Professional Development Reflection
Workshop: AI Corner
On October 12, 2023, I attended a UBC online workshop called, “AI Corner: Bi-weekly Generative AI Conversation” from 12-1PM every other Monday. Since this workshop runs on a biweekly basis for 1 hour intervals, I attended 2 sessions to ensure that I grasped enough information needed to satisfy my artificial intelligence curiosity. Though this event was open to the public, it had mandatory registration and was mainly targeted to university students curious about AI in education. The event sourced a number of AI tools such as My Lesson Pal, ChatGTP, and ClassPoint AI. The event panned out as an open discussion. The facilitators, Faeyza Mufti and Kristofer Mah, were very engaging and included the audience in their presentation (UBC, 2023). Once they gave a brief description of the power of AI, we explored the AI generators as a whole.
My Lesson Pal generates unique lesson plans for teachers that are high-customizable, and edible. They adapt to your classroom standards and specific needs while helping teachers in a number of ways. This AI saves teachers the time to create basic lesson plans, where teachers can put their focus on facilitating meaningful lessons and experiences for their students instead. ChatGPT is another resource that lets users prompt ideas, ask questions, and generate videos/images based on the user’s description. Despite its strengths, it can provide inaccurate information, have biased responses, and lack emotional intelligence. With that being said, it continues to be an extremely useful resource when seeking surface level inquiries. Lastly, the facilitators in this workshop examine how ClassPoint AI can easily generate quiz questions from powerpoint slides. This is extremely beneficial especially when students are looking to prepare for assessments. These questions help turn the presentation into an interactive experience by asking critical-thinking questions.
My Personal Reaction
“AI Corner: Bi-weekly Generative AI Conversation” showcased very valuable information. I appreciated how it was a discussion based workshop, where the audience was free to ask any questions they wished and were able to engage with the presenters. In today’s world, I believe it is essential for everyone to educate themselves in an AI workshop. At my school, staff meet biweekly to discuss the intricacies of this technology and how we can best navigate it for the safety of our students and staff. Responsibly navigating this tech will be essential in efficiently teaching the new generation. This workshop offered the opportunity to enhance my skill sets and knowledge on AI. Though I already knew a bit about it prior to the workshop, I gained a wealth of new knowledge that I could use in my own teaching practice. My Lesson Pal and ClassPoint will help enhance my teaching skills and elevate my lessons in a way I wouldn't have been able to do before. After this experience, I enrolled myself in a 3 week AI professional development course called, AI for Teachers. This is an activity focused, self-paced course that will delve deeper into complexities of AI in education. In order to stay innovative, I believe teachers should all enroll in a professional development of AI in education to spark inspiration. By educating ourselves in AI, we will enhance our skills, invest in our professional growth, and stay updated with the ever-changing world around us.
My Observations
I observed several ideas that are connected to my professional practice. As a teacher, AI has become a topic of concern for academic dishonesty. At my school, we had meetings debating whether students should be aware of the capabilities of this technology. It was voted that we discuss the pros and cons of it, and how severe the consequences could be if misused. AI can enhance both teaching and learning experiences. In doing so, artificial intelligence can support teachers in personalizing learning, creating content, curating unique lesson plans and professional development (Mindscrafter, 2023). While artificial intelligence can provide exciting new opportunities for the educational field, it is also important to consider the importance of emotional intelligence and ethics. AI should be utilized as a tool to enhance teaching; it is not a tool to replace teaching as a whole. Additionally, AI could change the roles of teachers. Thuogh the emotional aspect of a teacher is still necessary for children, AI can help “take over tasks like grading, can help students improve learning, and should even be a substitute for real-world tutoring” (Neha, 2020).
My Recommendations
UBC’s “AI Corner: Bi-weekly Generative AI Conversation” workshop would be highly valuable for a number of diverse participants. This open-ended forum delved into the intricacies of artificial intelligence by showcasing a number of AI tools and tested them live in front of a small audience. 3 primary groups come to mind when recommending this activity: (1) school educators/administrators, (2) students, (3) professionals working in IT.
School educators and administrators are in the midst of navigating the use of artificial intelligence in schools. Though there are a plethora of reasons why it may be of concern (ie. academic dishonesty), it is vital to consider its useful aspects (ie. lesson planning). In an era where technology has gained a transformative amount of change in schools, educators can learn how to implement AI into the classroom curriculum. Teachers can learn useful tools to enrich their teaching and student learning experiences. As a whole, AI in the classroom has generated a considerable amount of innovative and creative teaching methodologies. Students have begun exploring AI in their education. Since the emergence of AI in education, it poses both advantages and challenges for students. Students would highly benefit from AI as it can personalize their learning experiences (Greene-Harper, 2023). Based on AI algorithms, students will be able to gauge their own learning styles and tailor it to meet their needs. Conversely, AI is often critiqued for its lack of emotional intelligence. Since students will lack human interaction by using this tool, it poses a threat of having an overreliance on technology. Additionally, academic misconduct raises strong concerns as students may utilize the tool in dishonest ways. Having a meeting with students about academic transparent and responsible use of AI will be essential in incorporating efficient use of technology in/out of the classroom. It is vital to find a balance between the benefits and drawbacks of AI to ensure students receive well-rounded and fair education in the era of artificial intelligence advancements. Professionals in IT would highly benefit from this experience because it will enlighten them on how to stay up-to-date with the latest advancements in AI technology. According to a study, “AI could contribute up to $15.7 trillion to the global economy by 2030” (Verma, 2022). Professionals in IT can deepen their knowledge and explore how they can advance their technical expertise. In order to stay competitive in this field, IT professionals must stay ahead on the evolving techniques. They will be able to understand how AI can be integrated into projects.
Artifacts
AI Poster: How Schools Safely Use AI
This poster can be used in a classroom or school setting to remind students and staff of the safety protocols in using artificial intelligence. First, teachers will be reminded to educate students on what AI is and how we can use it to our advantage. Second, both students and staff will need to be aware of the safety settings using AI to protect themselves from giving away their personal information. Third, as teachers, we are responsible for educating students on using AI ethically and responsibly. It is important to understand that AI is inevitable and it is better to teach students how to use it responsibly rather than restrict them entirely. Fourth, teachers will be educated on using trusted platforms as not all AI tools are reliable and safe. Lastly, implementing a lesson on digital literacy will highly benefit students to prevent them from utilizing misinformed information. AI is often known to present inaccurate information at times. Thus, it is essential to fact-check all information for reliability.
Lesson Plan:
This lesson plan is dedicated to the students in my own class. It would be something I would use to briefly introduce AI in the classroom. It considers 3 portions (introduction, middle, end) that covers the 5 W’s (who, what, when, where, why) and also explores the pros and cons of AI tools.
References
Greene, R. T. (2023, April 24). The Pros and cons of using AI in learning: Is CHATGPT helping or hindering learning outcomes?. eLearning Industry. https://elearningindustry.com/pros-and-cons-of-using-ai-in-learning-chatgpt-helping-or-hindering-learning-outcomes#:~:text=The%20Benefits%20Of%20Using%20AI%20In%20Learning&text=AI%20can%20personalize%20learning%20by,questions%2C%20and%20keep%20them%20motivated.
Mindscrafter. (2023, September 5). The importance of AI in education essay. Medium. https://medium.com/@mindscrafter.com/the-importance-of-ai-in-education-essay-8b741f7005df#:~:text=One%20of%20the%20critical%20aspects,support%20to%20address%20those%20weaknesses.
Neha, K. (2020, September). (PDF) role of Artificial Intelligence in education - researchgate. Research Gate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/351082272_Role_of_Artificial_Intelligence_in_Education
UBC. (2023, October 12). Ai Corner: Bi-weekly generative Ai Conversation. Learning Design & Digital Innovation. https://lddi.educ.ubc.ca/event/ai-corner-bi-weekly-generative-ai-conversation/
Verma, E. (2022a, September 15). What jobs can benefit from the AI and automation juggernaut. Simplilearn.com. https://www.simplilearn.com/what-jobs-can-benefit-from-ai-automation-juggernaut-article
On October 12, 2023, I attended a UBC online workshop called, “AI Corner: Bi-weekly Generative AI Conversation” from 12-1PM every other Monday. Since this workshop runs on a biweekly basis for 1 hour intervals, I attended 2 sessions to ensure that I grasped enough information needed to satisfy my artificial intelligence curiosity. Though this event was open to the public, it had mandatory registration and was mainly targeted to university students curious about AI in education. The event sourced a number of AI tools such as My Lesson Pal, ChatGTP, and ClassPoint AI. The event panned out as an open discussion. The facilitators, Faeyza Mufti and Kristofer Mah, were very engaging and included the audience in their presentation (UBC, 2023). Once they gave a brief description of the power of AI, we explored the AI generators as a whole.
My Lesson Pal generates unique lesson plans for teachers that are high-customizable, and edible. They adapt to your classroom standards and specific needs while helping teachers in a number of ways. This AI saves teachers the time to create basic lesson plans, where teachers can put their focus on facilitating meaningful lessons and experiences for their students instead. ChatGPT is another resource that lets users prompt ideas, ask questions, and generate videos/images based on the user’s description. Despite its strengths, it can provide inaccurate information, have biased responses, and lack emotional intelligence. With that being said, it continues to be an extremely useful resource when seeking surface level inquiries. Lastly, the facilitators in this workshop examine how ClassPoint AI can easily generate quiz questions from powerpoint slides. This is extremely beneficial especially when students are looking to prepare for assessments. These questions help turn the presentation into an interactive experience by asking critical-thinking questions.
My Personal Reaction
“AI Corner: Bi-weekly Generative AI Conversation” showcased very valuable information. I appreciated how it was a discussion based workshop, where the audience was free to ask any questions they wished and were able to engage with the presenters. In today’s world, I believe it is essential for everyone to educate themselves in an AI workshop. At my school, staff meet biweekly to discuss the intricacies of this technology and how we can best navigate it for the safety of our students and staff. Responsibly navigating this tech will be essential in efficiently teaching the new generation. This workshop offered the opportunity to enhance my skill sets and knowledge on AI. Though I already knew a bit about it prior to the workshop, I gained a wealth of new knowledge that I could use in my own teaching practice. My Lesson Pal and ClassPoint will help enhance my teaching skills and elevate my lessons in a way I wouldn't have been able to do before. After this experience, I enrolled myself in a 3 week AI professional development course called, AI for Teachers. This is an activity focused, self-paced course that will delve deeper into complexities of AI in education. In order to stay innovative, I believe teachers should all enroll in a professional development of AI in education to spark inspiration. By educating ourselves in AI, we will enhance our skills, invest in our professional growth, and stay updated with the ever-changing world around us.
My Observations
I observed several ideas that are connected to my professional practice. As a teacher, AI has become a topic of concern for academic dishonesty. At my school, we had meetings debating whether students should be aware of the capabilities of this technology. It was voted that we discuss the pros and cons of it, and how severe the consequences could be if misused. AI can enhance both teaching and learning experiences. In doing so, artificial intelligence can support teachers in personalizing learning, creating content, curating unique lesson plans and professional development (Mindscrafter, 2023). While artificial intelligence can provide exciting new opportunities for the educational field, it is also important to consider the importance of emotional intelligence and ethics. AI should be utilized as a tool to enhance teaching; it is not a tool to replace teaching as a whole. Additionally, AI could change the roles of teachers. Thuogh the emotional aspect of a teacher is still necessary for children, AI can help “take over tasks like grading, can help students improve learning, and should even be a substitute for real-world tutoring” (Neha, 2020).
My Recommendations
UBC’s “AI Corner: Bi-weekly Generative AI Conversation” workshop would be highly valuable for a number of diverse participants. This open-ended forum delved into the intricacies of artificial intelligence by showcasing a number of AI tools and tested them live in front of a small audience. 3 primary groups come to mind when recommending this activity: (1) school educators/administrators, (2) students, (3) professionals working in IT.
School educators and administrators are in the midst of navigating the use of artificial intelligence in schools. Though there are a plethora of reasons why it may be of concern (ie. academic dishonesty), it is vital to consider its useful aspects (ie. lesson planning). In an era where technology has gained a transformative amount of change in schools, educators can learn how to implement AI into the classroom curriculum. Teachers can learn useful tools to enrich their teaching and student learning experiences. As a whole, AI in the classroom has generated a considerable amount of innovative and creative teaching methodologies. Students have begun exploring AI in their education. Since the emergence of AI in education, it poses both advantages and challenges for students. Students would highly benefit from AI as it can personalize their learning experiences (Greene-Harper, 2023). Based on AI algorithms, students will be able to gauge their own learning styles and tailor it to meet their needs. Conversely, AI is often critiqued for its lack of emotional intelligence. Since students will lack human interaction by using this tool, it poses a threat of having an overreliance on technology. Additionally, academic misconduct raises strong concerns as students may utilize the tool in dishonest ways. Having a meeting with students about academic transparent and responsible use of AI will be essential in incorporating efficient use of technology in/out of the classroom. It is vital to find a balance between the benefits and drawbacks of AI to ensure students receive well-rounded and fair education in the era of artificial intelligence advancements. Professionals in IT would highly benefit from this experience because it will enlighten them on how to stay up-to-date with the latest advancements in AI technology. According to a study, “AI could contribute up to $15.7 trillion to the global economy by 2030” (Verma, 2022). Professionals in IT can deepen their knowledge and explore how they can advance their technical expertise. In order to stay competitive in this field, IT professionals must stay ahead on the evolving techniques. They will be able to understand how AI can be integrated into projects.
Artifacts
AI Poster: How Schools Safely Use AI
This poster can be used in a classroom or school setting to remind students and staff of the safety protocols in using artificial intelligence. First, teachers will be reminded to educate students on what AI is and how we can use it to our advantage. Second, both students and staff will need to be aware of the safety settings using AI to protect themselves from giving away their personal information. Third, as teachers, we are responsible for educating students on using AI ethically and responsibly. It is important to understand that AI is inevitable and it is better to teach students how to use it responsibly rather than restrict them entirely. Fourth, teachers will be educated on using trusted platforms as not all AI tools are reliable and safe. Lastly, implementing a lesson on digital literacy will highly benefit students to prevent them from utilizing misinformed information. AI is often known to present inaccurate information at times. Thus, it is essential to fact-check all information for reliability.
Lesson Plan:
This lesson plan is dedicated to the students in my own class. It would be something I would use to briefly introduce AI in the classroom. It considers 3 portions (introduction, middle, end) that covers the 5 W’s (who, what, when, where, why) and also explores the pros and cons of AI tools.
References
Greene, R. T. (2023, April 24). The Pros and cons of using AI in learning: Is CHATGPT helping or hindering learning outcomes?. eLearning Industry. https://elearningindustry.com/pros-and-cons-of-using-ai-in-learning-chatgpt-helping-or-hindering-learning-outcomes#:~:text=The%20Benefits%20Of%20Using%20AI%20In%20Learning&text=AI%20can%20personalize%20learning%20by,questions%2C%20and%20keep%20them%20motivated.
Mindscrafter. (2023, September 5). The importance of AI in education essay. Medium. https://medium.com/@mindscrafter.com/the-importance-of-ai-in-education-essay-8b741f7005df#:~:text=One%20of%20the%20critical%20aspects,support%20to%20address%20those%20weaknesses.
Neha, K. (2020, September). (PDF) role of Artificial Intelligence in education - researchgate. Research Gate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/351082272_Role_of_Artificial_Intelligence_in_Education
UBC. (2023, October 12). Ai Corner: Bi-weekly generative Ai Conversation. Learning Design & Digital Innovation. https://lddi.educ.ubc.ca/event/ai-corner-bi-weekly-generative-ai-conversation/
Verma, E. (2022a, September 15). What jobs can benefit from the AI and automation juggernaut. Simplilearn.com. https://www.simplilearn.com/what-jobs-can-benefit-from-ai-automation-juggernaut-article
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