AI for Teachers and Students
By Gina Benz for SDPB’s Teacher Talk
In my school district this year, teachers have received consistent training on how to leverage artificial intelligence (AI), specifically large language models (LLMs), to enhance our lessons and maximize our time. I’ve primarily used two AI-powered platforms: Brisk Teaching and Magic School. They have saved me time making presentations and charts for my students, which gives me more time to prepare engaging lessons and provide valuable feedback. While AI could create those lessons and generate that feedback for me, I’ve chosen to use it for the more mundane tasks that don’t require a personal touch to match the culture and tone of my classes. That’s the positive side.
I’ve also had too many students turn in work generated by LLMs such as ChatGPT, so I’ve put a lot of work into redesigning my activities and assignments to be as AI-proof as possible. For instance, I might require detailed personal connections, references to class discussions, citations from specific texts I provided in class, or handwritten rough drafts. I’ve also revised my rubrics to be AI-proof by giving weight to those connections, references, and citations. Just as I have always proclaimed with gradeless classrooms, students will do the work (and do it on their own) when I provide time in class, when the task is meaningful, and when I am 100% present with them while they work. In other words, I get a lot of exercise while I walk around my classroom and sit next to student after student to help them grow in their knowledge and skills.
Today, SDPB’s Teacher Talk welcomes a special guest who has done a lot of work helping teachers not only use LLMs to make their teaching more effective and efficient, but also helping teachers teach students how to effectively, efficiently, and ethically use LLMs. Luke Cumbee is a 12-year educator in South Dakota who not only teaches high schoolers but also works for Gruvy Education, which has trained over 250 schools on responsible AI integration. You can find him on their YouTube channel G-R-U-V-Y Education and on their website: gruvyeducation.com.
