GENAI 101 - Module 0: Welcome and Orientation
Tools, Accounts, and Setup
You will use a small set of browser-based GenAI tools. All of them have a free tier that is enough for this course. Set up the accounts before you start Module 1 so the lessons flow without interruption.
Privacy first. Use a school or personal email that you are comfortable associating with these services. Do not upload recordings of students, and do not enter names or other identifying details about real people into any tool.
Tools by lesson
| Lesson | Primary tool | Purpose | Free alternative |
|---|
| 1.1 Song composition | Suno | Text-to-song generation with vocals | Boomy, Udio |
| 1.2 Beat making | Soundtrap | Loop-based production and editing | BandLab, GarageBand |
| 1.3 Scoring a scene | Suno (instrumental mode) | Mood-driven soundtrack generation | Soundraw, Mubert |
| 1.4 Ethics of AI music | Any text model (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini) | Case analysis and attribution drafting | none needed |
| 2.1 Dramatic storytelling | Any text model (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini) | Script generation and revision | none needed |
| 2.2 Avatar performance | Animaker | Animated character performance | Synthesia, Canva video |
| 2.3 Digital choreography | invideo AI | Text-to-video movement pieces | Canva video, Animaker |
| 2.4 Evaluating AI feedback | Any text model | Critique and revision of scenes | none needed |
Account setup checklist
- Create a free Suno account at suno.com. Confirm you can generate one short test clip.
- Create a free Soundtrap account at soundtrap.com. Open a new project and confirm you can hear the loop library.
- Create a free Animaker account at animaker.com. Open a blank project and add one character.
- Create a free invideo AI account at invideo.io. Generate one ten-second test clip.
- Confirm you can sign in to at least one general-purpose text model (ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini).
- Create a folder named "GenAI Literacy Artifacts" in Google Drive or OneDrive. Set sharing to "Anyone with the link can view" so peers can open your gallery submissions.
File formats and naming
Save artifacts with the pattern Lesson-1-1_LastName_Title.mp3 (or .mp4, .pdf). Accepted formats:
- Audio: MP3 or WAV
- Video: MP4 or a shareable link (unlisted YouTube, Drive, or the tool's own share link)
- Scripts and rationales: PDF or Google Doc link
Accessibility notes
- All tools in this course work with keyboard navigation and screen readers to a usable degree, but Soundtrap's timeline is the hardest to use without a mouse. If you need an alternative, BandLab's grid editor is more accessible.
- When you share a video, add captions. invideo AI and Animaker both generate captions automatically; check them for accuracy.
- If a tool is blocked on your school network, complete the lesson with the free alternative listed above. The competencies are tool-agnostic.
Troubleshooting
- The tool asks me to pay. Every lesson can be completed on the free tier. Shorten the output length or reduce the number of generations.
- My generation sounds or looks wrong. That is expected and is part of the learning. Lesson 1.3 and 2.4 teach you how to evaluate and fix outputs.
- I cannot share my file. Upload it to your artifacts folder and paste the sharing link in the gallery post.