I had never used AI before returning to school in September. It was not very prevalent when I was doing my undergrad and I excelled in my studies just fine without it. Coming back this year, I felt out of touch with current education systems. I had been working in elementary schools for the past few years but usually with young kids who were not very reliant on AI. This year, almost every course we have taken has discussed what AI use looks like for that particular topic, giving us insight into how it is being used in multiple grades and subjects, but also how it seeps into our everyday life.

I do not typically use AI for much outside of school. However, using AI for lesson plans or brainstorming ideas for projects has been a massive help. I think I have always taken the traditional perspective on technology, believing that I am able to critically think and analyze things better than a machine can. Do I still think this? It’s situational, AI can be used to help brainstorm ideas for lessons and can save us time on creating lesson and unit plans. However, at the end of the day, I believe I will know my class makeup much better than a computer can and understand the needs and interests of my students. This video shows how ChatGPT can be used to generate worksheets, templates, and other cool teaching tools.

One of the main topics my group talked about in our breakout room on Friday was that we wish AI use could be avoided but acknowledged that there will always be students in our classes that are using it and we have to be aware of how they may be using it, and strategies to promote ethical use of it. I think staying aware of current AI trends, and using it to assist with administrative tasks is a great way to stay in touch. I also hope my future administrators will provide constant professional development opportunities so we are able to stay on top of the technology being used in our schools.