The times, they are a-changin’. Trying to keep up in the classroom can be especially difficult, educators often limited by budgets, resources, time, or just a lack of knowledge about something new.
One of our West Noble Elementary teachers is taking full advantage of modern technology to better her classroom experience, and learn a little bit for her life away from the classroom, as well.
“The first time I really thought we were going to be dealing with something bigger was when (West Noble Superintendent) Dr. Lowe showed us the video of Billy Joel's "Turn The Lights Back On,” started Jessica Foster. “The whole video is created using AI. It was absolutely mind-blowing to see the capabilities! I realized we couldn't ignore AI any longer. It was here to stay and we had to learn to implement it appropriately or it would be used inappropriately. I also realized fairly quickly that students that were not efficient with prompt engineering may not be as competitive in their fields after graduation.”
Foster began incorporating some of the new technology into lesson plans for her third grade classroom at WNE, familiarizing herself with how AI works, and soon began implementing it into her daily professional routines.
“There are a plethora of uses for AI in the classroom for planning purposes, instruction, engagement, translation, and self-observation,” noted Foster.
Through a connection via Evergreen Education, Foster was approached about being a virtual speaker at Sequoia Con, which highlights great teaching methods by teachers. Foster, who already has virtual experience with a YouTube book reading series, accepted, and spoke about her personal experiences on AI.
“I was nervous before the conference because I didn't know what to expect. Once our session started I wasn't as nervous,” admitted Foster. “Dr. Sandra Metzger took the lead so it was an incredible opportunity to test the waters of speaking. I love learning and teaching others and I look forward to more opportunities in the future.”
Foster’s classroom utilizes elements in AI, as she noted, “There are so many takeaways from the conference that I'm excited to implement. I have already set up a chatbot through SchoolAI for my students to use. They were able to form an opinion paragraph with it the first time. The second time I set it up, they were able to talk to a simulated Native American who first settled in Indiana. If you have security reservations, don't worry! The kids don't have to set up an account on SchoolAI. I set up an account and they can only access what I post for them on Google Classroom. They don't have full access to anything and I can see what they are doing in real-time. It also saves everything they do so I can review it any time.”