of course, which could create endless creative results and discussion opportunities. For example, when I typed "Elijah talking to God in a Cave" (I Kings 19), it showed an "person" for God, which isn't a great result and would be something to talk to the kids about. When I substituted the word "heaven" to see what would happen I got a much better result.

P.S. Elijah stories are some of my favorites. So favorite, in fact, that I developed a terrific piece of storytelling software for kids titled "Elijah & Jonah" that was the first interactive comic book ever made! That program is now free to the Supporting Members of Rotation.org. Below is a screenshot from a narrated, animated, and interactive screen from part of the Elijah and Jonah software.