Generative AI Applications for the K-12 Classroom

In today’s episode, we'll review deep research results that include 3 teacher strategies and 7 student-facing practices for effectively using generative AI in K-12 Education. Visit AVID Open Access to learn more.

Transcript

Paul Beckermann 0:00 Welcome to Tech Talk for teachers. I'm your host, Paul Beckermann.

Transition Music with Rena's Children 0:09 Check it out. Check it out. Check it out. What's in the toolkit? Check it out.

Paul Beckermann 0:15 The topic of today's episode is generative AI applications for the K-12 classroom. In the past two episodes of Tech Talk for Teachers, I've unpacked the deep research features in both Google's Gemini and OpenAI's ChatGPT. To test them out, I used the prompt: "Act as a K-12 educational research expert. Research best practices in using generative AI in K-12 schools, focus on US schools during the past two years, generate a list of top 10 most popular and effective strategies."

The focus on those two episodes was the deep research tool itself and the process of using it. However, as I put those episodes together, I was very intrigued with the actual search results that deep research was building. Because I found the results so intriguing, I decided that a review of those lists warranted its own episode.

So today I'm going to share some of the discoveries I uncovered through the research I completed while testing the deep research functionality. It's a list of the top 10 strategies for using generative AI in K-12 classrooms, and it's broken into two parts: a list of three top teacher uses and seven student-facing strategies.

To begin, I want to provide a little bit of the context that Gemini's deep research revealed. The first point here is probably not surprising, but it's a good starting point of reference. Anyone connected with schools has most likely noticed how fast generative AI has been adopted by both students and staff. The adoption rate has been so fast that it has outpaced schools' abilities to keep up with these changes. Because of this, there's a need to catch up in regards to both AI policy and, more importantly, best practices in regards to teacher use.

The highest area of use is applied to tasks that can save teachers time. Again, this is not surprising. An AI and Education report from the Cengage group discovered that 52% of teachers used AI to create course content, 71% used it to assist in lesson planning and supporting lectures, and 68% used it to create quizzes and assessments. There's never enough time in a teacher's day, so it's very understandable that teachers would lean on anything that could help them save time and get a few minutes back.

This time-saving effect can have a positive impact on student learning as well, as it allows teachers to reallocate time saved for high-leverage human activities, such as fostering meaningful discussions, providing individualized support, and facilitating reflective learning experiences. This human-centered focus was a key theme in the findings supplied by Gemini deep research, something that's exemplified by Washington State's "human-AI-human" model. This model argues that generative AI engagement should always start with human inquiry and always end with human reflection, human insight, and human empowerment. The human is at both ends of the equation—the beginning and the end.

I also found it interesting that the most popular strategies were tasks that saved teachers time, while the most effective strategies were those that were more student-facing. The most effective strategies reimagined and improved the learning experience at the student level. So with that context in mind, let me share some lists with you. I created them by combining points from both Gemini and ChatGPT deep research results. The first list is a summary of the three most popular teacher uses of generative AI.

Transition Music with Rena's Children 3:50 Here are your three, here are your three tips. Here are your three tips.

Paul Beckermann 3:55 So number one: differentiation and scaffolding. Teachers commonly use AI to instantly generate leveled texts, customized graphic organizers, translations, and vocabulary supports. This is not only popular, but also effective as it improves accessibility and comprehension for diverse learners. This use was prominently highlighted by both ChatGPT and Gemini.

Number two: resource generation. This is related to number one, but it's broader and includes streamlining administrative tasks such as generating IEPs, lesson plans, and content outlines. These tasks can be done with generative AI chat bots like ChatGPT and Gemini, and they can also be facilitated with teacher-specific tools like Magic School and School AI.

And number three: assessment generation. Teachers have been frequently using AI to help create test questions, align quizzes, and put together diagnostic reports.

Paul Beckermann 4:26 This not only streamlines the time-consuming process of grading, but it also provides insights to guide data-driven instruction when used to create formative assessments. It also provides valuable practice opportunities for students. AI can create self-grading quizzes, flashcards, study guides, and more to provide immediate feedback that can be both valuable and timely.

So those are the most common ways teachers are using generative AI. Now let me shift to student uses. While teacher-centric practices are important and can free up valuable time for teachers to do more work individually with students, the student-facing strategies are the ones that have the most potential for transforming the actual learning experiences. This is also where the majority of the deep research results were focused. Here is a list of seven student-facing strategies that were highlighted as effective approaches in the research. Here are your seven, seven, seven.

Number one: AI-powered tutors.

Paul Beckermann 5:08 This was a top strategy on both lists, and it makes sense. Tutoring is one of the most impactful approaches we can implement in the classroom. It's also time-consuming and resource-intensive. The introduction of generative AI into the equation has suddenly made tutoring more realistic and scalable.

ChatGPT cites the Edutopia article, "AI tutors can work with the right guardrails." These AI tutors mimic the benefits of one-on-one instruction, adjusting to student needs, providing hints step-by-step, and prompting deeper thinking. Studies cited in the article point out that students using the guided AI tutor scored dramatically higher on practice problems without harming performance on real tests. Teachers also report higher engagement and motivation when students use these tutors to explore material at their own pace.

Paul Beckermann 6:18 Number two: differentiated learning materials. This one ties directly back to one of the teacher time-saving strategies, and it's definitely a win-win item on the list. Not only does AI help save time and make differentiation more possible, it also has a positive impact on student learning, removing barriers by improving student access to the content at appropriate levels.

Number three: automated feedback. Feedback is key to the learning process. Students need to know if they're on the right track or not so they can make the necessary changes to improve. Feedback is also one of the most time-consuming tasks a teacher faces each day. Tools like Magic School and School AI have developed student-facing AI tools in their ecosystems that provide automated feedback to students on their work, often shaped by teacher input during the design phase of the process. Enlighten...

Paul Beckermann 6:58 ...AI is a newer product that is gaining popularity as a writing feedback and assessment tool, one that isn't intended to replace the teacher, but rather help to make timely feedback on writing more efficient and realistic.

Number four: interactive role-playing via AI chat bots. In some ways, this is like the automated feedback in the form of a character or historical figure. Teachers are leveraging prompts to direct chat bots to take on personas and carry on conversations with students. Tools like Khanmigo and Magic School have pre-made templates that teachers can share with students and require very little work on the teacher's part. Engaging with these personas is both engaging and insightful. For instance, students can now speak with Thomas Jefferson about the Declaration of Independence, or chat with Atticus Finch, the lawyer in To Kill a Mockingbird.

Paul Beckermann 7:48 World Language teachers can even use this as a way for their students to have conversations with the chat bot in a language that they're studying. It's great practice. While these experiences may occasionally communicate incorrect content, they can provide a safe and feedback-rich learning opportunity for students.

Number five: project-based learning. Rather than ban AI, many teachers are redesigning assignments to incorporate generative AI as a tool, in some ways "AI-proofing" their assignments and assessments. The key is to target authentic learning opportunities and then help students define and understand the steps in that process where AI both fits and is acceptable. Project-based learning is an opportunity to push deeper learning and problem-solving in a real-world, authentic context. The AI acts as a knowledgeable problem-solving partner in the process. To foster transparency, some teachers will have students document when and how they use their AI partner during the process.

Paul Beckermann 8:43 Tasks that are often targeted include drafting, generating, and revising content in repeated cycles with the student as the active creator.

Number six: AI-assisted writing and revision. This one is a bit controversial and an area that has caused concern among some teachers, especially writing teachers. How do we make sure that students are still learning to write on their own, while also empowering them with the skills and knowledge about how AI might help in the process? There is no perfect answer to this question, and many adults are still trying to figure out how to use it in their own writing. In many cases, teachers are working to help students identify which tasks in the writing process are AI-friendly and which should be done without the use of generative AI. A big part of that involves open and honest communication. It also means providing examples and guidance, such as how to use AI to spark ideas and suggest improvements.

Paul Beckermann 9:43 Sample prompts can be shared with students to help in this process.

And number seven: AI literacy and ethics exercises. Teachers have realized that they need to help students learn how to navigate and use generative AI, both for the sake of academic integrity and to help students become knowledgeable, skilled users of generative AI, both in and out of the classroom. Students need to know how AI works, its limitations, and how to use it effectively and responsibly. Tools like AI Trust You from the Laguna Beach Unified School District and free resources from organizations like News Literacy Project and Common Sense Media are available to help guide teachers through this process.

All right, that's a lot, and I admit each of these items on the list probably warrants its own podcast episode. Still, I think a general overview is helpful. It's a way to reflect on your own use of generative AI and potentially set some new goals for yourself.

Paul Beckermann 10:48 Which strategies from the list have you tried, and which are areas that you could still explore? Are there any areas of generative AI use that you haven't tried that might potentially save you time and improve student learning? If the answer is yes, pick one, dig in and give it a try.

To learn more about today's topic and explore other free resources, visit Avid Open Access.org. Specifically, I encourage you to check out the article collection, "AI in the K-12 classroom," and, of course, be sure to join Rena Winston and me every Wednesday for our full-length podcast Unpacking Education, where we're joined by exceptional guests and explore education topics that are important to you. Thanks for listening. Take care and thanks for all you do. You make a difference.