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Artificial Intelligence in the Classroom

While much has been said about how AI is disrupting Education, much of this can actually be a good thing. Yes, there are new difficult challenges, especially for the higher grades, as its now more complicated to determine who actually produced the work. But why not embrace the parts that can actually make teacher's lives easier?

Teacher workload is strenuous. Getting AI to do some routine planning tasks that can use up so much mental energy frees up time for you to, just live your life. This can be done without sacrificing your autonomy.

Start by asking an AI to plan a lesson, a learning activity or a rich math problem.

Generative AI Tools

Google Gemini

ChatGPT

Bing/Copilot

Lesson planning

The key to using an AI is working with your prompts and tweaking them until you get it right. "Write me a lesson plan on x" will get you something, but likely not what you need for your class. Here's an example:

Prompt

Write me a math lesson plan that uses these expectations from the Ontario elementary math curriculum:

"B2.1 use the properties of operations, and the relationships between operations, to solve problems involving whole numbers, decimal numbers, fractions, ratios, rates, and whole number percents, including those requiring multiple steps or multiple operations

B2.4 represent and solve problems involving the addition and subtraction of whole numbers and decimal numbers, using estimation and algorithms"

Convert the applicable parts of the expectations into learning goals.

Include an introductory "minds on" activity to stimulate thinking, followed by a math problem-solving task that can be worked on in mixed-ability groups. Provide roles to facilitate all students being involved.

Include an extension activity for those who finish early.

Include prompts for the teacher to use when the students are stuck.

Provide some possible things to talk about in a consolidation part of the lesson at the end.

Create an assessment observation check-list for the teacher.

Reveal the lesson plan created by Google Gemini.

Math Lesson Plan: Shopping Spree!

Grade Level: This lesson plan can be adapted for Grades 4-6, depending on the complexity of the numbers used.

Learning Goals:

Students will be able to solve multi-step problems involving addition and subtraction of whole numbers and decimals. (B2.4)
Students will be able to use estimation to check the reasonableness of their answers. (B2.4)
Students will be able to apply their knowledge of operations to solve problems involving percents. (B2.1)

Materials:

Shopping flyers with various items and prices (you can create your own or find flyers online)
Scissors or markers (optional)
Chart paper or whiteboard
Markers or pens
Calculators (optional)

Minds On Activity (10 minutes):

Price is Right! (Whole Class): Show students several pictures of everyday items without the price tags. Ask them to estimate the price of each item. Discuss the strategies they used to come up with their estimates (e.g., past experiences, similar items). Briefly introduce the concept of rounding to make estimations easier.

Math Problem-Solving Task (30 minutes):

Shopping Spree! (Mixed Ability Groups): Divide students into groups of 3-4 with mixed abilities. Distribute shopping flyers (or create a list of items with prices) to each group. Explain that they are going on a shopping spree with a budget of $50 (or any amount you choose).
Roles: Assign roles within each group:
- Reader: Reads the item descriptions and prices.
- Calculator (optional): Uses a calculator for computations (can be helpful for higher grades).
- Recorder: Writes down the chosen items and their prices.
- Checker: Estimates the total cost after each item and checks the reasonableness of the final calculation.
- Groups can rotate roles throughout the activity.
Shopping Challenge: Students browse the flyers and choose items within their budget. Encourage them to consider different options and find good deals.
Calculations: Students add the prices of the chosen items to find the total cost. They should estimate the total throughout the process using rounding. Calculators can be used as an option, but encourage mental math where possible.
Discounts! (Optional - Percent Application): Introduce flyers with discount offers (e.g., 10% off on all clothing). Students can calculate the discount amount and subtract it from the total cost, applying their knowledge of percents.

Teacher Prompts (Differentiation):

Struggling students: Provide them with a pre-selected list of items with whole number prices to simplify calculations. Offer manipulatives or place value charts to help with addition.
Advanced students: Challenge them to find the best deals by calculating the price per unit (e.g., price per kilogram for fruits) and comparing options. They can also create their own shopping flyer with discounts.

Extension Activity (10 minutes):

Leftovers: For students who finish early, ask them to calculate how much money is left from their budget after their shopping spree. They can brainstorm ways to spend the remaining amount.

Consolidation (10 minutes):

Sharing and Discussion: Ask each group to share their shopping list and total cost. Discuss the strategies used for estimation and the challenges they faced.
Price Comparison: As a class, compare the prices of similar items from different flyers. Discuss why prices might vary and how to find the best value.
Real-Life Connection: Talk about the importance of budgeting and planning when shopping in real life.

Assessment (Observation Checklist):

Do students use estimation strategies to check their calculations?
Can students accurately add and subtract whole numbers and decimals? (B2.4)
Are students able to apply their understanding of percents to solve problems (optional)? (B2.1)
Do students work collaboratively within their groups?
Can students explain their thought process and reasoning?

Possible Adaptations:

This lesson plan can be adapted for younger grades by using simpler numbers and focusing on addition with whole numbers.
For older grades, you can introduce more complex calculations, such as multiplication and division, or explore different budgeting scenarios.

This lesson plan provides a framework for engaging students in a real-life application of math skills. By incorporating estimation, collaboration, and problem-solving, it caters to students of various abilities and promotes critical thinking.

Try it out yourself. You'll get a different lesson plan each time, so if you don't like what it produced, try it again or modify your prompt. You can also tell it to create lessons for split grades. What it produces is yours to

While this is lightening the load for the lesson planning, it's not actually removing the educator's skill and importance in the classroom. An AI can never deliver this lesson (well, maybe 500 years in the future when they are indistinguishable from humans). For now, nothing is different. A human teacher is still as critical as ever.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is "Generative Artificial Intelligence"?

Generative AI, also known as generative artificial intelligence, is a field of AI focused on creating new content, like text, images, music, and even videos. Imagine a machine that can write a poem, design a building, or compose a song. That's the power of generative AI.

Here's how it works: Generative AI models are trained on massive datasets of existing content. By analyzing these examples, the models learn the patterns and relationships that underlie different creative forms. Then, they can use this knowledge to generate entirely new content that follows those same patterns.