Anchored in AI: Exploring Artificial Intelligence in Education
Have you heard? AI is a trending topic in education. Feeling nervous about the idea of teachers and students using artificial intelligence in their classrooms? Many people are apprehensive about the idea of AI in education. This article aims to If you are an educator reading this post, I hope this post gives you the motivation to incorporate Artificial intelligence.
How Did We Get Here?
Artificial Intelligence has been around a lot longer than people think. A.M. Touring (1950) first explored this idea in his article Computing Machinery and Intelligence, where he studied the problem-solving capabilities of machines using available information. In recent years, more people have been using it for professional use. Is there a place for Artificial Intelligence in education? Let's explore this idea.
Are You a Skeptic?
(Ted, 2023)
When participating in or listening to conversations about AI in education, people are often skeptical about Artificial Intelligence becoming a "good thing" for teachers and students. One concern of many is that student work will no longer be original and will be generated completely through AI tools. Many educators are exploring tools that check work for the amount of AI used. When coaching students on digital citizenship practices, include instruction on the safe and responsible use of AI. Keep in mind that artificial intelligence is not a replacement for instruction. When used properly, it can be a tool to support both teachers and students in productivity and creativity. According to Miller (2023), educators should promote the ethical use of artificial intelligence by choosing resources responsibly, considering societal impacts, and considering data accuracy.
Benefits of AI in education
(Miller, 2023)
Now that we have talked about concerns with using AI in education, let's consider the benefits. I could make a long list of benefits, but I have chosen to highlight two big ideas:
Increase in educator productivity
As an educator, I have spent long nights and weekends designing lessons, grading papers, and answering emails. We now live in a world where teachers can have support in those areas with a click of a button. According to Turker & Kahraman (2024), AI can provide teachers with a less heavy workload, due to its ability to evaluate data and develop next steps for instruction.
Development of Personalized learning
One of my ongoing professional areas of growth includes differentiating instruction for students. After creating whole-group lessons and analyzing assessment data, I often run out of time to take the next step of developing small groups or meeting with students individually for a particular skill. I am often looking for more ways to be intentional in this area. Artificial intelligence provides resources to help educators provide personalized learning. According to Tapalova & Zhiyenbayeva (2023), AI can help educators design instruction customized to student needs.
Where to Begin?
(Miller, 2023)
Are you an educator wanting to try out artificial intelligence in your classroom? If so, keep reading. Below are three of my personal favorite AI tools for educators.
Canva: Magic Classroom
Canva's Magic Classroom is a great place to start if you want to create content for your classroom. Canva's AI features allow users to generate images, summarize text, create presentations, and more. One of my favorite AI features in Canva is its ability to turn text into a poem or a song.
Magic School AI
Magic School AI is what I like to call a one-stop shop for all things AI in education. Magic School allows users to choose from a variety of options to make prep time productive. Teachers can use Magic School to create lesson plans, lesson presentations, informational texts, and professional emails. That is only scratching the surface of what Magic School can do. Want to hear something amazing? They can even support special education teachers with writing an IEP.
Quizizz AI
Quizizz AI is a great place to look if you want to create assessments for students. Simply upload a document with the content of your choice, and give Quizizz a few details on the type of assessment you want to create. Quizizz can also translate quizzes into other languages and even provide an analysis of student data.
Ready to try AI? Take the leap and see how using artificial intelligence can aid in your instructional design and student support.
References
Ditch That Textbook. (2023). AI in the classroom: What's cheating? what's ok? [Infographic]. https://ditchthattextbook.com/ai-cheating/
Ditch That Textbook. (2023). 30 ways AI can support teaching and learning. [Infographic]. https://ditchthattextbook.com/ai-edu/
Let's Talk Science. (2023). [Infographic of Milestones in Artificial Intelligence]. https://letstalkscience.ca/educational-resources/backgrounders/what-artificial-intelligence
Miller, M. (2023). AI for educators: Learning strategies, teacher efficiencies, and a vision for an artificial intelligence future. Ditch That Textbook.
Olga, T., Zhiyenbayeva, N., (2022). Artificial intelligence in education: AIEd for personalized learning pathways. Electronic Journal of e-Learning, 20(5), 639-653.
Ted. (2023, May 1). How AI could save (not destroy) education. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJP5GqnTrNo
Turing, A. M. (1950). Computing machinery and intelligence. Mind. 59(236), 433-460.
Turker, O., Kahraman, A. D., (2024). Artificial intelligence software in the context of educational process. Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology, 23(1), 16-23.
Hey Tanishia, great post on a very big topic in education right now. I think you've hit on everything that gives educators pause, but also explained ways to move past our fears. I love that you've included so much information from your book and other sources on what's ok to use and what isn't. We definitely cannot hide AI from our students, so let's be proactive in training them on the ethical use of AI in the classroom. This an awesome quote from my PLC learning group's book The Interactive Classroom by Joe and Kristin Merrill (2020) states, "Classrooms should offer specific parameters to help guide and support student learning, giving students a deeper and richer learning experience while empowering them to discover their passions." We shouldn't limit our students' potential because of our fears of new tech tools, including AI. And as you've pointed out, AI can be a game-changer in the classroom. As Lee, S. J., and Kwon, K. (2024) note in their article on AI in the classroom, "AI education fosters motivation, positive attitudes, and an interest in technology, and inspires career aspirations." But this can only be done with educators who take the time to learn about new educational technology and how to use it in their classrooms to enhance their students' education.
ReplyDeleteReferences:
Lee, S. J., & Kwon, K. (2024). A systematic review of AI education in K-12 classrooms from 2018 to 2023: Topics, strategies, and learning outcomes. Computers and Education: Artificial Intelligence, 6. https://doi-org.ezproxy.montevallo.edu/10.1016/j.caeai.2024.100211
Merrill, J., Merrill, K., & Miller, C. (2020). The interactive class: Using technology to make learning more relevant and engaging in the elementary class. ElevateBooksEdu.
AI has been so scary to me, I don’t want to be replaced by a computer or a robot like in the movies! The weekend before class presentations I taught a clinic with a friend, they put their work into ChatGPT and used it to create a worksheet for the clinic students! I was so shocked!! The worksheet was amazing! Thank you for picking this book and giving much more insight into AI for education and how it can help us rather than replace us!
ReplyDeleteThe infographics you included in this post were very helpful. I know that many teachers are scared of AI, but in one of my classes here at UM, the professor has taught us a lot about responsible ways to use it to be more productive. Your post reminds me of what Turner & Hicks (2017) have to say about digital writing using social media, blogs, and videos: the students are using these platforms anyway, so it behooves us to teach them to do so critically and responsibly. I think the same principal applies to using AI in the classroom. I can envision using AI to enhance one or more stations in a flipped classroom since that method uses technology for instructional purposes as well (Ramirez & Buitrago, 2022). For example, students could respond to a writing prompt, ask the AI to respond, and compare the two, or they could grade the AI's response to questions. Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteRamirez, M.A. & Buitrago, C.R. (2022). In-class flip: A student-centered approach to differentiated learning. International Society for Technology in Education.
Turner, K.H., & Hicks, T. (2017). Teaching adolescents to read and write digital texts: Argument in the real world. Heinemann.