The world of education is in the midst of a seismic shift, and it's up to school leaders to assist teachers in keeping up with the pace of change. As a building leader, you have the opportunity to expose educators to new tools and technologies, that can improve instruction and student outcomes. It’s up to you to wade through the mountain of possibilities and ultimately determine what training will have the greatest impact.
That's where AI-powered chatbots like ChatGPT and Forefront come in. By embracing AI technology, teachers can focus on designing instructional lessons that are grounded in the latest research on How People Learn (Committee On How People Learn Ii, 2018). AI-powered lessons can incorporate the latest research - from neuroscience to literacy and trauma to collaborative teams; allowing the teacher time to focus on other aspects of their pedagogy, such as student attention, engagement, and relationships. As a school leader, it's crucial to understand how these chatbots can make teaching better and planning easier, and to support teachers so they can better support students.
For most educators it's not enough to simply talk about the possibilities or be shown a demo of what these tools can do. To truly inspire change and encourage adoption, we must prove to educators the investment is worth the effort and not just one more thing. To truly make a difference, school leaders must provide hands on active training. Training that can be differentiated based on teacher need and skill level, with opportunities to practice and collaborate.
Imagine a PD where educators were able to collaboratively generate high-quality learning activities and discussion questions, or personalize learning materials for their students of varying levels, and create critical thinking vocabulary activities with just a few clicks of a button. With AI-generated technology, teachers can do just that. Not only can this AI chatbot save time and improve your teachers’ workflow, it can also help them create innovative learning experiences that are tailored to their students needs.
Getting Started
AI-Powered Planning: Elevate Your Instruction
To successfully introduce AI-powered chatbots to your teachers, it's important for the school leader or instructional leaders in your building or district to take the lead in planning a personalized and casual introduction. Consider organizing a lunch-and-learn event, such as "Lunch and Learn: AI Training for Teachers" or "AI for Better Teaching: Prep Time Edition", that provides an informal setting for teachers to learn about new technology. By creating a relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere, school leaders can help teachers feel more comfortable and open to learning, leading to greater adoption and implementation of these tools in their instructional practice.
To get your teachers excited about the possibilities of AI technology, send out teasers and utilize a sign-up sheet. Keeping groups small, with no more than four teachers, allows for open conversations and individualized support. This type of professional learning requires time and effort, but the payoff in teacher performance and student outcomes makes it a small price to pay.
Personally investing in the professional development of your teachers and providing them with the necessary tools to craft effective ChatGPT prompts can build teacher efficacy and create a culture of innovation and improvement. By working collaboratively along side your teachers, you can help them develop the skills and confidence they need to effectively utilize AI technology in their instructional practice, specifically for planning effective lessons. By empowering teachers with the support and guidance they need, you can take instruction to the next level and improve student outcomes.
Crafting the ChatGPT Prompt for Teachers
I Do-We Do-You Do
During your PD event, select a topic common to all educators, such as vocabulary instruction. Years of research supports the robust relationship between vocabulary knowledge and reading comprehension (Beck, McKeown & Kucan, 2002), choosing this clearly demonstrates you prioritize vocabulary and it is meaningful to all of your teachers.
Here are some important tips for crafting a ChatGPT prompt, along with examples of the responses. Teachers can save the repeatable information needed for a 'New Chat' to make the process more efficient.
Tips for Writing ChatGPT Prompts
Clearly state the topic, purpose, and learning objective(s) of the lesson or activity you are designing the prompt for.
Specify the grade level and any specific struggles or behaviors your students may experience.
Indicate the level of expertise and current understanding of the students you are designing the lesson for.
Include any specific vocabulary or concepts you would like ChatGPT to focus on.
Specify any technology or resources that will be available to the students during the lesson or activity.
Keep the prompt concise and clear to ensure ChatGPT generates relevant and focused content.
Indicate how many activities you would like ChatGPT to generate for the prompt.
You are an expert 6th grade educator with students who struggle with content math vocabulary. The vocabulary words this week are vertex, chord, circumference, area, and perimeter. Students have lexile measures between 700 and 1,000. They have already been introduced to the definitions of each words. Using evidence based strategies provide one group activity for students to do that will get them talking and moving to deepen their understanding of the words
I received the response above from Chat GPT in a matter of seconds, and it met my expectations perfectly.
Compare and Contrast
By comparing and contrasting a well-crafted prompt with the response generated by Chat GPT, we can see the value of specific and targeted prompts over more generic ones.
The vocabulary words this week are vertex, chord, circumference, area, and perimeter. They have already been introduced to the definitions of each words. Using evidence based strategies provide one group activity.
Examples
Below are some prompts and corresponding responses that demonstrate how evidence-based vocabulary instruction can be implemented using Chat GPT. These examples can guide you in developing effective prompts and assist you in supporting your teachers.
Using the same core information, within the same GPT chat, I revised my prompt, asking for independent activities.
Using evidence based strategies provide one independent activity for students to deepen their understanding of the words. Have them engage with ChatGPT for this independent work. I will be conducting small group activities during this time so keep students’ reading levels in mind and be sure to make the work independent and engaging.
As time allows, continue having teachers ‘revise’ their prompts to generate strategy ideas for specific purposes. For example, higher order thinking discussion questions can be generated, at varying levels, to challenge and support the needs of all students.
Finally, here is an example of a formative assessment teachers can utilize at the end of the week or unit of study. This is the prompt I used, within the same chat.
Create a 5 question formative assessment that requires students to apply what they have learned.
The possibilities for creating engaging and evidence-based teaching strategies with AI support are endless. With Chat GPT's assistance, teachers can quickly generate prompts and responses that can be used to enhance student learning. This allows teachers more time to focus on other important aspects of instruction, such as how to group a set of strategies within a class period to keep students engaged and challenged, or how to engage the whole brain within a class period.
If you want more ideas on how teachers can use ChatGPT to help design assessments, lessons, and writing supports check out these 50 prompts from the Teaching Channel or How to Write the Perfect Chat GPT Prompt.
If you would like specific ideas for your staff, feel free to reach out to the BrainZones team: team@brainzones.org
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