Unlocking AI’s Power: Is There Anything It Can’t Do?

"What AI application would you recommend to teachers for writing sub plans?" This was a text I received this week and I got excited. While there are specific education AI apps (we will dive a little bit into these below), generative AI chat bots like ChatGPT and Claude and do amazing things for you in your everyday teacher life. AI gets a bad rap in the education world, but there is also so much good it can bring you. From creating recipes with what's in the fridge (who has time to go to the store?) to actual writing a lesson plan (yes, I'm serious). There are so many practical ways to use AI it is not possible for me to even list them in this blog. A recent study has looked into the ways that teachers use AI in their day to day and found that many teachers are using it to help them complete simple tasks. It suggests that shifting some of these responsibilities to generative AI (like ChatGPT and Claude) could allow them to have more time to interact with students (van den Berg, 2024).

The prompt...

Let's look into using ChatGPT and Claude. Both sites are similar, and I'm not enough of an expert to really describe the differences to you, so you'll have to explore that for yourself and decide what your preference is.

Here's the thing with AI... You get what you put in. The more specific your prompt, the more specific your results. If you aren't happy with what you get back from the bot, go ahead and tell it what you'd like instead. For more specific details on writing a great prompt, checkout this article from Grammarly.

Educational Uses for AI... Yes, it can do that!

Things you can ask ChatGPT or Claude to do for you to make your life easier...

• Put your students' names in alphabetical order

• Write a lesson on a specific objective

• Write sub plans

• How many of each letter of the alphabet are in all my students' names?

• Write math word problems

• Generate assessment items

• Write parent emails

• Write staff emails

• Figure out a difficult schedule

• Write decodable or sight word sentences

• Book recommendations

These are just scratching the surface of the things AI can do, but I have used AI to do every single one of the things on this list.

In reference to the question above... writing sub plans. Here's a quick run down of what I sent back to that staff member.

I went on to Claude and had a quick conversation.

You'll see below I did not give Claude all the specific information and I did not get a very specific information. I could go back and add this to my prompt, or I can simple add it to the plan I leave for the sub.

Claude Generated Substitute Plan:

Kindergarten Substitute Teacher Plans General Information

• Use positive reinforcement throughout the day

• Award Class Dojo points for good behavior (do not take points away)

• Tally points given on the provided sheet with student names

Daily Schedule

7:45 - 7:55: Announcements

• Listen to school announcements with the class

• Take attendance and lunch count

8:00 - 8:15: SEL (Social Emotional Learning)

• Lead a brief discussion about feelings

• Ask students to share how they're feeling today and why

8:15 - 10:00: ELA Block

• Focus on letters B and P

• Activities: 

  1. Letter recognition: Show flashcards with B and P, have students identify them

  2. Sound practice: Make the sounds for B and P, have students repeat

  3. Writing practice: Students practice writing B and P on lined paper

  4. Word hunt: Find words starting with B and P in a simple picture book

10:00 - 10:30: Science/Social Studies

• Science: Five Senses 

  • Play "I Spy" game focusing on different senses

  • Example: "I spy with my little eye something that makes a loud sound" (hearing)

• Social Studies: Classroom Rules 

  • Review classroom rules chart

  • Role-play scenarios demonstrating good classroom behavior

10:30 - 10:55: Recess

• Supervise students on the playground

• Encourage inclusive play and conflict resolution if needed

10:55 - 11:10: Prep for Lunch

• Help students wash hands and get lunch boxes/trays

11:10 - 11:40: Lunch

• Supervise students during lunch time

11:40 - 12:30: Math

• Focus on numbers 1-5

• Activities: 

  1. Counting objects: Use manipulatives to practice counting to 5

  2. Number recognition: Show number cards, have students identify them

  3. Writing practice: Students practice writing numbers 1-5

  4. Simple addition: Use objects to demonstrate adding within 5

12:30 - 1:15: Specials

• Take students to their designated special class (art, music, PE, etc.)

• Pick them up when the class is over

1:15 - 1:40: Math Stations

• Set up 3-4 stations with different math activities focusing on numbers 1-5

• Rotate students through stations every 5-7 minutes

1:40 - 2:10: Recharge (Intervention Block)

• Provide worksheets or activities that reinforce today's lessons

• Work one-on-one or in small groups with students who need extra help

2:10 - 2:20: Snack & Pack

• Distribute snacks

• Help students pack up their belongings

2:20 - 2:40: STEAM Centers

• Set up simple STEAM activities related to the five senses

• Examples: 

  1. Color mixing with primary colors (sight)

  2. Texture collage with various materials (touch)

  3. Listening station with different sounds (hearing)

2:40 - 2:55: Prep for dismissal

• Help students gather their belongings

• Ensure the classroom is tidy

2:55 - 3:10: Dismissal

• Guide students to appropriate dismissal areas (bus, parent pick-up, etc.)

Additional Notes

• Emergency procedures are located by the door

• Please leave a note detailing how the day went and any issues that arose

• Thank you for your help today!

This whole process took less than 5 minutes and I've got a great outline to get started on my sub plans! I could go further into detail with Claude or just simply pull from the vast number of resources I already have.

Other Educational AI Apps I Love

• Magic School: Magic School boasts 60 different tools for the classroom. From a lesson planner to a thank you note writer. Check out the list here! (free & paid versions)

• Goblin Tools: from their website Goblin tools is "a collection of small, simple, single-task tools, mostly designed to help neurodivergent people with tasks they find overwhelming or difficult." It helps break down tasks, interpret the tone of typed text and even change that text if necessary. (free)

• Project Read: Based on the Science of Reading, you can generate decodable stories for your class in a matter of seconds! Project Read has multiple scope and sequences available. (free & paid versions)

What are you waiting for? Start saving time and take the leap with AI today!

van den Berg, G. (2024). Generative ai and educators: Partnering in using open digital Content for transforming education. Open Praxis, 16(2), pp. 130–141. DOI: https://doi.org/10.55982/openpraxis.16.2.640