How to Empower Students with Innovative Curricula

Yesterday, I developed an AI tool that crafts annotated bibliographies. As an educator, why would I do this? Here's why: 🤖 AI Literacy: Students are already using AI to assist with their writing tasks. By formally incorporating AI into the course, my goal is to educate them about the capabilities and limitations of LLMs – like AI 'hallucinations.' 🎯 Critical Engagement: My assessment criteria have evolved. I'm no longer assessing their ability to gather and correctly summarize information. Instead, I encourage students to critically evaluate the AI chatbot's output and interrogate their sources, analyzing how each article contributes to their research questions and goals. 🔀 Process over Product: The journey of learning is now in the spotlight. It’s about understanding steps students take in their research exploration, encouraging them to value the research and critical thinking process as much as the final product. 💻 Technology Proficiency: Proficiency with AI tools is becoming as fundamental as traditional research skills. By integrating AI into assignments, students gain hands-on experience with LLMs. To be clear, the annotated bibliography remains a staple in my course. However, I've shifted our focus from mere information gathering to in-depth critical analysis. Students now perform comparative analyses, contrasting their own evaluations with AI-generated content. In addition, each assignment now includes a self-reflection component. Students ponder over their process of selecting articles, how well each source fits into their research framework, and what they have learned from their interactions with AI. 🔗 Explore the annotated bibliography generator and share your thoughts: https://lnkd.in/gHUCKsCG (P.S. Be patient when using this tool - it needs time to "think") . . . #educationinnovation #ailiteracy #futureoflearning #chatgpt #aiforeducation #llms

Texas State Board of Education brought me in today to testify about #math education and curriculum! I was impressed! They brought some students to testify first, representing a range of levels in math, all the way to very high end. Board was compassionate about everyone, and cared about people who were struggling. But they also were enthusiastic about exceptional performers (and wanted to make more). They asked kids who were really into math how to get other kids to also love math. They want kids to learn as much as they are ready for! Board members had interesting backgrounds. Several had taught in classrooms, but they were all also creators/entrepreneurs/business-owners. So, they were directly familiar with how world of employment is changing. I shared several messages in my remarks and the follow-up Q&A. In AI era, people must learn how to think adaptively. That makes math relevant as the equivalent of going to the gym to train for sport. But then it’s important to explore a different teaching style, where #teachers ask kids to invent their own ways to do problems, and have free ranging discussions about ideas where students are responsible for creating approaches, instead of just listening. An expert next to me put it well: when teaching a lesson, ideally one is prepared to discuss topics across a wider range of grade levels than the immediate level, to have such a rich discussion. I made the radical proposal that in order to be more adaptive to the rapidly changing post-AI landscape, teachers should teach fewer hours each day, with spare hours replaced by themselves continually learning new content, not even just in their own field. If profession is designed around teachers as perpetual scholars, that’s similar to professors, and might attract people who love lifelong learning to join. Teachers in the room were enthusiastic about this idea. One way to resolve shortage is to make it more attractive to be a teacher, not just financially but also operationally. There should also be less emphasis around testing a list of curricular knowledge points, so teachers have space to lead wide ranging discussions. I also shared that one way to excite students is through combining teaching with performing arts. I explained our experience with LIVE, where we hire professional actors to coach math people on charisma while math people teach in the creative-discussion way above. That shows that the approach is practically scalable. I shared that one of our focus areas going forward is to bring this type of learning to rural America, thanks to fact that we finally made online classes actually engaging for the masses. Texas State Board was really engaging to talk with! They are innovative and open minded. https://lnkd.in/eVYvM2ua If any other education boards want new ideas that rethink systems for the age of AI, I’m happy to share there too.

The biggest barrier in education isn't kids 'cheating' with AI - it's helping teachers learn to teach with it. 🍎 This summer, I've been working alongside students and teachers, listening and learning. Many conversations focus on "preventing cheating," but I think we're approaching this wrong. Students are naturally curious and resourceful - that's a strength we can build on. The real opportunity lies with educators: helping them feel confident and supported as they explore new ways to engage students through AI integration. This transition is crucial because it removes the stigma around AI use and transforms it into educational opportunity to work with AI as a thought partner - a skill that will be essential for graduating students. 🎯 That's why Eric Howe and I created "The AI Lesson Architect," a Custom GPT designed to help teachers create lesson plans that thoughtfully integrate AI. Here's an example that excited us: We developed a lesson on Immigration, Industrialization, and Social Movements (1870–1900). Instead of a traditional approach, students step into the shoes of people their own age from that era - new immigrants, young factory workers, teen labor activists. They create diaries from the perspective of factory workers, developing empathy and making personal connections to history. (this is one of a million examples that can come alive with a thoughtful creative approach to working with AI as new tool) When teachers feel supported and equipped, incredible learning happens. The future of education is about empowering educators to create experiences that inspire deeper understanding and connection. 🏫 I'm curious: What support would be most helpful as you explore AI in your teaching or learning environment? If this resonates with you, I'd love your help sharing this with the educators, parents, and administrators in your network. You can find The AI Lesson Architect GPT link in the comments below - feel free to try it out and pass it along. #EdTech #TeachingWithAI #Education #Teachers #AI #LessonPlanning #StudentEngagement

Friday was an incredibly rewarding professional learning day with our high school staff! Our discussion on how teachers and students can use AI as a co-pilot, not a crutch, was thoughtful and eye-opening. We started with a Curipod Vocabulary Hustle review and dove into prompt engineering using the PREPARE framework from Dan Fitzpatrick. Teachers developed their own creative prompts and tried them using multiple LLMs. Next, we explored tools like fobizz which even the most cautious and skeptical teachers felt comfortable using due to its data protection measures. To shift to a discussion on student use of AI, we reviewed a modified AI Assessment Scale initially developed by Leon Furze and the AI for Education curriculum. Teachers are eager to create a plan to introduce students to AI and have honest conversations about how it can be a helpful and harmful tool based on its use. Finally, we ended with a low-tech “Gots & Wants” reflection activity. Teachers got a lot out of this session, and I did, too! Next, we will provide more time to explore tools and plan how to move forward. What I learned from this experience: 1. We cannot expect teachers to do this work independently. Administrators need to provide high-quality training and time to explore these tools. 2. Having an honest conversation about the possibilities of AI (both exciting and terrifying) goes a long way in building trust and understanding. Although AI excites me, to prepare for this, I listened to podcasts and read critical articles on AI to present a realistic approach. 3. Don’t focus on fancy AI tools. Center discussions around good instruction and the ethics and implications of AI in our schools. Thank you to the incredible teachers who engaged in this session. I’m looking forward to our next steps!

Crafting the Future: A Winning K-12 AI Adoption Strategy In the whirlwind of technological advancement, generative AI, particularly ChatGPT, has redefined the boundaries of knowledge work within an astonishingly brief period of 16 months. This seismic shift presents both unparalleled opportunities and significant challenges, especially in the realm of K-12 education. The Challenge: Educators and students stand at a crossroads. The integration of AI into educational curricula raises concerns among faculty, fearing the potential erosion of critical thinking and creative skills. ◾ English teachers see AI's text generation as a threat to writing skills. ◾ Art teachers are unsettled by AI's ability to produce images and videos. ◾ History, Physics, Geometry, and Algebra teachers are concerned about the ability for ChatGPT to offer answers based on a screenshot of a worksheet. A Forward-Thinking Partnership: In January, I had the opportunity to meet with a private school that is very forward thinking. We sat in a room for 90 minutes and discussed the possibilities of teaching AI as part of the class, having students create prompts and review output as part of the class discussions. I was invited back last week and we spent 2 hours in a closed door session with the owner, head master, 7 teachers from all the disciplines and discussed how to implement an AI adoption strategy that both takes into account the ethical implications of this technology and areas of resistance. The culmination of these discussions was a 12-month roadmap that I presented, ambitiously condensed by the school's request into a 6-month timeline. The Roadmap to Adoption: This strategic plan (shared below) encompasses not just the academic implications of AI but also its potential to revolutionize administrative functions such as marketing, admissions, data analysis, and content creation. My role involves mentoring both the academic and administrative teams, guiding them through the evaluation, testing, and adoption of generative AI tools. Looking Ahead: As we stand on the brink of finalizing this comprehensive AI adoption plan, I am filled with anticipation for the transformative journey that lies ahead. This initiative is not merely about integrating new technology; it's about preparing our next generation for a future where AI is an integral part of problem-solving and creative expression. Stay tuned as I share updates on our progress, insights from this initiative, and the impact of our collective efforts on shaping an AI-empowered educational landscape. Your thoughts and experiences with AI in education are invaluable—let's discuss how we can navigate this new frontier together.