My Journey with AI in Education:
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Insights from the Classroom |
After reading various articles from TCEA TechNotes and other sources, and watching videos about AI in education, it’s clear that AI is growing rapidly and has significant potential, especially for specific use cases. It can be incredibly helpful, when implemented and used correctly, for both teachers and students in improving the learning experience. AI is a practical tool being integrated into classrooms today, reshaping how we teach and learn.
From my own experience, I’ve seen AI as a powerful technology tool that can be used across different workspaces, including education. Educators can leverage AI to create learning experiences that motivate students to dive deeper into content, stay engaged, and become excited about learning new things. More importantly, AI tools can be used to address diverse learning styles and needs, visual, auditory, etc. So, every student has an equitable opportunity to succeed. We also want students to learn how to build, create, and share new solutions, skills they can use to contribute meaningfully in their communities.
For example, when I was teaching 4th grade, our school incorporated an educational (Ed) platform to assist us with various tasks and enhance the learning experience with AI tools. These tools supported us in generating lesson plans, scaffolds, and assignments aligned with evidence-based and standards-driven curricula. In my classroom, students used various AI-powered programs for about 20 minutes, three times a week. To build a hands-on understanding of AI, I formed student teams and assigned each one a different AI tool. This setup promoted collaboration and allowed me to differentiate instruction more effectively. One tool we used was AMIRA, an intelligent reading assistant that uses AI to provide personalized tutoring in reading fluency, decoding, and comprehension. We also used Progress Learning, which tailors instruction to each student’s needs, strengths, weaknesses, and interests. In addition, Google Docs supported writing instructions with grammar suggestions, spell checks, and other AI-based enhancements that improved students’ writing fluency and confidence.
These tech tools were incredibly helpful and allowed me to analyze students’ reading, listening, and comprehension skills, close learning gaps, detect potential signs of dyslexia risk, adjust lessons accordingly, make data-driven accommodations, assign tools aligned with specific standards, and guide students to personalized learning paths. These technologies not only save valuable instructional time but also allow for data-driven decision-making in the classroom.
When students develop real skills, like writing a story, sequencing events logically, summarizing, and presenting their projects to peers, they are engaging in the art of thinking. With AI tools to support their research, planning, and revisions, students can refine their critical thinking and communication abilities. If they’ve used AI to assist in idea generation or information gathering and are still processing and producing content independently, then AI is enhancing—not replacing—their learning. That’s the ideal integration of AI in education.
There’s so much AI can do to support educators. It can automate:
- Grading,
- Generate lesson plans,
- Translate content for multilingual learners, and
- Create assessments, and even offer real-time feedback on student progress.
AI can also serve as a professional development tool. Teachers can use AI-based platforms to upskill, explore new instructional strategies, or stay updated with curriculum trends.
Overall, maintaining strong pedagogy while integrating AI as a tech tool can significantly enhance learning experiences. When used wisely, AI is not just a time-saver; it’s a game-changer for both educators and students. It empowers students to become more autonomous, informed, and innovative learners while allowing teachers to be more efficient, impactful, and responsive to student needs.
Let's continue building our Teach-Tech-Community here! I'd love to hear your thoughts:
- Have you used AI in your classroom to support student learning?
- What kind of AI tools or platforms are you using?
- Are you implementing student stations and incorporating AI to boost engagement and personalize instructions?