AI in the Classroom: Supercharging Educator Efficiency with Free Tools

Outline

1. Introduction to AI in Education (5 minutes)

Content: Provide a high-level overview of artificial intelligence (AI) in education, focusing on its role in automating tasks, personalizing learning, and supporting diverse learners. Mention key AI tools like School AI and Magic School AI that help streamline classroom management, lesson planning, and student engagement.

Engagement:

Use a polling tool (e.g., Mentimeter, Poll Everywhere) to gauge the audience’s familiarity with AI in education.
Pose quick questions like, “How do you currently use technology to save time in your classroom?”

2. Live Demonstration of AI Tools (15 minutes)
Content: Demonstrate how to use School AI and Magic School AI to:

Generate lesson plans, quizzes, and assessments with a single prompt.
Create individualized learning plans (IEPs, BIPs) for students with special needs.
Automate administrative tasks like grading and class newsletters.
Engagement:

Device-based activity: Attendees will follow along on their devices as you demonstrate the tools. Ask participants to create their own AI-generated quiz or lesson plan using School AI.
Peer-to-peer interaction: Attendees will compare their AI-generated results with their neighbors, discussing potential classroom applications.

3. Interactive Classroom Applications (10 minutes)
Content: Showcase how AI can engage students, including examples of interactive learning spaces and personalized tutors created through these platforms. Highlight how AI chatbots can respond to student questions in real-time, even in different languages.

Engagement:

Group activity: Divide attendees into small groups and assign them the task of designing a classroom activity (e.g., a history lesson or science experiment) using AI tools like Magic School AI’s chatbot feature. Each group will select a historical figure or science topic, input it into the chatbot, and develop an interactive classroom experience.
Share: Groups will share their activity ideas with the larger audience.

4. Best Practices & Ethical Considerations (10 minutes)
Content: Discuss the ethical implications of using AI in education, including privacy, data security, and bias. Address how to implement AI responsibly, ensuring equity for all students, especially those from underserved backgrounds.

Engagement:

Small group discussions: Break into small groups to discuss how AI can be implemented ethically in diverse classroom settings. Provide real-life case studies for participants to review and discuss.
Q&A session: Encourage participants to share their thoughts and questions regarding the ethical use of AI.

5. Hands-on Lesson Planning with AI (15 minutes)
Content: Guide participants in creating a complete AI-generated lesson plan, using School AI. Walk them through customizing lesson objectives, activities, assessments, and how to differentiate for diverse learners.

Engagement:

Individual activity: Attendees will create their own lesson plans on their devices based on a topic of their choice.
Peer review: Participants will pair up and review each other’s lesson plans, offering feedback and discussing how they can integrate the plans into their classroom.

6. Wrap-up and Takeaways (5 minutes)
Content: Summarize the session's key points, reinforcing the practical uses of AI in reducing teacher workload and improving student engagement. Provide a list of additional AI resources and templates participants can take home.

Engagement:

Final reflection: Use a quick exit ticket via an online tool (e.g., Google Forms or Padlet) asking participants to reflect on how they plan to use AI in their teaching practice.
Q&A: Open the floor for any final questions or comments.

Supporting research

ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education) – AI in Education:

This resource explores the potential of AI in personalizing learning, saving teachers time, and improving student outcomes. It emphasizes the importance of AI tools in modern classrooms and offers case studies of AI’s impact on education.

EdTech Magazine – How AI is Transforming K–12 Classrooms:

This article highlights how AI-powered tools, such as School AI, are revolutionizing classrooms by automating tasks, supporting personalized learning, and helping teachers focus on high-impact activities.