Top 3 AI Strategies Every Teacher Should Know
I’ve consulted with 15 schools and 100s of teachers over the last year.
During this time, I’ve noticed that there are key ideas that are hugely beneficial for teachers
who are just getting started using AI.
Let me give you three tips for getting started with AI:
1) Give AI tasks, not jobs
During a recent workshop, I had teachers try and create a test for their students using AI.
Josh, who was using AI for the first time, asked AI to create an end-of-unit test on Newton’s laws of motion.
Not being a science teacher myself, I wasn’t sure what to make of the output, but it was clear that Josh wasn’t impressed. Not only wasn’t the output great, but fixing it seemed more hassle than just writing it by hand.
That’s when I told Josh about the difference between jobs and tasks.
Every job is made up of several tasks. AI isn’t great at jobs, but it’s fantastic at tasks.
Next time, he broke the year 10 science test into three parts; multiple choice, short answer, and extended response.
With a few iterations, Josh had 10 multiple-choice questions he was happy with. Then he moved on to the short answer. He asked for 10 short-answer questions and chose the best four (more on this later), then did the same for the extended response.
AI works best when you give it tasks, not jobs.
Your best chance of having a resource that works for you and your learners comes when you take the AI through the job one task at a time.
2) Format your prompts.
Imagine I approached you and said, “I need you to write a speech about the importance of reading.”
You’d probably look at me quizzically and fire off a few questions:
- Who is my audience?
- What is the occasion?
- How long should the speech be?
- Should it contain practical advice?
What you’re seeking is context.
As it turns out, there are about a thousand ways you could write a speech on the importance of reading. Knowing the context means we can produce something that is relevant and ready to use.
In the same way, when we prompt an AI, we need to give it context.
The best way to do this is through the role/task/format method.
Role – Tell the AI the role it is adopting
Task – Tell it what to do
Format – Tell it how you want the information
This is how I would structure a prompt if I wanted AI to write a speech for me:
(ROLE) - Act as an expert educational speech writer. (TASK) Write me a speech on the importance of reading for intellectual and creative development. (FORMAT) Make the speech six paragraphs long. Include and introduction and a conclusion. Use metaphors, similes, data, and other persuasive techniques. Write using formal yet simple English.
3) Give yourself options.
This is one of the most under-appreciated tips when it comes to using AI, and it the mental model you use to think about AI.
I like to think of AI as an advisor.
This means that I often start by asking for a range of options.
If I am looking for a metaphor to describe the importance of learning to read, I wouldn’t just ask for one – I’d ask for ten. Then, using my professional knowledge and discernment, I’d choose the best one.
Again, if I wanted four multiple-choice questions, I wouldn’t ask for four; I’d ask for eight and choose the best four.
Conclusion
Remember, AI isn’t there to do your job for you. It’s there to help you do a better job.
Until next week,
Happy Teaching!
Paul Matthews
