Finding Creative Ways for Educators to Use AI in the Classroom
In education, we are used to shiny buzz words or pedagogical practices that come and go. Some buzz terms stay around longer than others, but one thing we learn as educators is that the landscape is forever evolving.
But every once in a while, there’s a pivotal time where technology comes in to completely change everything. For my generation, it was the invention of Google. For this generation, it’s AI or as many know it as ChatGPT. AI not only impacts teachers in how they deliver content or operate in their classrooms; it also impacts students in how they complete assignments. That’s what makes this generative AI so enthralling and why it’s a game changer in education. Every conference I’ve attended in 2023, the AI sessions are jam packed because educators know that education deters ignorance. We cannot bury our heads in the sand and pretend this will go away. The genie is out of the bottle and it’s time to rethink what we’re teaching so we prepare students for their future.
Coaching with teachers in the face of AI
I was able to attend the Microsoft Certified Coach cohort hosted by i2e this past summer. I really honed in on my craft of what it was like to be an academic coach and to move past being seen as the troubleshooting gal. This started to cultivate that true coaching model of coming up alongside teachers during their planning process.
I have been leaning into conversations with teachers by asking them, “Is your assessment enhanced or replaced with AI?” What does this look like exactly? I was working with a language arts teacher who was preparing lessons that will result in an end product of an essay. I smiled and said, “Well now we know that AI can create that essay for them, why not look at the standards and think about what they can create instead for that assessment?” This spurred a conversation that resulted with that teacher having her students create their own podcasts. They will be using an AI generated tool to come up with their podcast name and even use an AI image generator to create a thumbnail for their podcast show. The standard of informative writing is still be assessed, yet it’s enhanced with the use of AI not replaced.
Another topic of coaching I’ve been leaning into has been teaching into critical reading. Critical reading is no new task. I’ve been teaching it for the entirety of my 14 years in education. But now, it’s more important than ever. Students will use generative AI to get their answers and must learn how to check what a computer is telling them. I’ve been steering teachers towards an asynchronous module of courses called Checkology.org created by the News Lit Organization built for students. These modules teach students how to read for accuracy and trust, or not, what information they are receiving.
District Level Conversations
Tackling the difficult task of AI is hard enough in classrooms, but it also has to start at a strong foundation at the district level. I’ve been able to be a part of some of these conversations in my progressive district as they’ve taken a leading role for how to embrace AI instead of “simply blocking it”.
Starting from the highest levels of administration is integral into getting a unified message out. We all researched and learned about what AI was and what responsible use looked like. We had a brave teacher in the high school teach her 10th graders a lesson using Chat GPT. From that experience, it helped us mold what future we wanted to create for our students while they prepare for their future. We’ve been doing this work here in Zionsville, Indiana and it will be ongoing as these conversations evolve. The important part is that we continue to learn and be ready to adapt.
This blog was written by Stevie Frank. Stevie is a Digital Learning Coach at her school in Zionsville, IN and she recently co-authored the new AI in Education course for Microsoft Education. Connect with Stevie on X at @steviefrank23.
