Is AI a Yay or a Nay for K-12 teachers?

By now we’ve all seen, heard, and even probably used AI in some form or another. It is difficult to get away from AI since it is being integrated into almost every digital product we use. Even as I write this there is an option to use AI to write the text for me, which I declined to use.

Seeing AI tools in our daily lives can be a little aggravating, but as teachers perhaps it’s better for us to try to understand how we use it to make our jobs a little easier than fight it’s integration into all our digital tools.

What is AI?

Let’s start with a fundamental concept of AI. Through glorious science fiction movies, AI has been defined as Artificial Intelligence. Tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude are often called AI but were you to talk to those in the know they would tell you that these are Large Language Models (LLMs). They will tell you that it’s not AI in the sci-fi sense but if often feels like there is an artificially-constructed intelligence that you’re interacting with when you use these tools.

Whatever you decide to call these AI tools, we should be aware of the good and the bad of using them, especially in the education field.

The Yays

Differentiation - We’re all used to teaching classes where the students’ levels in a subject aren’t the same, so we’ve had to make adjustments to our materials to ensure all our students can participate in a lesson. With AI tools teachers can create differentiated materials a lot more easily than in the past.

Prep Time - Creating materials for the class is definitely faster with AI tools once you’ve figured out the correct prompts to use. Once you have your prompts perfected you’re able to generate several versions of the same activity focused on different targets.

Productivity - If you ever need a pop quiz, a new worksheet, a marking rubric, or any other classroom materials, AI tools can create those is a matter of seconds, as long as you input the proper prompts.

Marking Helper - Once you create the appropriate prompts, AI tools can be very helpful for marking written work. Although not 100% perfect, the AI tool can give simple feedback on these assignments.

Analysis - AI tools can help teachers to quickly identify where there might be gaps in learning for each student. It requires teachers to input data for each student, but once that’s done you can create some personalized learning materials for students who may need extra practice.

The Nays

Mistakes - AI tools do make mistakes so you always need to review what has been generated to ensure everything is correct. It has made the materials for you but you need to always review and edit these contents before giving them to your students.

Over-reliance - We can become too reliant on AI tools and then it becomes difficult to work without these tools. Try to limit what you use AI tools for and make it very purposeful when you do use it. It should be a tool, not a crutch.

Prompt Generation - Getting your prompts to the stage where you get what you’re really asking for can take a great deal of trial and error. Prompt engineering is something that takes time to perfect so keep at it.

Human Touch - Once AI tools are used the loss of the human touch begins. AI cannot see the whole student like a teacher can. AI doesn’t see the life of the student and what they might be dealing with that could be affecting their school work.

Access - Not everyone can have access to the same AI tools equally. Funding for these tools can differ from teacher to teacher and school to school leading to a widening the gap in what teachers can achieve.

Final Thoughts

AI tools have their place in the K-12 classroom, especially to help ease the workload that usually comes with being a teacher, but it should be used in purposeful ways.

How and when AI tools are used is something that each teacher or school needs to decide upon themselves. Creating guidelines of usage for teachers and students is essential to ensuring everyone uses AI in a meaningful and ethical way.

Happy teaching everyone!