A Case for AI in Classrooms
I urge us as educators to view AI through an equity lens. Increasingly, companies are seeking AI-related positions, including engineers, prompt engineers (yes, you read that right — individuals skilled in engineering prompts for AI tasks), data analysts, AI content generators/moderators, and AI trainers (experts tasked with training AI in human language and more), among others.
Often, we perceive AI as exclusive to the tech sector and “big data,” but this is not necessarily the case. AI enables smaller businesses to reach broader audiences, whether through data collection, user experience enhancement, automating repetitive tasks, or personalizing products. AI, especially with the advent of Large Language Models like ChatGPT and Microsoft’s Bing Search, has been around for some time and is gaining traction.
Beyond the workforce, AI is beginning to play a significant role in education — not only for students drafting, editing, and creating entrance essays and preparatory materials for college or university. AI is transforming learning by offering high-quality, on-demand tutoring around the clock. Students with greater tech literacy and access to technology at home are leveraging AI to teach themselves necessary or desired skills. They use AI to improve test performance, study, obtain quick explanations, perform queries, and enhance their learning and interests. If we fail to teach all students how to effectively use AI at school, and they lack the opportunity at home, we risk widening the gap in access, tools, and resources, exacerbating inequities for students from underrepresented and minority populations.
It is our duty as educators to bridge as many gaps as possible within our classrooms. The tech divide is a tumultuous quicksand that we must navigate sooner rather than later. Although our local district has not yet adopted an official AI tool for student use — often due to AI platforms imposing age requirements or lacking safeguards for content and other issues — we can start these important conversations with our students. More importantly however, as educators we have to begin that conversation now, which incurs some questions. How can I, with an already full plate, take on one more thing? How can I leverage AI tools at my disposal to aid my workflow? How can AI assist me in my daily work as an educator? And how can this be ethical?
Let’s explore how AI would answer the above questions:
How Educators Can Leverage AI to Enhance Workflow and Ethical Considerations
Educators face increasing demands on their time and resources, making the integration of AI into their workflow seem daunting. However, approached strategically, AI can significantly ease the workload. Here’s how educators can use AI ethically and effectively:
Automating Administrative Tasks: AI can take over time-consuming tasks, allowing educators to focus more on teaching. For example, grading multiple-choice and fill-in-the-blank tests can be automated with immediate feedback (as seen with Canvas Quizzes).
Personalized Learning: AI can customize educational experiences based on individual student performance and learning habits. Adaptive learning platforms and recommendation systems can adjust assignment difficulty levels and suggest tailored resources.
Enhancing Curriculum with AI Tools: Incorporating AI tools in the curriculum can engage students and enrich learning. Interactive AI tutors and creative projects foster creativity and support learning in subjects like math and language arts.
Efficient Communication: AI chatbots and virtual assistants can streamline communication, handle routine queries, and assist with scheduling and reminders.
Ethical Considerations: It’s crucial to ensure data privacy, avoid biases, and maintain transparency with AI tools. Additionally, there is often an internal struggle (if this tools is providing feedback, am I still educating my students?) Of course you are. Feedback from AI is a draft, and meant to serve as a starting place, just as we would ask students to use AI to assist in a draft outline for a project, we are engaging in the same practice. Additionally, feedback from the AI may even illuminate us to a piece we may have missed and us to it!
Implementing AI Tools: Start with a few AI tools to address the most time-consuming tasks, seek training and support, and regularly evaluate the impact on workflow and student learning.
By integrating AI into teaching practices thoughtfully, educators can reduce their workload, personalize learning for their students, and enhance educational outcomes. The goal is to make existing tasks more manageable and effective.
The logical question now is, how? In this month’s edition of the Hadley Herald, we will dive deeper into tools that can help you accomplish some of these tasks on the teacher’s end — with the goal of saving you time and energy.
Sources:
- chat.openai.com