AI Tools For Teachers

The use of AI tools for teachers is on the rise, as of July 2023, 13% more teachers use ChatGPT in the classroom compared to February. The total is 63%. Of those using ChatGPT in their classes, 84% of teachers believe it positively affects their teaching. [source]

That’s because AI helps free up teachers’ time. But just like any tool, there needs to be a trained professional judging the outputs. Think of ChatGPT and AI as your personal assistant – it does the time-consuming and menial tasks, and you edit it decisively for your students.

Here’s how to start using AI tools in your classroom.

What is AI?

AI stands for Artificial Intelligence. It refers to computer systems that can perform tasks that would typically require human intelligence. AI enables machines to learn, reason, and make decisions based on data and algorithms. It aims to replicate or mimic human cognitive abilities like perception, problem-solving, and language understanding.

What is ChatGPT?

One specific type of AI is called ChatGPT. ChatGPT is an advanced language model developed by OpenAI. It has been trained on a large amount of text data from the internet, allowing it to generate human-like responses to text prompts.

ChatGPT is designed for natural language understanding and generation. It can converse, answer questions, explain, and offer suggestions. It is trained to understand context and generate coherent and relevant responses based on input.

AI terms defined

Prompt:

A prompt refers to a user’s input to get a response from the AI system. It acts as the starting point or guide for the AI to generate meaningful and relevant output. How we construct the prompt dramatically impacts the quality of the AI’s response.

Context:

If you’re getting outputs from AI that don’t fit your audience, you may need to provide more context. Context gives ChatGPT information about the audience to adjust reading level, tone, and more.

Completion:

Completion is another term for the output the AI model produces. You can refine your outputs by adding more context or background information to help improve outputs.

Why should you use AI in your classroom?

For teachers, ChatGPT can be a valuable tool. It can assist in automating routine tasks, such as answering frequently asked questions, providing basic information, or offering explanations on various subjects. It can also help students by providing personalized feedback, clarifying concepts, or acting as a virtual tutor for individualized learning experiences.

ChatGPT and AI can help reduce and even eliminate time-consuming tasks that bog down teachers daily. Teachers can get back to doing what they do best – teach!

How to use AI in your classroom

There are a variety of ways to use AI tools in the classroom. The best strategy is to take a task you hate or find too time-consuming and experiment with AI. Here are some examples of ways teachers use AI in their classrooms:

Modifications for special needs
Tailor subject to interests (give an example of X that relates to TikTok)
Write questions on a topic for retrieval practice, and even get explanations about right or wrong answers for feedback
Create concrete examples and analogies
Lesson planning
Design more relevant test questions so you aren’t using generic test questions
Create exemplars for modeling
Create rubrics for writing
Give students better, faster feedback

AI for first-year teachers

You don’t have to start from scratch as a beginner teacher. Instead, take the time to create homework, worksheets, and quizzes in ChatGPT.

Read our guide for free teachers resources for first-year teachers, including tips on using AI in your classroom.

Which AI tools to use in the classroom?

Some of the most popular AI tools that teachers have access to are ChatGPT and Microsoft Bing’s AI tools. Here’s a breakdown of the pros and cons of each.

ChatGPT:

ChatGPT is an advanced language model developed by OpenAI. It is designed to generate human-like text based on the input it receives. For teachers, ChatGPT can be a valuable tool in various ways:

Pros:

Natural Language Processing: ChatGPT can understand and respond to natural language queries, making interactions feel more human-like and intuitive for teachers.
Versatility: It can be used for various tasks, such as generating lesson plans, answering questions, and explaining a wide range of subjects.
Ease of Use: Teachers can interact with ChatGPT via a user-friendly interface, making it accessible for educators with varying technical backgrounds.

Cons:

Limitations: While powerful, ChatGPT might occasionally produce incorrect or nonsensical answers, relying on patterns learned from vast amounts of data. Use caution when looking at facts and data from ChatGPT.
Lack of Domain Expertise: It may not always provide specialized or context-specific knowledge that a teacher might require.

Microsoft Bing's AI Tools:

Bing’s AI Tools include various artificial intelligence-powered features, such as natural language processing and image recognition. While not specifically tailored for educational purposes, these tools can still be helpful for teachers.

Pros:

Bing Web Search: Teachers can use Bing’s AI-powered search to find relevant, up-to-date lesson planning and research information.
Bing Visual Search: This feature can help teachers discover educational content based on images, making it useful for visual learners and educators looking for visual aids.
Language Translation: Bing’s AI can facilitate communication with students and parents who speak different languages, enhancing inclusivity.

Cons:

General Purpose: Bing’s AI tools are not designed specifically for education, so they might not provide specialized educational insights or lesson plans.
Limited Academic Content: While Bing’s search can provide a wealth of information, it might not cover all academic subjects comprehensively.

Many education-based AI companies use the AI tech of companies like ChatGPT and create tools that utilize the tech.

How to write prompts in ChatGPT for teachers

If you’ve ever tried your hand at ChatGPT and been disappointed by the output, then you’re not alone. Creating effective prompts (or prompt engineering) takes some practice. But it’s similar to those times when you’ve given directions in the classroom and realized your directions weren’t clear. They need refinement. Giving directions to AI tools takes practice.

Here’s our guide for how to write AI prompts.

Ways to combat cheating with AI

One of the biggest hurdles to teachers’ adoption of AI in the classroom is the fear of cheating. But you’re more likely to understand how to deal with this issue if you’re well-versed in ChatGPT and AI.

Just as the onset of the internet and iPhones produced similar reticence, AI comes with new discussions on academic integrity. We must show students that ChatGPT is merely a tool, and students need to understand responsible use. But teachers can employ some techniques in the classroom to keep students more honest.

50 ChatGPT prompts for teachers

ChatGPT and other AI tools can save teachers time in the classroom. The key is to experiment to see what works. It does take a few tries to get good at writing prompts (prompt engineering). You can adjust the difficulty of output (writing a prompt for a 5-year-old vs a high schooler). Keep refining your prompts until you get something that fits your students and classroom.

We’ve compiled our favorite ChatGPT prompts that teachers can use in your classroom today.

I Do, We Do, You Do Simplified: Use AI To Implement Gradual Release In The Classroom

You can use AI to create I Do, We Do, You Do strategies in the classroom. We’ll walk you through the gradual release strategy and how you can use ChatGPT to streamline your lesson planning.

How can TeacherMade help you use AI tools in the classroom?

TeacherMade is the ideal platform to drop your AI-generated content. Once you make an assignment, writing prompt, quiz, or assessment, simply upload it to TeacherMade for your students to complete.

What is TeacherMade?

TeacherMade transforms your teaching materials into online activities that you can auto-grade.

Use what you have. Transform your existing Google Slides, Docs, and other PDFs into interactive activities in minutes. Or construct digital activities from scratch. The choice is yours.
Prevent teacher burnout with auto-grading. Regain your nights and weekends. 20+ question types are auto-graded for you. Scores flow straight into your online grade book! Even student-constructed responses are graded more easily in TeacherMade.
Measure what your students know. Students engage more deeply with the curriculum when they get instant feedback via the ‘Check My Answers’ button. Turn learning loss into gains.