From Skeptic to Pioneer: My Journey into Incorporating AI in Education

At the start of the school year, if you had asked me about using AI in my teaching, my response would have been a firm no. I harboured skepticism about whether AI could truly enhance my role as an educator or bring added value to my learners’ learning experiences. However, a series of eye-opening experiences and a shift in perspective have led me to embrace AI tools in the classroom. Please note that both AI tools mentioned in this blog, do require setting up an account, which can be done for free.

In November, I attended a regional professional development session organized by our school. During this event, I had the chance to participate in various sessions led by fellow educators from our network. As the school’s social media manager, I discovered how colleagues were leveraging ChatGPT to streamline the process of generating engaging social media posts. Intrigued, I decided to give it a try, and the results were astonishing. Not only did it simplify the content creation process, but it also saved me valuable time that I would have otherwise spent agonizing over each word.

Another AI tool that caught my attention was Magic School AI, specifically designed to assist educators in optimising their workflow. With over 60 tools tailored for teachers, I started experimenting with the Report Card Comments tool. Inputting a student’s pronoun, strengths, and areas for growth resulted in a professionally generated comment in a matter of seconds. While convenient, I quickly adopted the best practice of maintaining an 80:20 ratio to ensure that my unique voice still resonated in AI-generated comments.

While Magic School AI has proven invaluable in streamlining my lesson planning, I’d like to shine a spotlight on some additional tools that have become essential in saving me time on a daily basis.

1. Professional Email Tool: One of my go-to AI tools is the Professional Email tool, a game-changer for crafting concise and professionally worded emails. By inputting bullet points outlining my message, the tool swiftly generates a polished email. This has been a tremendous time-saver, allowing me to communicate effectively without sacrificing the quality of my correspondence.

2. Email Family Tool: Maintaining a professional yet friendly tone while connecting with families is crucial, and the Email Family tool excels at this. It’s important to note the significance of not sharing identifying or confidential information in any AI prompt. Recently, I needed to inform a parent about upcoming content in our Math class. Leveraging Raina, the chatbot associated with this Magic School AI, I effortlessly generated descriptions of the strategies we would be using in class. This proved especially beneficial as the strategies we employ in mathematics may differ from those parents learned during their school years. Below is an excerpt from the subsequent email I sent:

“Throughout the unit, we’ll showcase various strategies for both addition and subtraction. These strategies for addition include:

1. Traditional Algorithm: We will reinforce the standard method of adding numbers, starting from the rightmost digits and carrying over when necessary.
2. Place Value Strategy: Students will learn to break down numbers into their place value components (ones, tens, hundreds) and add them separately before combining the results.
3. Base Ten Blocks: We will utilize base ten blocks, a visual representation of ones, tens, and hundreds, to help students understand the concept of addition and regrouping.
4. Number Line: Students will practice adding numbers using a number line, which helps them visualize the progression from one number to another.
5. Mental Math: We will encourage students to develop mental math strategies, such as adding multiples of ten or using friendly numbers to simplify calculations.

By exploring these strategies, students will gain a deeper understanding of addition and develop flexibility in choosing the most efficient method for different types of problems.”

3. Math Spiral Review Tool: Gone are the days of spending countless hours generating homework assignments. With the Math Spiral Review tool, I now efficiently create relevant homework tailored to the grade level, specific topics, desired number of questions, and any additional criteria. In a matter of seconds, a comprehensive question set is ready for use. This newfound efficiency allows me to redirect my time and energy towards more personalised engagement with my learners. It’s a win-win, ensuring that homework remains purposeful while I can focus on fostering a deeper understanding of mathematical concepts in other ways.

4. Information Texts Tool: The Information Texts tool has proven to be a lifesaver, especially when confronted with the challenge of guiding my students through planning informational texts on diverse topics of their choice. From Domestic Cats to Lionel Messi to Safed Dara, a region in Tajikistan where I am currently based, the variety was both exciting and daunting. Enter the Information Texts tool. During a lunch break, I input prompts for each topic, and within 15 minutes, personalised informational texts were printed and ready for our learners to utilise. What makes these generated texts even more valuable is that they function not just as a research source but also as excellent mentor texts, guiding students in crafting their own high-quality informational texts. Not only did this streamline the research process, but it also served as an impressive resource, with one student expressing how impressed he was that I found relevant information about his chosen topic.

This transformative journey has not only saved me time but has also opened my eyes to the potential benefits of AI in education. The integration of these AI tools into my daily routine has undeniably elevated my teaching experience, allowing for more targeted and personalised interactions with my students. As I embrace the possibilities AI offers in education, I am excited about the continued innovation and efficiency it brings to our learning environment. An additional bonus is that I have saved enough time to reignite my passion for blogging again.