Brisk Teaching and Gemini are two of the most widely used AI tools in his district. Here’s how he helps teachers use them:
- The Chrome Extension Energetic teaching Additionally, Google’s Gemini artificial intelligence feature can generate fast and accurate translations for students who are not fluent in English. These translation tools are not only useful for teachers, but also Helping newcomer students feel welcome and more engaged in the classroom, Bacon said.
- Brisk Teaching also allows teachers to enter an article and receive a level-appropriate version of the same article in a Google Doc. It can also translate the article into different languages. According to Bacon, this allows teachers to be flexible and stay up to date with lesson plans.
Bacon likes to remind other educators that ultimately, they are the ones with the expertise, not the AI. AI is just another tool that helps set a framework for a lesson plan or an activity, she said. It is the teacher’s responsibility to modify what the AI has generated and determine how to use that content in the classroom.
According to Bacon, the International Society of Technology Educators (ISTE) offers support such as free monthly courses. webinars For all teachers looking to learn more about educational technology tools. The Connect AppA collaboration between ISTE and the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD), features topic-based forums where teachers can communicate with each other.
“Small but mighty” ways to use time effectively
The number of decisions teachers make about teaching in a single day can be exhausting, especially for new teachers. Plotinsky suggests “accepting less to accomplish more” as a way to prevent decision fatigue. “If (teaching) is something you’re really passionate about and you want to have a long life in the profession, it means making some decisions about what you need to do versus what you want to do,” she said.
- Don’t plan too much. While new teachers might want to feel prepared by planning lessons months in advance, Plotinsky said that doesn’t accommodate the moment-to-moment changes that are inevitable in the classroom. Instead, she recommended that new teachers have a general idea of planned lesson plans a few weeks in advance and be ready to adjust their plans as the process progresses.
- Talk less One of the most transformative lessons Plotinsky learned as a new teacher was “learning when to be quiet,” she said. She encouraged teachers to think of ways and places they can condense their active teaching to allow students “to show us what they know and how they approach the content.” For example, in reevaluating what she was giving students during the first 20 to 40 minutes of class, Plotinsky recognized that some students knew more than others about a topic before beginning a lesson. activators To level the playing field, students can build on the knowledge they already have about a topic. Students can also help develop trigger questions and activities, which can save teachers time when planning lessons.
- Stack your habits. According to Plotinsky, habit stacking — the practice of “layering habits on top of each other, one at a time, to produce lasting results” — can help increase brevity in the classroom. Plotinsky likes to use the first time you go to the gym as an example of habit stacking. You drive to the gym first, once you’ve parked you’re more likely to work out, and once you’re inside you’re more likely to work out. Setting a goal to make a bigger change can’t be done all at once — “you have to break it down into component parts,” she said. “For new teachers, it’s about establishing routines and structures that are sustainable for them, because if they don’t do it early and often, they’re going to get that feeling of panic that never stops.” Plotinsky recommended establishing designated methods for things like grading papers and checking in on students, as well as setting designated time for yourself.
- Get feedback from students. Teaching is a lot of guesswork and intuitive thinking, Plotinsky said. So asking for and listening to students’ opinions can save a lot of time. Asking students open-ended questions or asking them to ask the teacher open-ended questions about the class or a specific lesson can be a good formative assessment. This doesn’t need to happen every day, but when teaching new lessons, it helps to understand what students know and don’t know, Plotinsky said. She encouraged teachers to be explicit with students about what they’re doing and learning and why. However, she cautioned against asking yes-or-no questions and not giving students an insufficient answer. “Don’t ask if you don’t want to know,” she said. Implementing student feedback “has to be a very authentic process or kids will lose interest very quickly.”
