Artificial intelligence (AI) is here and advancing quickly. Because of this, it’s become a popular topic of discussion among educators. Today, many of you are asking yourselves “How will this impact teaching in my classroom?” and “How can AI be used effectively to enhance student learning, engagement, and outcomes?” In this blog, we’re answering the top 10 most frequently asked questions (FAQs) from educators about AI. Keep reading to gain a better understanding of this fast-evolving technology and how you can harness it to improve student outcomes in your classroom.

What is AI and how does it work?

Similar to how educators guide their students by showing them different ways to approach and solve problems, AI (Artificial Intelligence) follows the same principle - it’s a technology that acts like a smart digital helper that learns through examples and repetition. Think of it as your own teaching assistant who can take care of the time-consuming tasks, look through student data, and give you helpful insights so you can focus on what matters most: supporting your students' learning journey.

How can I integrate AI into the classroom?

You can integrate AI into your classroom in a variety of ways. One way to do this is through AI-powered tools and education software. For example, if you’re creating a lesson plan and want to differentiate it according to different student needs, tools like Chat-GPT can help do this quickly—giving you a great starting point to work from.

AI-related concepts can also be added to lesson plans as a way to teach students about the benefits and challenges of AI and help them develop the ability to ask good questions and think critically about the results AI generates. Another way to integrate AI into classroom curriculum is by engaging students directly in AI projects. Why not have students use AI as the initial research step in a project they’re completing? Or have students identify a real-world problem impacting their community, that they’d like to solve.

What are the benefits of using AI in education?

Using AI in the classroom has a lot of benefits. It can allow you to personalize learning more easily, helping you to meet your students' unique needs—something that is often really challenging when you have 25+ students to support. Using AI in education can also help you engage your students in their learning, make giving feedback quicker and more personalized, and give you access to different educational resources, that you may not have thought of using in the past.

Learn how AI is empowering educators in season 1, episode 13 of our Growth Over Grades podcast.

What are some AI tools that can be used in the classroom?

There are many different types of AI tools that you can use in your classroom. Some common examples of AI tools include adaptive learning platforms, language processing tools like ChatGPT, virtual tutors, educational games with AI components, and data analytics tools, that can process quantities of data at scale and help you personalize learning for your students.

How does AI support personalized learning for students?

AI can act as your digital assistant, adapting to each student's unique needs and helping customize their learning journey—whether it’s by tracking engagement, strengths, weaknesses, goals, etc. Much like how educators adjust their approach for each student in the classroom, AI tools can help you create personalized learning paths that ensure every student succeeds at their own learning pace.

People know about the benefits of AI now, but what about the
ethical considerations of using AI in schools?

Including these tools can present opportunities but also challenges. Some ethical considerations are crucial for implementing AI responsibly to create a safe environment for students to use these technologies.

• Privacy and Data Security: When using AI, you want to avoid inputting any sensitive data (like unique student identifiers). It’s important that both your students and families are aware of the data you’ll be inputting and equally important to teach your students the security risks associated with using sensitive data AI and the importance of preserving it when using AI or any digital tool.
• Equity and Access: Not all of your learners have the same access to digital tools. This means, that if you’re having students use AI in the classroom (or at home) to complete a task, you’ll want to put measures in place to make sure that every student has the resources they need to use these tools.
• Transparency and Accountability꞉ It’s important that educators and students both understand how AI works and the criteria it uses when it makes decisions.

How can teachers effectively teach AI concepts to students?

Teachers can effectively teach AI concepts to students by using age-appropriate language, incorporating real-world examples, providing hands-on activities or demonstrations, discussing ethical considerations, and promoting critical thinking and discussion.

What are the potential risks or challenges of using AI in education?

Risks or challenges of using AI in the classroom include the potential for biased algorithms, lack of data privacy, technology equity, and students over-relying on AI rather than developing knowledge and skills themselves.

A key risk to be aware of when using AI in your classroom is the lack of data privacy. It’s important to understand that sensitive data, including student data, should never be shared. Think of it this way: you don’t want to share anything with this technology that you wouldn’t want online.

Another AI challenge you may be facing is how to balance allowing students to leverage these new tools and develop a new skill set while ensuring they’re still able to learn the knowledge and skills needed to help them thrive in life.

How can you use AI for assessing and providing feedback in the classroom?

You’re encouraged to be creative when considering how you can use AI when assessing and providing feedback in your classroom. But, if you’re just starting out here are a few ways it’s commonly used:

• Grading
• Data analytics for student performance analysis
• Providing real-time feedback on student work

There are many possibilities but the above use cases will help you provide immediate insights and personalized feedback.

What PD opportunities are available for teachers to learn about AI?

Professional development opportunities for teachers to learn about AI can be found in reputable organizations or AI in education-focused institutions.

These include but are not limited to the following:

• Workshops
• Online courses
• Webinars
• Conferences
• Education resources

If you’re unsure of where to start reach out to your district’s technology coach.

As AI continues to play a bigger role in education, it's important to stay up-to-date with best practices when you're incorporating AI into the classroom. Thoughtfully using AI can help you discover new opportunities for personalized learning, assessment, and engagement, and help your students develop skills to thrive in the 21st century.