AI’s Impact on Education: A Teacher’s Journey from Doubt to Discover

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the process in which computer systems are developed to perform tasks that typically require human characteristics. AI is growing in popularity all over the world and is now moving into the classrooms in our schools. With the advancements of AI, there is a growing fear in society…. will my job be replaced by a computer, robot, or some other form of Artificial Intelligence? There is talk of AI replacing jobs like accountants, customer service representatives, bookkeepers, etc. And as I was nearing my retirement, I felt a little at ease for myself, but I couldn’t help but wonder how AI would affect my own children’s future careers. All three of my children are now teachers, so I was a little worried that they might have to find new careers if robots were to eventually replace human beings in the classroom. Then came COVID.

Although it’s hard to imagine any good that could have come from COVID, I personally think it extinguished the fear in teachers about AI. When schools shifted to virtual learning there was such a disconnect between students and teachers, and it became obvious how important teachers are in educating the youth. Students were not learning without a body in front of the classroom, and so it highlighted the importance of the relationships we, as teachers, build with our students. My fears about AI replacing teachers were put to rest, and now I am starting to see the promise that Artificial Intelligence can bring into the classroom to help teachers educate their students.

While having a conversation with my son, I asked him if he had a template for a letter of recommendation. I had been asked to write one and I just wanted to be sure as to what colleges might be looking for now. He told me that he uses ChatGPT, and then he proceeded to ask me a few questions about the person who I was writing the recommendation for. I was especially impressed with my son, because when he was in high school, English was never his strong subject, and as an English teacher, I was always his go-to person to help him write assignments. He is now a Chemistry teacher, so imagine the role reversal here. When he finished asking me questions, he then produced a letter of recommendation which could have been written by me! I was so impressed because of how well written it was. Yes, of course, there were a few changes and additions that I made, but to think of how much time it saved me, I was astounded. I then went on to call my other son, who is a business teacher and asked him if he had ever used ChatGPT and he told me he had, and that AI is a great tool for writing letters of recommendation, lesson planning and coming up with supplemental materials. But as expected, it should not be used alone and without support.

That being said, I had been a teacher for 36 years, and there were times that I found myself looking for new materials, ideas, and incentives for my students. Although the students change from year to year, the subjects, books, and questions we ask are all the same. There are only so many ways that you can ask the same questions when reading The Lord of the Flies, multiple times a day for many years in a row. Now learning more about AI, I investigated it to see how it can be used to create worksheets and lesson plans. In addition, AI can be used as a tool at rewriting questions and leveling the text to meet the needs of classified students. By combining the required curriculum with the various questions that AI came up with, I had a new worksheet with additional topics to create for a class discussion. And even better, along with the worksheets, AI can also provide you with the answers as well. This can be beneficial for a new teacher who does not have many supplemental materials to embark on, when beginning a new career in education. I remember when I was just starting my career as a new Special Education teacher, going around and asking teachers for worksheets, and spending hours after school creating my own tests and answer keys, and then planning lessons for the week. AI can be used to effortlessly help with these chores, thereby giving the teacher more time to dedicate to teaching students.

Another thing that I’ve discovered is that AI can create rubrics for students to follow. By entering a few words of a topic, ChatGPT can then create a rubric along with explanations for different point systems for the requirements for that topic. Using this tool, it is very easy for students to see what is expected of them, so they are sure to include pertinent information at the level they are working at. This helps students improve their writing and their grades in class. Similarly, teachers can now get assistance with their grading, giving them more time for other tasks. While I personally cannot say I have met anyone who has used ChatGPT to help with their grading, apparently it allows a teacher to upload a rubric and assignment, and then it will grade the assignment. Like I said before, I would always recommend double checking the completed work to make sure it is accurate.

One other AI platform for teachers is MagicSchool. This is a supplemental source that teachers can use to help them educate students. Throughout the school year, you may find some time between an assessment and a break. This is the perfect time to explore and use MagicSchool as a lesson plan creator. The teacher inputs standards and activities to include in the lesson, such as group work and reading comprehension and then, MagicSchool will create lessons that include an introduction, the main lesson and an exit ticket/wrap-up. This tool can be used at any time of the school year, to create lesson plans or new activities for students.

In summary, Artificial Intelligence, otherwise referred to as AI, is a new technology with plenty of benefits. There are endless opportunities to use AI in the educational field to help and assist both educators and students. However, it is important to always remember that AI may not always be 100% correct, so we cannot rely on AI for the sole purpose of educating our students and assisting our teachers. But it is a great supplemental tool which can be used to minimize laborious tasks that teachers and students often get caught up in. AI can create activities, lesson plans, assignments, rubrics, and other time-consuming chores, but it can never replace the human side of teachers and their connections with students. AI doesn’t take the place of a smile and greeting from a teacher on a Monday morning after a sometimes long and difficult weekend. AI can be used to make our lives a little easier, however, the human touch of a teacher is irreplaceable, and I think we all know how important teachers are in the lives of their students.