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Did you ever imagine that a chatbot would help you complete tasks in a short amount of time? Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant have been around for some time, making getting information, setting reminders, and even knowing about the weather forecast easier. All these applications are A.I. powered. A.I. stands for artificial intelligence. Without knowing it, A.I. has become part of our everyday routines. The education industry is not exempt from it. Innovations are emerging and promising opportunities to improve students' learning. For some people, this could reduce human interactions between teachers and students. Dr. John Spencer explains in his Video How Will Schools Respond to the A.I. Revolution? “Just because technology can replace something, does not mean it should or even replace something” (2023). Others think this is an excellent opportunity to teach students skills that will be used in the future.
In the TED Talk video “How A.I. can Save (Not Destroy) Education,” Sal Kahn (TED, 2023) explains how artificial intelligence can assist students. He talks about his A.I. program Khanmigo created at Khan Academy. He provides different scenarios of how these resources assist students in developing new skills that will help them in the classroom. Kahn also addresses how having A.I. tutors available for students at any time of the day improves learning and why having all these resources available to students is crucial. Kahn cites how Benjamin Bloom further expands the two-sigma problem. He mentions how personal one-to-one tutoring to students can elevate an average student to exceptional and a below-average student to above average (2023). The inventions of A.I. tools in education can be used as support to enhance learning and, at the same time, teach students digital literacy.
Khan also explains how these resources can prepare teachers with lesson plans and even gives them examples of how to teach a concept differently (2023). Teachers must use different learning approaches from past years. They need to adapt all new technologies into their teaching methods. Dr. Spencer states, "Students need to develop soft skills that machines lack" (2023). As technology advances, the skills needed in the workforce will be different. Elizabeth Mann states, "Teaching students to become analytical thinkers, problem solvers, and good team members will allow them to remain competitive in the job market even as the nature of work changes" (2022). Students' Job opportunities will differ from today, and educators must adopt new learning strategies. “A.I. and other emerging technologies can be used to create scalable resources that support large numbers of students and others as they navigate education, training, and career pathways” (Mann, 2022). Learning how to use A.I. responsibly prepares students for the future.
A.I. Tools For the Classroom
As mentioned before, the education field is taking A.I. and incorporating it into the classrooms. These resources can help anyone, not only students and teachers. According to Ditch that Textbook, "The goal of A.I. research is to create systems that can perform tasks at least as well as, or ideally better than, humans” (n.d). The website has over 30 tools that educators can use as support in the classroom. "The best way to prepare students in the future is by empowering them in the present" (Spencer, 2023).
These are some of the tools that can be found on the website:
ChatGPT
ChatGPT is designed to be conversational and provide informative responses.
Education Copilot
Education Copilot provides A.I. generated templates for lesson plans, writing prompts, educational handouts, student reports, project outlines, and lots more.
Quillbot
Quillbot will help you paraphrase or rewrite the text.
Grammarly
Grammarly is your online writing assistant.
Canva's video background remover
Canva’s video background remover allows you to remove the background of any video with just the click of a button.
If you want to learn more about A.I. tools for the classroom, please visit the following website
Final reflections
Many questions arise with the use of A.I. If integrated into the workforce, will it impact the employment rate? For future generations, Is it going to minimize critical thinking and creativity? We are indeed evolving with technology, and without a doubt. Think of all the tools that will be developed in the future. A.I. has been around for some time, and more inventions will come out and significantly change society. Teachers should be able to use these resources and integrate them into their classrooms. Applying artificial intelligence comes with risks as new tools are emerging. However, if used correctly, A.I. resources can be an excellent addition to students learning journeys. As John Spencer stated in his Video, "We need Lo-Fi tools, hands-on learning, and a high-tech world with smart machines" (2023). Educators must learn about these resources and create meaningful lessons to help students prepare for the future. A.I. is not going away. Instead, we should learn how to incorporate it into our teaching practices to make students aware of all their available resources. As Dr. Spencer stated in his Video, "Teachers change the world; artificial intelligence is not going to change that" (2023). Let us keep learning and get prepared to teach students and prepare them for the future.
References
Mann, E. (2022, March 9). The role of A.I. in education and the changing U.S. workforce.
Spencer, J. (2023, January 10). How Will Schools Respond to the A.I. Revolution? #chatgpt
#artificialintelligence [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgygRCdHbmc
TED. (2023, May 1). How A.I. Could Save (Not Destroy) Education | Sal Khan | TED [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJP5GqnTrNo
30 A.I. tools for the classroom. (2023, May 2). Ditch That Textbook. Retrieved August 5, 2023, from https://ditchthattextbook.com/ai-tools/
Thank you so much for sharing these resources! This is so helpful for teachers!