SLATE Conference 2024

Welcome to the resource page for "Empowering Educators: Transforming Teaching with AI Tools," presented at SLATE 2024!

I’m thrilled to collaborate with my colleague and friend, Mr. Nathan Klein, a social studies teacher and a phenomenal, forward-thinking educator. It’s an honor to work alongside him as we strive to empower our students to take ownership of their lifelong learning journeys.

Together, we embrace technological innovations like AI with open arms—not just as a new frontier, but as a pathway to a brighter, more dynamic future. This resource page highlights practical tools and strategies shared during our presentation, aimed at addressing common challenges educators face while enhancing efficiency, impact, and creativity in the classroom.

Introduction

As educators, we face the constant challenge of balancing our time and energy between planning, teaching, grading, and providing personalized support for students. AI offers transformative capabilities to help solve these challenges, allowing us to reclaim time for what matters most: connecting with students and fostering meaningful learning experiences.

AI tools excel at reducing time spent on repetitive or expert-level tasks. Just as AI can restore old photographs or upscale images in seconds, it can also streamline lesson planning, provide tailored feedback, and create engaging review activities for students. However, understanding AI’s limitations is critical to its responsible use. Educators must approach AI critically, leveraging its capabilities while maintaining oversight and ensuring alignment with ethical teaching practices.

Our goal is to share our favorite AI tools, explain their use cases, and provide practical tips for making the most out of them. Below, you’ll find solutions organized by key challenges in education.

Lesson Planning

One of the most time-consuming tasks for educators is lesson planning. AI tools can help by generating instant lesson activities, bell ringers, or exit tickets tailored to your specific needs. By using these tools, you can save time and focus on engaging students more effectively.

Favorite Tools for Lesson Planning:

Brisk Boost: Quickly create standards-aligned lesson plans.
- Tip: Input specific objectives or themes to get more tailored outputs. Pair with existing materials.
Magic School: Offers interactive lesson plans and activities.
- Tip: Leverage templates to adapt for various grade levels and subjects.
Pear Deck: Facilitates interactive lessons and formative assessments.
- Tip: Integrate with Google Slides or PowerPoint for real-time feedback.

Providing Real-Time, Formative Feedback to All Students

With large class sizes, providing personalized, real-time feedback can seem impossible. AI tools analyze student work quickly, offering tailored suggestions to help meet diverse learning needs. These tools are designed to save time while ensuring students receive meaningful insights on their work.

Favorite Tools for Real-Time Feedback:

Class Companion and Brisk: Provides suggestions and real-time feedback based on student submissions.
- Tip: Upload rubrics or grading criteria for customized feedback.
Grammarly: Analyzes grammar, style, and clarity.
- Tip: Encourage students to self-assess before submission.
Google’s Gemini and Microsoft Co-Pilot: Provide advanced insights on written work.
- Tip: Integrates with Google Classroom or Microsoft Teams

Providing Meaningful Feedback at Scale

When grading large projects, offering detailed and meaningful feedback can be challenging. AI tools allow you to refine and personalize feedback quickly while maintaining clarity and compassion. These tools streamline the feedback process, ensuring your comments are both effective and efficient.

Favorite Tools for Meaningful Feedback:

Dictation Apps (e.g., Apple Notes): Record thoughts while reviewing work.
- Tip: Speak naturally and refine transcripts later.
ChatGPT: Summarizes and refines dictated feedback.
- Tip: Use the Memory feature to adapt to your preferred style.
TextExpander: Stores reusable prompts and feedback templates.
- Tip: Organize snippets by category for quick access.

My Go-To Prompts for Streamlining Educator Workflows

AI can simplify tasks with carefully crafted prompts. The Google Doc below contains some of my most used prompts to get things done quickly and reliably.

My Most Used LLM Prompts

Tailoring Practice and Review

Creating specific and meaningful practice materials can take hours. AI tools can generate customizable study guides, quizzes, and review games in just minutes. These tools also offer interactive options for students to engage with course materials in dynamic and fun ways.

Favorite Tools for Practice and Review:

NotebookLM: Transforms notes into interactive materials.
- Tip: Use the podcast feature for audio learners.
Quizlet+: Tailors flashcards and quizzes.
- Tip: Use it as a digital tutor for quizzing and explanations.
Kahoot!: Creates competitive review games.
- Tip: Use AI question generator to save time!
Gimkit: Gamifies learning with adaptive activities.
- Tip: Explore the “Homework” feature for asynchronous assignments.

Staying on top of things

In this fast-paced world, few things are evolving as rapidly as AI. (Honestly, this very webpage might feel outdated by the time you finish reading it!) Those who know me well know I have a favorite way to stay in the loop: tuning into tech podcasts that dive headfirst into this ever-changing field. It’s my go-to method for keeping up with the latest breakthroughs, ideas, and debates shaping our technological future.

Here are a few of my favorites:

Website: Hard Fork - The New York Times

Hosts: Kevin Roose is a technology columnist for The New York Times, known for his expertise in AI, social media, and the societal implications of technology. Casey Newton, founder of the Platformer newsletter, specializes in the inner workings of tech platforms, bringing deep insights into their impact on our lives.

Summary: "Hard Fork" explores the dynamic intersection of technology, culture, and business--and of course, sometimes jumps into the realm of education. Roose and Newton analyze emerging trends, provide sharp critiques, and discuss the societal ramifications of advancements like AI, social media shifts, and the ethics of innovation.

Website: Intelligent Machines - TWiT.tv

Hosts: Tech veteran Leo Laporte, media scholar Jeff Jarvis, and journalist Paris Martineau exlpore how AI is transforming our world. With deep industry insights and engaging discussions, they break down the promises, challenges, and realities of the AI revolution.

Summary: From self-driving cars to smart appliances, AI is rapidly transforming everyday life. This podcast dives into the promises and challenges of intelligent technology, featuring conversations with pioneers, inventors, and industry leaders. Listeners will gain insights into what’s real versus hype, helping them navigate the future of AI with clarity.

Website: AI Inside

Hosts: Jason Howell is a veteran tech podcaster with nearly 20 years of experience, known for his work on shows like "This Week in Tech" and "All About Android." Jeff Jarvis is a media expert and technology commentator, co-founder of Entertainment Weekly, and author of books examining technology's societal effects.

Summary: "AI Inside" delves into the complexities of artificial intelligence and its impact on the world. Howell and Jarvis engage in thoughtful dialogues with industry experts, exploring AI's promises and challenges without overhyping its potential or dismissing public concerns.

Website: This Week in Tech - TWiT.tv

Host: Leo Laporte, a veteran technology broadcaster, is the founder of the TWiT Podcast Network. Known for his engaging and conversational style, Laporte brings decades of experience in tech reporting and commentary.

Summary: TWiT delivers in-depth discussions on the week's biggest tech stories, with a rotating panel of experts adding their insights. Topics range from AI and cybersecurity to the latest consumer tech products, making it an essential listen for tech enthusiasts.

Website: Techmeme Ride Home

Host: Brian McCullough is an internet historian and tech commentator who distills complex topics into digestible insights. Known for his concise delivery, he ensures listeners stay up-to-date on the most relevant tech news.

Summary: Designed for the busy professional, "Techmeme Ride Home" delivers daily, 15-minute updates on the most important developments in the tech world. From AI breakthroughs to major industry shifts, McCullough curates news that keeps listeners informed and engaged.

Fostering Integrity and Growth in the Age of AI

Like every other educator I know, I’ve always been passionate about helping students grow into critical thinkers and creative problem-solvers. When tools like AI began entering the classroom in November 2021, I saw an incredible opportunity for students to embrace this exciting technology—but only if they used it in ways that fostered real learning and growth.

That’s why I developed the Academic Integrity: Expectations and Code of Conduct posted below. If you find it useful, please feel free to use or adapt this document as you see fit.

Shareable | Academic Integrity: Expectations and Code of Conduct

To wrap things up...

AI tools offer immense potential to help educators save time, personalize learning, and engage students in innovative ways. However, it’s important to approach AI critically, treating it as a co-pilot rather than a replacement for human intuition and connection. (Microsoft got the branding right here, for sure! 😉)

I hope you find time to explore these tools, experiment with their features, and discover how they can empower both you and your students.

Happy teaching! 🙂

Page updated

Report abuse