Hello everyone! It is great to be back at the blog and have a chance to interact with my readers once again. As I present at HECC this week (November 9, 2023) in Indianapolis, Indiana I want to spend a moment bringing some wonderful ideas on AI and ChatGPT your way. Enjoy the read and please know you can contect me anytime at mjgormans@gmail.com or on my X(Twitter) Feed mjgormans. Perhaps you would like to see how I might provide more PD for your school, district, or organization. Please feeel to subscribe to this blog and share with others. Now… enjoy the read and the added AI! – Michael Gorman (21centuryedtech)
By now you have run into the idea of AI (Artificial Intelligence in education. It really is a simple concept. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is like having super-smart computers that can do things that normally only humans can do. It helps us by learning, solving problems, and making decisions, just like we do!
In education, AI can be helpful. It can make learning more personalized for each student. For example, it can figure out what each student needs help with and give them special lessons just for them. It can also give feedback on assignments and tests, like a virtual tutor. AI can understand and talk to us like a friend. It can help us with grading papers, learning new languages, and even do some of the boring administrative tasks like taking attendance.
By using AI, we can also look at lots of data to find patterns and understand how students are doing. This helps us figure out what works best in our teaching and how we can help students improve. Remember, AI is here to assist us, not replace us. It’s like having a really smart helper that makes teaching and learning more fun and effective!
Let’s drill down a little further and see how one AI application called ChatGPT can be used for educator productivity. ChatGPT is an advanced language model developed by OpenAI. It is designed to generate human-like text responses and engage in conversational interactions. ChatGPT can understand and generate responses to a wide range of topics, making it a versatile tool for various applications, including supporting teachers.
Here are a few ways ChatGPT can support teachers:
- Answering Questions: Teachers often encounter numerous questions from students, and ChatGPT can provide quick and accurate answers to many of these queries. It can assist in explaining concepts, solving problems, clarifying doubts, or providing general information across different subjects and grade levels.
- Planning Lessons: ChatGPT can assist in brainstorming and generating ideas for lesson plans. Teachers can provide a brief outline or specific topics they want to cover, and ChatGPT can suggest activities, resources, or strategies to enhance the learning experience for students.
- Generating Learning Materials: Creating worksheets, quizzes, or assignments can be time-consuming for teachers. ChatGPT can help generate relevant and engaging learning materials based on specific requirements or topics. Teachers can specify the format, type of questions, or desired difficulty level, and ChatGPT can provide suitable content.
- Language Learning Support: ChatGPT can be a valuable tool for language teachers. It can assist in practicing vocabulary, sentence construction, grammar rules, or even engage in conversational exercises. Students can interact with ChatGPT to improve their language skills in a more interactive and personalized manner.
- Providing Feedback: When faced with a large number of assignments or essays to review, teachers can leverage ChatGPT to provide preliminary feedback. While human grading and feedback remain essential, ChatGPT can assist by offering suggestions for improvements, highlighting potential errors, or providing additional context.
- Professional Development: Teachers can engage in professional development discussions with ChatGPT to explore new teaching methodologies, classroom management strategies, or to gain insights into educational research and best practices. It can act as a conversational partner, offering suggestions or resources to support their growth as educators.
What does this look like in the everyday world for teachers? Keep in mind that our focus is on teacher productivity and not student use. I thought asking ChatGPT to supply some real world examples for all of us might be a great way to show you the power of AI while also providing you some educational possibilities. Read through this response ChatGPT gave for the following question:
“What are ten ways of using ChatGPT for teacher productivity? Give four real world examples for each. Keep this in teacher friendly language.”
(As you read through the ideas supplied by ChatGPT, note that you can expand on ideas and thoughts with further prompts. This is called prompt engineering and this is where AI ends and our professional role expands even more)
ChatGPT Response:
- Lesson planning assistance:
- Real-world examples:
- Ask Chat GPT for ideas on engaging activities for teaching fractions.
- Seek suggestions for interactive resources to teach the water cycle.
- Request strategies to introduce Shakespearean plays to high school students.
- Inquire about differentiation techniques for teaching students with diverse learning styles.
- Real-world examples:
- Grading and feedback support:
- Real-world examples:
- Ask Chat GPT to review and provide feedback on student essays or assignments.
- Seek guidance on creating a rubric for assessing science experiments.
- Request suggestions on providing constructive criticism while grading artwork.
- Inquire about effective ways to give feedback to students who struggle with spelling.
- Real-world examples:
- Personalized learning recommendations:
- Real-world examples:
- Ask Chat GPT for online resources tailored to individual student needs in math.
- Seek book recommendations for advanced readers in elementary school.
- Request strategies for supporting English language learners in the classroom.
- Inquire about adaptive technology tools for students with special needs.
- Real-world examples:
- Classroom management strategies:
- Real-world examples:
- Ask Chat GPT for ideas on fostering a positive classroom culture.
- Seek strategies for addressing conflicts among students during group work.
- Request tips for managing transitions between activities effectively.
- Inquire about techniques to promote active student engagement during lectures.
- Real-world examples:
- Professional development guidance:
- Real-world examples:
- Ask Chat GPT for recommendations on educational conferences or workshops.
- Seek resources for staying updated on the latest teaching methodologies.
- Request suggestions for online courses or certifications to enhance teaching skills.
- Inquire about strategies for building a professional learning network (PLN).
- Real-world examples:
- Differentiation techniques:
- Real-world examples:
- Ask Chat GPT for ideas on adapting a lesson for students with visual impairments.
- Seek strategies to differentiate instruction for gifted and talented students.
- Request approaches for supporting struggling readers in a mainstream classroom.
- Inquire about modifications for students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
- Real-world examples:
- Technology integration ideas:
- Real-world examples:
- Ask Chat GPT for suggestions on using educational apps for teaching vocabulary.
- Seek recommendations on interactive whiteboard activities for teaching history.
- Request tips for incorporating video conferencing tools into remote instruction.
- Inquire about creative ways to use social media platforms for classroom engagement.
- Real-world examples:
- Parent communication strategies:
- Real-world examples:
- Ask Chat GPT for tips on effective parent-teacher conference conversations.
- Seek suggestions for engaging parents in supporting homework completion.
- Request strategies for maintaining regular communication with busy parents.
- Inquire about techniques to address parental concerns or questions with empathy.
- Real-world examples:
- Time management techniques:
- Real-world examples:
- Ask Chat GPT for suggestions on organizing and prioritizing daily tasks.
- Seek strategies for efficiently grading and providing timely feedback to students.
- Request tips for managing paperwork and administrative responsibilities.
- Inquire about techniques to balance lesson planning with personal life commitments.
- Real-world examples:
- Professional reflection and self-improvement:
- Real-world examples:
- Ask Chat GPT for prompts to guide reflective journaling about classroom experiences.
- Seek recommendations on books or articles to deepen understanding of educational theories.
- Request strategies for setting professional goals and tracking progress.
- Inquire about ways to seek and incorporate student feedback for instructional improvement.
- Real-world examples:
Remember, while Chat GPT can provide valuable insights and suggestions, it is important to use your professional judgment and adapt the information to suit your specific context and students’ needs. After-all you are the educator… your edits, and thoughts, and ideas are what separates the digital world of AI with the human, professional, and pedagogical practices found in education.
Reminder: You will also want to look at Terms of Use and Privacy Information of ChatGPT for your own knowledge. Keep in mind that the ideas provided are for educator use and not for classroom use by students. Also, remember that it is important to not put personal information into ChatGPT of either you, your students, peers, or others. You should also consult your districts AUP and administration for further guidance and expectations. At the time of this publication ChatGPT is free… please note this may change over time. This will be something you want to keep aware of. I wish you the very best on your AI journey!
Link to ChatGPT – https://chat.openai.com/auth/login
21 st Century Educational Technology and Learning 