Building Critical Thinking in an Age of AI

Outline

Outline for “Building Critical Thinking in an Age of AI”

1. Introduction (10 minutes)
Welcome and Objectives: Briefly introduce myself and outline the session’s goals.
Icebreaker Activity: AI Trivia Quiz using Quizizz to engage participants and assess their initial knowledge.

2. Understanding AI’s Impact on Education (20 minutes)
Overview of AI in Education: Discuss the current state and future potential of AI in educational settings.
Interactive Poll: Use Quizizz to gather participants’ opinions on AI’s role in education.
Think Pair Share: Divide participants into small groups to discuss the benefits and challenges of AI in education. Each group shares their insights.

3. Fostering Critical Thinking Skills (20 minutes)
Defining Critical Thinking: Explain what critical thinking entails and why it’s crucial in the age of AI.
Case Studies: Present real-world examples where AI has been used to enhance critical thinking. Have participants analyze and discuss these case studies.
Role-Playing Scenarios: Provide participants with several various scenarios that students/teachers/admin face and show them how platforms like MagicSchool, Copilot, Gemini, Eduaide, etc) can be used to help solve the problem.

4. Designing AI-Driven Learning Activities (30 minutes)
Examples of AI Tools: Participants explore various AI tools that can be integrated into the classroom (e.g., Diffit for student activities, Brisk for providing writing feedback and creating slide decks).
Interactive Discussion: Facilitate a discussion on how these tools can be used to design learning activities that promote critical thinking.

5. Assessing Critical Thinking in an AI-Enhanced Environment (20 minutes)
Assessment Strategies: Discuss different methods to assess critical thinking skills ( Harvard's Critical Thinking Toolbox from Project Zero, UDL and PBL resources. Show how AI can be use to enhance these resources.
Interactive Poll: Use a poll to gather participants’ thoughts on the most effective assessment strategies.
Group Activity: Have participants design an assessment plan for a hypothetical AI-driven learning activity and share their plans with the group.

6. Interactive Discussions and Q&A (5 minutes)
Open Floor for Questions: Allow participants to ask questions and share their experiences.
Feedback Loop: Use Quizizz to survey participants’ thoughts on the session.

7. Conclusion (5 minutes)
Summary of Key Points: Recap the main takeaways from the session.
Call to Action: Encourage participants to implement the strategies discussed and continue exploring AI tools in their educational settings.

Supporting research

Harvard's Critical Thinking Toolbox from Project Zero, UDL
PBL
Blended Learning
Microsoft for Educators AI course
Google for Educators AI course