Welcome to our AI in the Classroom series! Over the next four weeks, ETA will explore the role of Artificial Intelligence as a powerful learning tool, emphasizing its support for education rather than a substitute for teachers. Join us in discovering how AI can enhance the learning experience, making our educational journey more dynamic and engaging.
Week 1 Q. What is AI? A. Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the PK-12 classroom is about teaching computers to do smart things, like learning from experience or understanding language. AI technologies can be used to enhance and support the learning environment from helping teachers write lesson plans to providing real-time feedback on student work. The goal is to create a more interactive, efficient, and tailored educational experience for students while complementing the role of teachers as facilitators and mentors. AI is not and should be a teacher's replacement.
Q. What are some examples of AI platforms teachers use at school? A. Glad you asked. You are probably familiar with Khan Academy, Duolingo for Schools, Edulastic, Quizizz, Kahoot, and more. These programs are built on an Artificial Intelligence platform for teachers to use and track a student's progress or performance level.
Q. Give me some more AI tools that will help me make my job easier. A. Certainly. These two AI tools are President Young's favorite right now:
WEEK 2 (This week's lesson comes straight from the video. Next week, I'll show you how to use Diffit.) Q. I already use Kahoot and Khan Academy but how do I use an AI tool like ChatGPT? How do I use AI to help me make my job easier. A. Let's try ChatGTP together to make a rubric for grading poster projects. Step 1: Go to https://openai.com/chatgpt Step 2: Click on Try ChatGPT ... the button is found in the upper right hand corner. Step 3: When the next screen pops up, type the following where it says "Message ChatGPT." See picture below.
Step 4: Type this: Create a grading rubric for a poster series project with each row graded on a 1 - 4 scale. Step 5: Click on the Up arrow you find right at the end of what you typed. Step 6: Wait for the rubric to appear. Step 7: Read through what appears, if you like it, then click on the copy button (see picture below) and paste into a document OR use your snipping tool to take a snip and copy and paste it into a document. NOTE: I prefer using the snipping tool and pasting it into a document because the copy button will create what I call a "mess" -- way too much formatting to do.
Step 8: If you don't like it, type this in the Message ChatGPT . . . box: Redo using a 5-point scale. Step 9: Wait for the new rubric to appear. If you like, then click on the copy button and paste it into a Google doc or Word doc. Step 10: Again, if you use the copy button, it you will notice that it doesn't show the nice chart. I suggest using the snippet tool.
Q. This is nice, but I already use another program to write rubrics. What else do you have? A. Let's try something a bit different. Let's say you want to create different exemplars for you students to see on a topic. You do not have time to create it yourself because you are working with students to review a concept necessary to do this task. Step 1: Type in this in the Message ChatGPT: I am having my students write a claim evidence reasoning argument for the claim “we only see one side of the moon.” The argument can’t be more than one paragraph and students only need to use one piece of evidence. Provide three different exemplars for this assignment, one that would receive an A, one that would receive a C, and one that would get an F.
Step 2: Wait for it to appear on your screen. If you like what you see, then use the copy button and paste it into a Google doc. I find that this works really well and you don't have to do any "tweaking" of how it pastes into a document unless you want to change fonts, colors, or add clipart.
Step 3: Let's say you don't really like it. Type in "Redo these exemplars using language set at a 6th grade level."
Step 4: Click on the up arrow to send your message to ChatGPT.
Step 5: Wait for the new exemplars to appear on your screen.
Q. Give me something else. A. OK. You can use ChatGPT to "tutor" students while your reteaching students. Try this. Step 1: In the Message GPT type the following: I need you to be my tutor. Give me a one-step word problem to solve. Wait for me to type in my answer. After I type in my answer, tell me if I'm right or wrong. If I'm right give me another one-step problem until I solve 5 problems correctly. If I'm wrong, tell me what I did wrong and how to solve the problem.
Step 2: Do a couple problems correctly and some incorrectly so you can see what happens. NOTE: I did notice that some of the questions required students to not only give the number but the unit, such as books, candies, etc.
Q. Give me one more example. A. Here you go. Step 1: Type in the Message GPT the following: Write a reading passage on Rosa Parks at a 3rd grade, 4th grade, 5th grade, and 10th grade reading level that includes five reading comprehension questions and 1 open-ended question from the reading. Include an answer key. Step 2: Wait for the AI to finish "thinking." Step 3: If you like what you see, copy it and paste it into a document.
Q. O.K. How do I credit the AI for creating the material? I don't want to teach students that it is acceptable to use AI to plagiarize. A. I would write something like this on the document: "Reading passages, comprehension questions, and answers were generated with the assistance of OpenAI's GPT-3.5 language model." I feel that this statement acknowledges the source of the content and ensures transparency about the assistance you received in creating the educational materials.
Next week, I would like to talk you through the Diffit AI. I find it really beneficial for creating worksheets.
Week 3: Using Diffit (Next Week I will cover the Ethics Behind Using AI. I've reached out to some of our ISTA and NEA colleagues to see if they have a rubric to use to evaluate AI programs. I am waiting to hear back from them.)