This work is not my own. I have gathered the content from sources much smarter than me. Sources are in the links provided below. The content does not reflect any formal policy or stance on the use of AI in our schools. It is curated to help inform. This content focusses on the opportunities and challenges in our education system. Scroll through this gathering of information that I add to each month. I am genuinely more excited than fearful of what this offers to increase the learning of our students while offloading some of the admin tasks that sometimes reduce the number of "Aha" moments we try to create with our kids.
Table of Contents
- 2024 Updates May | Apr | Mar | Feb I Jan
- 2023 Updates | Dec
- What I use at work (NTSchools)
- AI Frameworks for Education
- AI App list
- Pros and Cons for AI in schools
- Cautions and safeguards when using AI in schools
Update May 2024
Mike Tholfsen's Spring 2024 (our autumn update) on Microsoft Education - including AI
A question from a teacher at one of our schools on AI in general...
"The AI influence here is exciting but also something to use with caution I feel, especially in our context at our school. Has the Department got any general policy around using AI in education yet?
This is a common question and in responding I wanted to include the content here. It doesn't represent a formal Departmental position, but I think it is useful and I want to thank Tim for his shared document that added succinct value to my response.
Starting at the top with the Australian Federal Framework for Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Schools - check it out - The Australian Framework for Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Schools - Department of Education, Australian Government
Then moving into a NT Government context, there is an Interim Advice covering Generative AI which I won't include all of it here, but to summarise some suggestions in the interim guide about what NOT to use AI for:
You shouldn't use AI for developing content based on official government information that should be kept private or the private information of customers without their authorisation.
AI tools should also not be used for:
- developing policies, strategies, other documents, images or other content without:
- verifying its output by subject matter experts and
- reviewing it to ensure accuracy and suitability
- developing creative works that are original (I would like to see a tangible example of this)
- verifying factual information.
AI tools often make use of stereotypes or clichés which can be problematic for government.
(My personal comment on the statement above, is that stereotypes, knowing they are AI generated could, in an educational context, be good writer’s provocation material. Thoughts?)
The UK writings on AI in education are easy to read and understand. They are also comprehensive. First check out the UK Generative artificial intelligence (AI) in education policy.
...and then onto details of a draft school level policy document. The formatting is not so great, but it is text so you can take what you like. Many thanks to Tim for sharing this. It is a little specific with acronyms – I like it because it provides some of uses and benefits… which come after the policies and guidelines have been cemented.
Enhancing teaching and learning
Staff may use AI systems for the following tasks:
- Simplify texts to support Lower Attainers or children with SEND, which may include combining it with using Widgit
- Using learners’ sentences / writing to create images for them to evaluate their writing
- Using Reading Progress / Reading Coach to provide individualised feedback, or for learners to create their own individual texts
- Creating specific WAGOLLs
- Creating images for lessons, as this avoids copyright issues
Supporting and reducing workload
Staff may use AI systems for the following tasks:
- Generating dictated paragraphs for weekly spelling tests
- Generating a set of assessment / test questions
- Creating Home Learning activities / questions
- Generating sentences / variety of word classes for a specific unit
- Creating overviews of lesson plans and Units of Learning as a starting point for planning
- End of year report statements
- Drafting emails and letters
- Summarising online documents
Designing prompts
Consider the following aspects:
- Persona: ask AI to take on a role
- Objective: tell AI what you want it to do
- Audience: specify who the content is for
- Specific: be precise and specific with your language
- Activity: explain in detail
- Boundary: set limitations and direction
- Iterate: be prepared to make adaptions and re-prompt
ChatGPT 4o is released. Watch and marvel at the demos. Finally the tsunami of AI continues with ChatGPT 4o has landed and if you have 16 minutes, watch this example interaction…
Update April 2024
Every week it seems that not only new AI apps are appearing in droves on a weekly basis, but the speed and capability of AI apps leapfrog eachother on a daily basis. In our school systems, students are blocked from using CoPilot because they are, well, students. This is a Microsoft choice and like Adobe, they are erring correctly on the side of cautiously making haste with getting students involved in this latest technology evolution.
Okay, I feel bad I haven't mentioned anything here about Firefly... that's because I tend to show it to our schools and not write about it... on that front, I am going to include a link to a fantastic presentation by Molly and Kaitlin and call out the cool tool you can use to check the content credentials of images that support embedding this type of information (like Adobe) that wants to ensure content authenticity can be shared. Also here is a link from Adobe about how to write effective prompts for image generation with Firefly
A private preview trial will be starting this year with students and I hope that some of our schools and students will be able to participate in the trial. Speaking of Microsoft, courtesy of their AI teams channel, I am fortunate to be introduced to some great educators working and sharing in the K-12 space.
There is a warning with this following link... it is so good and and rich in information and examples, you will find yourself spending a lot of time there, so I would bookmark it.
Update March 2024
Some amazing AI developments in the Microsoft Teams Class area where you can get AI to help you create an entire lesson complete with created rubric. I created a lesson with detail and resources in minutes along with a quiz that I was proud of.
CoPilot offers a variety of integrations and the ability to create your own CoPilots - This link describes the offerings and pricing models. It's all about Bing and Edge - Another Link to Check
Microsoft also launched Copilot Labs which I covered in episode 24C1 of SMOOTHIES. Check out CoPilot Labs where we are jointly building AI in the sky.
Reading Coach which is available for parents and students for free is now coming to a classroom near you. While this product is available in teams, having it as a standalone app will resonate with teachers and students who don't use teams. There is a migration process to get this working in an education tenant and here are the simple steps required for our MS Teams Admin. This product has some cool AI features that you can check out by clicking on the Reading Coach link above. Check out the graphic below.
Update February 2024
Fresh off the press - Many new features are coming to the Teams Classroom environment that makes use of the ever-expanding feature set offered by AI. Click the link below to read about the exciting developments that will transform prep time into performance enhancements to your teaching and student learning.
I am a big fan of Mike Tholfsen. His explanations are easy to understand and he explains from the perspective of an educator. Grab a smoothy, cup of tea or whatever relaxes you and sit down to enjoy this longish but oh so useful video on AI in education. For the time poor teacher, Mike even sounds good at 1.75 speed if you need to race through the video... What does he cover? check the list below the video...
AI in Education and the latest updates from Microsoft EDU - A deep dive video of Mike Tholfsen's full Bett 2024 presentation from last month. Includes:
- ✈️ Copilot
- 🏢 M365 Copilot
- 🧑🏫 AI in Microsoft Teams for Educators
- 🚀 Learning Accelerators
- 📖 Stand-alone Reading Coach
- 🎨 Designer
Digital Learning Day is a thing and Microsoft has created an Emerging Practice Guide for you to use. Check it out.
Update January 2024
From the famous Khan Academy comes Khanmigo - the AI powered assistant teacher and student coach. This costs USD 44 per year to cover ChatGPT 4.0 costs but for our educators and aspirational parents I recommend you take a look.
"Unlock generative AI safely and responsibly" - a new classroom toolkit from Microsoft Education. A resource that blends engaging narrative stories with instructional information to create an immersive and effective learning experience for educators and students aged 13-15 years.
Also check out this December 2023 blog post explaining how and what Microsoft are doing to expand CoPilot (their fusion of GPT-4 and Dall-E 3)
List of AI Apps and Sites
The list of sites below is provided from an AI newsletter site. It provides a good one line overview of what the AI site does. Exercise the usual care in reviewing the sites. Most are paid with a free trial. It is worthwhile reviewing the list to see the variety of ways AI is being used to add value or improve the way certain tasks are done.
Update December 2023
Back from holidays just in time for the holidays, I have caught up on my reading and include here some of the latest tidbits on AI from Microsoft and friends or acquaintances of Microsoft.
Microsoft Copilot with commercial data protection will be available to all faculty and higher education students ages 18 and above. And, Copilot for Microsoft 365 eligibility will now include education faculty and staff. Read More
This next is a must watch for any educator or education policy mandarin...
There are so many good points in this video, but I just want to focus on one statement.
The less you know about something the more likely you are to be convinced by answers provided by AI
If you've been following AI you will have heard about LLM. How does a LLM work? This following link has a really interesting visualisation of what these language models are all about and how tools like ChatGPT actually process the prompts that you send to it and provide you with answers. Take a look - it's really captivating.
Other Articles - Worth a read
- Nine Things to Know About Artificial Intelligence (yahoo.com)
- AI won't replace writing instruction (opinion) (insidehighered.com)
One of the contributors asked chatgpt for top 20 takeaways for teachers based on the report titled The "Generative AI Call for Evidence Summary of Responses" by England's Education Department that provides a comprehensive overview of how generative AI (GenAI) tools are being used in educational settings, the benefits observed, and the challenges faced. Here are 20 key takeaways for teachers grouped by theme (and apologies for the formatting):
- 1. **Creating Educational Resources**:
- - GenAI tools are used to design handouts, worksheets, presentations, images, model answers, and quizzes【7†source】.
- - Tailoring materials for pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)【7†source】.
- - In primary settings, creating reading materials and comprehension questions【7†source】.
- 2. **Lesson and Course Planning**:
- - GenAI aids in planning and designing lessons and courses, including experiments and assemblies【8†source】.
- - Used for producing schemes of work, particularly in secondary and further education【8†source】.
- 3. **Administrative Tasks**:
- - Automating tasks like writing letters and emails, content for newsletters, social media posts, press releases, summarizing meeting minutes, and producing institutional documents【9†source】.
- 4. **“Live” Use in Lessons**:
- - GenAI tools used during lessons to generate writing examples, explain concepts, convert texts to images, and as aids for tasks like essay structuring【10†source】.
- - Introducing students to GenAI technology【10†source】.
- 5. **Assessment Marking and Feedback**:
- - Helping write student reports, generate exam questions, mark or grade work, and create marking rubrics【11†source】.
- - Some experiments in using GenAI for critical appraisal of student work【11†source】.
- 6. **AI Skills Training and AI Literacy**:
- - Training colleagues and students on GenAI use and raising awareness of its risks and limitations【12†source】.
- - Embedding GenAI tools into course content【12†source】.
- 7. **Research**:
- - Used as a search engine for topic research, summarizing articles, and aiding data analysis【13†source】.
- - Supporting academic research, including generating research hypotheses【13†source】.
- 8. **Proofreading and Editing**:
- - Proofreading, simplifying, and improving the quality and readability of written outputs【14†source】.
- 9. **Transcription and Translation**:
- - Producing transcripts and translating texts【14†source】.
- 10. **Coding Support**:
- - Developing and checking code【14†source】.
- 11. **Student Use of GenAI**:
- - Students using GenAI for assignments, content creation, and as a search engine【15†source】.
- - Concerns about plagiarism and academic malpractice【15†source】.
- 12. **Positive Impact on Teachers**:
- - Saving time by automating tasks【17†source】.
- - Improving job satisfaction and work-life balance【17†source】.
- - Enabling more impactful work and professional development【17†source】.
- 13. **Enhancing Teaching Quality**:
- - Generating creative ideas and high-quality resources【18†source】.
- - Enriching knowledge to develop better learning materials【18†source】.
- 14. **Teacher Confidence and Development**:
- - Boosting confidence and improving digital skills【19†source】.
- - Supporting non-native English-speaking teachers in communication【19†source】.
- 15. **Engaging and Creative Resources for Students**:
- - Personalizing teaching resources, aiding pupils with SEND and EAL【20†source】.
- - Supporting disadvantaged students【20†source】.
- 16. **Regular Feedback for Students**:
- - Providing quicker and more personalized feedback【21†source】.
- - Fostering creativity among pupils through GenAI-assisted projects【21†source】.
- Challenges in Adopting GenAI:
- 17. **User Knowledge and Skills**:
- - Need for awareness of potential applications and ethical use【22†source】【23†source】.
- - Challenges in keeping up with rapid technological advancements【23†source】.
- 18. **Performance of Tools**:
- - Inaccurate content and bias in GenAI outputs【24†source】.
- - Need for reviewing and correcting outputs【24†source】.
- 19. **Workplace Awareness and Attitudes**:
- - Resistance and skepticism about GenAI's capabilities and impact on teaching【25†source】.
- - Lack of awareness among colleagues and institutional restrictions on GenAI use【25†source】.
- 20. **Data Protection Adherence**:
- - Concerns about safeguarding personal data and compliance with data protection policies【26†source】.
- - Restrictions on GenAI tool access due to data protection concerns【26†source】.
- These takeaways offer insights into the varied applications of GenAI in education, reflecting both its potential and the need for careful management and training to optimize its use.
AI Guidance for Schools
Strongly recommend you look at this website and the AI Guidance for Schools Toolkit
A warning - my head hurt after reading the Quantum Physics example in the education section.
K-12 schools are quickly coming to terms with four significant issues related to generative AI:
- How to create policy that addresses generative AI use among students and in schools;
- How faculty and staff can effectively use generative AI capabilities as instructional tools;
- What generative AI means in terms of K-12 schools’ responsibility to prepare learners for success in the workforce; and
- How schools define cheating, plagiarism, and appropriate AI use.
Here is a great resource for those looking to create a set of resources for faculty, staff, and students regarding Generative AI. The University of Michigan has launched new Azure Open AI Services. They have this webpage available for campus constituents so that they can find out more about GenAI is all about. It might be helpful to you as you and your teams consider resources for your campuses.
Teachermatic is an AI tool that promises "Our goal is to help teachers reduce workload, improve productivity, and find a better balance in their lives"
A school technology specialist in Georgia said generative AI can be useful for creating presentations quickly, brainstorming ideas for activities and discussion questions, and creating images to introduce generative AI.
Her are Brooks' three strategies for educators to introduce AI into their teaching:
1. Create presentations in seconds with AI
Brooks uses text-to-presentation tools, like Curipod and SlidesAI.io, that use AI to create slide decks in seconds with prompts. Curipod also allows users to input the topic they want to teach along with the grade level and standards, said Brooks. The program automatically inserts interactive elements, such as polls and word clouds, into the presentations it generates.
The speed at which generative AI tools can create a polished presentation is impressive, but Brooks cautions that teachers still need to double check to make sure everything is accurate. AI chatbots sometimes give inaccurate information or make things up. (See how a a chatbot that pretends to be historical figures made up information about former President Barack Obama's education policy record.)
2. Get an assist on lesson plans and communications
While there are new tools coming out that build on ChatGPT, teachers can also use the original tool to help them with many day-to-day tasks, such as checking grammar, generating ideas for classroom activities, and coming up with discussion questions.
"If I have to write an email to a parent, I will put it in there and have [ChatGPT] proofread it," said Brooks. "You can specifically say, 'make that a little more friendly, please.'"
Brooks also said she uses ChatGPT to refresh her lesson plans. Teachers can give ChatGPT very specific prompts, Brooks said, such as: "Give me a writing prompt for fourth graders on the Civil War."
"I'm always looking for new ideas," she said. "So I have asked it before, 'here's my lesson plan, do you have any additional ideas?' Or, 'could you write me two more things to go with that?'"
3. Use image generators to introduce AI to students
Text-to-image generators are tools that use generative AI to create unique images based on a prompt, which, again, can be highly specific, said Brooks. She said she's found them to be an engaging way to let students begin experimenting generative AI and learn what its capabilities are.
She likes to use programs such as Animate to Audio and Firefly, both offered by Adobe Express, which is free to use, to introduce students to generative AI.
While Brooks said she thinks it's fine for middle and high school students to use ChatGPT, she wouldn't let elementary students loose on the chatbot. (ChatGPT's terms of service says users must be at least 13 years old to use the chatbot.)
Instead, Brooks recommends using a ChatGPT alternative ByteAI, developed by the education consulting and publishing company Code Breaker, for students in younger grades. Code Breaker's founder says the chatbot was designed for classroom use and does not require users to sign in, nor does it collect their data.
Generative AI in College and Departmental Administration
Comparison to other programs: generative AI could be used to compare the department’s performance to other similar programs. For example, generative AI could be used to compare the department’s graduation rates, student satisfaction ratings and research productivity to other departments in the same field.
Adjusting policies to promote success: generative AI could be used to analyze data on student performance and identify policies that are not working as well as they could. For example, generative AI could be used to identify policies that are leading to high dropout rates or low graduation rates. This information could then be used to adjust the policies to promote student success.
Recruitment: generative AI could be used to create personalized recruitment materials that are tailored to the interests of potential students. For example, if a department is recruiting students who are interested in environmental science, generative AI could be used to create a recruitment video that highlights the department’s environmental research and student opportunities.
Budgeting: generative AI could be used to help department chairs create and manage budgets. For example, generative AI could be used to forecast student enrollment, identify cost-saving opportunities and reallocate resources to areas where they are most needed.