Control Alt Achieve: "When I Grow Up"

As educators one of our goals is to try to prepare our students for their future. To help them be whatever they want to be.

Sometimes though, especially for students who are struggling academically, it can be difficult for students to visualize that positive future.

What if we could give them a vivid, personal glimpse into their own potential? Perhaps with a picture that shows them working as a marine biologist, tagging a sea turtle by a coral reef. Or maybe a photo of them as an architect, personally sketching designs in a studio. Or a teacher or athlete or chef or singer or doctor or such.

Well with AI we can do that! With Gemini's latest image model, you can take a picture of a student and show what they would look like working in their dream career. And you can do it easily, accurately and safely. Let's take a look at how to do this!

▶️ Tutorial Video (10 minutes)

📄 "When I Grow Up" Prompt

So how do we do this activity? Well all we need is a photo of a student and a prompt. Below is the prompt I created for this, and you are welcome to copy, modify, and use this any way you need.

Create a photorealistic image of this student, but as a [OCCUPATION] where they are actively and expertly involved in the job. The setting should be authentic and detailed, clearly representing the profession. As needed, show them using the tools or equipment associated with the job, and wearing the clothing, outfit, or gear appropriate for the occupation. [ADD MORE DETAILS AS NEEDED.] The image should be positive, inspiring, and high-quality. The student should be the same age as they currently are in the reference photo so that they look the same age in the generated photo. Ensure the student's face is clearly visible.

✨ Why Gemini

Now we are using Gemini for this project for several good reasons...

1) 🍌 Nano-Banana

First Gemini has a new image model (codenamed "Nano Banana") that is exceptionally good at modifying existing images. We can upload a photo of a person and ask Gemini to make a change to the environment or outfit or viewing angle, and Gemini can make those changes while maintaining the look of the person. Until recently this was something that AI models were not very good at.

2) 🛡️ Data Privacy

Second, when you use Gemini with a school account, Google protects the data privacy of the student's photo. I recently did a blog post and video on this, but in short… Google has an agreement with schools that anything you enter, including student photos, will stay within your school's domain. Nothing you enter into Gemini is viewed by humans, or used for advertising, or used to train future AI models, or shared with anyone outside of your school. Make sure to explain this data privacy guarantee with parents before doing this project.

3) 💰 Cost

And finally, it's free! You can use Gemini to modify existing images at no cost.

📋 Directions

So let's try it out! Here are the steps:

First we head over to the Gemini website at gemini.google.com or you can do this with the Gemini mobile app as well.
Next upload a student photo by clicking the "+" button and choosing "Upload files", or you can simply drag and drop the picture into the prompt box.
Note: The student photos I am using for the examples below are not of real students. All of the initial student photos are AI generated.
Then paste in the prompt from earlier and type in the career you want for the new image.
Feel free to add in more details if you want such as what specifically the student should be doing, or the setting, or their clothing or equipment.
Next click the "Tools" menu and choose "Create images".
And that's it! Just submit the prompt and Gemini will generate the new image for you.
You can download the new generated image by clicking on the download icon in the top right corner of the picture.

So let's see some examples…

🤿 Marine Biologist

Create a photorealistic image of this student, but as a marine biologist where they are actively and expertly involved in the job. The setting should be authentic and detailed, clearly representing the profession. As needed, show them using the tools or equipment associated with the job, and wearing the clothing, outfit, or gear appropriate for the occupation. In this case the student should be tagging a sea turtle by a coral reef, and wearing appropriate underwater gear. The image should be positive, inspiring, and high-quality. The student should be the same age as they currently are in the reference photo so that they look the same age in the generated photo. Ensure the student's face is clearly visible.

🍳 Chef

Create a photorealistic image of this student, but as a chef where they are actively and expertly involved in the job. The setting should be authentic and detailed, clearly representing the profession. As needed, show them using the tools or equipment associated with the job, and wearing the clothing, outfit, or gear appropriate for the occupation. In this case the student should be in the kitchen of a restaurant, cooking a meal, and wearing a white double-breasted jacket and a toque (chef's hat). The image should be positive, inspiring, and high-quality. The student should be the same age as they currently are in the reference photo so that they look the same age in the generated photo. Ensure the student's face is clearly visible.

🐶 Veterinarian

Create a photorealistic image of this student, but as a veterinarian where they are actively and expertly involved in the job. The setting should be authentic and detailed, clearly representing the profession. As needed, show them using the tools or equipment associated with the job, and wearing the clothing, outfit, or gear appropriate for the occupation. In this case the student should be in the examination room of the veterinary clinic, wearing a white lab coat over blue scrubs, using a stethoscope to examine a puppy sitting on the examination table. A vet assistant wearing blue scrubs should be in the room as well, helping with the puppy. The image should be positive, inspiring, and high-quality. The student should be the same age as they currently are in the reference photo so that they look the same age in the generated photo. Ensure the student's face is clearly visible.

🚒 Firefighter

Create a photorealistic image of this student, but as a firefighter where they are actively and expertly involved in the job. The setting should be authentic and detailed, clearly representing the profession. As needed, show them using the tools or equipment associated with the job, and wearing the clothing, outfit, or gear appropriate for the occupation. In this case the student should be wearing firefighter turnout gear including a helmet, coat, pants, gloves, and boots. They should be on the scene, holding a hose from the firetruck behind them, getting ready to fight a fire. The image should be positive, inspiring, and high-quality. The student should be the same age as they currently are in the reference photo so that they look the same age in the generated photo. Ensure the student's face is clearly visible.

✈️ Pilot

Create a photorealistic image of this student, but as a pilot where they are actively and expertly involved in the job. The setting should be authentic and detailed, clearly representing the profession. As needed, show them using the tools or equipment associated with the job, and wearing the clothing, outfit, or gear appropriate for the occupation. In this case the student should be in the cockpit of a 747, dressed in the style of a commercial airlines pilot, while flying the plane. The image should be positive, inspiring, and high-quality. The student should be the same age as they currently are in the reference photo so that they look the same age in the generated photo. Ensure the student's face is clearly visible.

🎨 Artist

Create a photorealistic image of this student, but as an artist where they are actively and expertly involved in the job. The setting should be authentic and detailed, clearly representing the profession. As needed, show them using the tools or equipment associated with the job, and wearing the clothing, outfit, or gear appropriate for the occupation. In this case the student should be in their art studio, standing at an easel working on an impressionistic painting. The image should be positive, inspiring, and high-quality. The student should be the same age as they currently are in the reference photo so that they look the same age in the generated photo. Ensure the student's face is clearly visible.

↔️ Extending the Project

In addition to creating the images, there are a lot of things you can do with your students to extend and deepen their learning before and after the project. Before the project you can have your students:

Brainstorm which careers they may be interested in.
Take an "Interest Inventory" to see which careers might be good options for them.
Use the "Career Exploration Chatbot" in SchoolAI to ask questions about different careers and learn more about them (see my earlier blog post and video.)
And when they do select their career, they can help you expand the prompt you will use with details on what they will do in their job, the setting, special equipment, and more.

Then after the new pictures have been created, have the students do something with the generated image. For example, have them write about their future selves, and what they are doing in their career, and what skills they have developed, and perhaps even present that to the class.

🤔 Why This is Important

Although this is certainly a fun activity, there is more to it than just that. The concept of helping students visualize their future selves is actually supported by research, specifically the "Possible Selves" theory developed by Hazel Markus and Paula Nurius.

In short, our "possible selves" are the versions of ourselves we imagine becoming, which includes both the hopes we hold and the fears we carry.
For many students, especially those struggling academically or facing socioeconomic challenges, these "hoped-for selves" can be vague or difficult to envision.
A concrete, personalized image could help to cut through that unknown.
It might possibly transform the thought "Maybe someday I could be a veterinarian" into "Look! I am a veterinarian!"
This can be powerful, providing motivation and a clear goal, and strengthening their self-belief.

🏁 Conclusion

And that's it! This is a great project that can be used with students of any age to get them thinking about careers and visualizing a positive version of their future selves. As always please share your questions and suggestions.

Post by Eric Curts

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