Artificial Intelligence is being discussed a lot these days. Some bemoan its existence and claim it will destroy our world. Others have happily embraced it and use it often. Meanwhile, the rest of us seem to be somewhere in the middle--trying to navigate how it works, when to use it, and answer the question, "why won't it fold my laundry?" While I often claim to not use a lot of technology in my therapy room, the truth is that I probably use more than I realize. (The above still shot is from the silent Charlie Chaplin film "In the Lion's Cage," and I love to include it in therapy sessions.)
This week, we were tasked with using the Magic School AI tool to create a lesson plan. You can view the generated lesson plan HERE. (The link is also shown below.) I asked for a 3rd grade lesson plan to target the Arkansas standard of 3.V.4, which says students will distinguish shades of meaning among related words. This is a difficult standard for 3rd grade in my opinion. It requires students to understand not only many different words but the relationship and nuances between those words.
So are curriculum developers out of jobs? No. On the surface, it is not a horrible lesson plan. There is a lot of detail left out, so one has to assume what some of the activities entail. However, if the goal is to provide a lesson plan with high rigor that connects to the standard, this AI generated plan does not pass without edits. Rigorous lesson design includes a) asking a series of probing questions that increase in depth and complexity to uncover higher level thinking, b) building schemas in each content area, c) considering ways to strategically scaffold learning for different specific purposes, d) design complex tasks that emphasize evidence-based solutions, and e) engage students in metacognition and self-reflection before, during, and after each learning opportunity. Certain parts of these ABC's of rigorous design could be included, such as carrying this idea over to other curricular areas. However, the scaffolding aspect is not included. An educator would need to go back and add supports for her students. I would not use this as a lesson planning tool, although I might use it to brainstorm activities that would correlate with a lesson plan I designed.
Does that mean AI has no place in the educational world? No, I think this (AI not Magic School, in particular) could be a great tool for both educators and students. My mantra is definitely "work smarter not harder." As someone with ADHD myself, I have used AI to help initiate or start a task (such as generating an email), since that is an area in which I struggle. I have also taught students to use AI to check their writing or decrease the complexity of text. AI is not just going to disappear, and until we can teach it to fold our laundry, I think it is important to show students and other educators how to use it ethically.
Resources and Links
https://app.magicschool.ai/tools
https://app.magicschool.ai/tools/lesson-plan-generator?share=83ae3514-7cff-44ac-b4e9-4d881dc15bfc
The ABCs of Rigorous Lesson Design. (n.d.). ASCD. https://ascd.org/el/articles/the-abcs-of-rigorous-lesson-design
