Over the past few years, teacher shortages have become a challenge in schools across the United States. There has been a shortage in filling full-time teaching positions as well as finding substitute teachers to fill in on a day-to-day basis. The shortages add to the pressure on all teachers as they take on additional responsibilities to cover classes and other duties. As a result, teachers lose time that can be spent working with students and also valuable planning time.
Earlier this year, I learned about Swing Education, which is a centralized platform that connects substitute teachers with schools and school districts. They serve as a recruiter of substitute teachers in support of school districts. Swing Education helps schools to streamline the process of hiring, expanding their pool of substitute teachers, easing payroll and onboarding. Swing’s value for substitute teachers is that they have more jobs to choose from because Swing lists all the openings in their area. They also get paid each week (instead of each month) and becoming a sub is much faster because Swing helps with onboarding. I had the opportunity to speak with Mike Teng, Co-Founder of Swing Education and enjoyed the conversation and also gained insight into how large of a problem schools in the United States are facing.
The teacher shortage is affecting schools in every state. According to a report by the nonprofit Learning Policy Institute, there is currently a shortage of approximately 314,000 teachers in the U.S. school system. That means they need subs, but when there aren’t enough, it negatively impacts the learning experience for students and can also lead to teacher burnout. Substitute teachers play a vital role in addressing teacher shortages. They can step in when full-time teachers are absent, ensuring that students receive consistent instruction. Furthermore, substitute teachers can also bring fresh perspectives and diverse experiences to the classroom, enriching students’ learning experiences. I have experienced this in my own classroom when I needed a substitute teacher.
Swing Education’s Initiative
Swing Education launched a campaign to recruit substitute teachers throughout California and in Texas, in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. These are the areas of biggest need at this exact moment for the Swing schools. However, schools all over the nation are facing a shortage, and substitute teachers are needed everywhere. Because Swing Education has a centralized platform, it is easier for schools to find and manage substitutes. The platform handles recruiting, onboarding, and payroll, giving schools more control over their substitute pool. Substitute teachers can find teaching assignments that fit their schedules and have the resources they need to be classroom-ready from day one.
The Benefits of Swing Education
The Swing Education platform offers numerous benefits, such as:
Streamlined Recruitment: Swing simplifies the recruitment process, making it easier for schools to find qualified substitutes quickly.
Improved Management: Schools can efficiently manage their substitute pool, ensuring they have adequate coverage for teacher vacancies.
Support for Substitutes: Substitutes have access to resources via the Swing Education site to help them get started.
Community Engagement: Swing encourages college students, prospective teachers, retirees, and others to sign up as substitutes, fostering community involvement.
Recruiting substitute teachers not only helps with immediate staffing needs but also helps to bring in opportunities for people who may not have considered teaching. There are substitute teachers that are college students, prospective teachers, or even retirees who decide to pursue teaching as a long-term career after having some experience in classrooms. By actively recruiting and supporting substitutes, schools can bring in prospective future educators and work toward eliminating or at least, reducing the teacher shortage crisis.
Swing Education’s initiative to recruit substitute teachers is a significant step toward addressing this challenge. By leveraging platforms like Swing, schools can ensure that classrooms are adequately staffed, and students continue to receive quality instruction. Furthermore, by the support offered for substitute teachers, schools can contribute to building a stronger and more sustainable teaching workforce for the future. Click here to learn how to become a sub. For schools and districts, click here to learn more about Swing.
Looking for PD for your school? I provide in-person and virtual training on the following topics. If you want to learn more about and explore AI and ChatGPT, contact me to schedule! Rdene915@gmail.com
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Guest post by Mike Teng, in collaboration with @SwingEDU
Teachers continue to experience high levels of burnout, at rates that are the highest of all industries. From lack of confidence to impacts on physical and mental health, we see signs of teachers at all stages of burnout in districts and schools across the country.
One acute challenge affecting teacher burnout is a limited pool of substitute teachers. With fewer people to relieve permanent teachers, K-12 leaders are left playing an increasingly challenging game of chess, moving students and staff around for continued coverage and learning.
The truth is that the same burnout teachers feel is hitting substitutes too. Being a substitute means living with unpredictability. They never know when an assignment will come, where it will be, or how long it will last. Then, when there is an opening they can fill, substitutes face more questions. Where do I park? Where can I keep my lunch? How long will it take me to get paid? Of course, many substitutes understand and accept the unknowns of their job. Quickly adapting to and learning in new environments is part of the package. But with the addition of stress from the COVID-19 pandemic, concerns about safety at school, and changes in students’ behaviors, among other factors, unpredictability is taking its toll.
The substitute shortage isn’t a new trend. Before the pandemic, districts struggled to find adequate coverage for absences. But according to a study from the Annenberg Institute, the problem has gotten worse. Today, 77 percent of districts have staffing problems because of unfilled substitute requests — up from about 20 percent pre-pandemic. Put those percentages in the context of nearly 600,000 substitute teachers covering 30 million teacher absences each year, and it’s easy to see the severity of the problem.
The challenge goes beyond the stress and anxiety of trying to find someone to fill a teacher’s spot for the day or week. Teachers remain one of the most important influences on student success, and unfilled absences can have a big impact on achievement. Schools may also be forced to have non-teaching staff to fill in, combine classrooms, or even group students in large spaces like the gym, cafeteria, or library with minimal supervision. In extreme cases, schools might have to close.
Better support for substitute teachers can help solve the problem. When substitutes are supported they are more likely to accept additional assignments, become quality placements, and stick with the profession over time offering more consistent relief to teachers. By adopting a few simple practices districts and schools can make their relationships with substitutes stronger.
Be welcoming
Substitute teachers are adept at stepping into new situations. Schools and districts often count on substitutes to be able to figure out information on their own, adapt on the fly, and keep their focus on providing students with quality instruction. But K-12 leaders can still meet substitutes halfway to create a more welcoming and supportive environment. A standard welcome packet can be something districts and schools make once and then use over and over with substitutes. Welcome packets could include information about parking, the teacher’s lounge, where to find lesson plans, contact information for key school staff, and timeframes for payments. Making digital PDF packets will make it easy to email the information as soon as a substitute accepts an assignment.
Provide peer connections
Most teachers and staff members in a building are friendly, but they’re also busy. If a substitute has a question during the day it can be hard to figure out who to ask. Assigning a peer to be a point of contact helps to eliminate the confusion. The point of contact’s role should not only be to answer questions but to make the substitute feel welcome. That could mean greeting the substitute when they arrive or checking in on them during the day. Creating peer connections for substitutes gives them a small dose of community support that can help them feel more confident during their assignment.
Show substitutes appreciation
It can be easy to see substitutes as only temporary staff members. But they are educators and important parts of students’ learning experiences. When we recognize substitute teachers and show them appreciation in ways we would for a permanent teacher it can build their confidence. One idea is to include a small note of appreciation in their welcome packet. Some leaders choose to follow up at the end of an assignment with a quick thank you email or give positive feedback during the day. For longer-term substitutes, including them in school-wide celebrations of educators and treating them the same as other staff members are effective steps.
Remove barriers to entry
Historically most substitutes were retired teachers or others in education who wanted to continue to give back. As fewer people choose the profession, we need different sources for substitutes. But the requirements to become a substitute teacher often create more barriers than doorways. We can make it easier for more people to become substitute teachers by building more pathways for people to enter the field. By finding better, more meaningful ways to assess instructional quality and classroom management skills, we can make substitute teaching more enticing to qualified people and simultaneously deepen the roster of available substitutes.
Caring for the well-being of substitute teachers is not only the right thing to do, but it also has a significant impact on the entire school community. When substitute teachers feel supported and valued, they are more likely to be reliable and committed, creating a more dependable pool of substitutes to draw on to fill absences. This, in turn, gives teachers the assurance that their class is in good hands and creates better retention of individual substitutes because they have confidence they’ll be welcome and supported at a school.
Mike Teng is the CEO and co-founder of Swing Education, a tech-enabled marketplace matching substitute teachers with schools in need. Before founding Swing, Mike was a software engineer in the private sector and then the tech director at a K-12 charter school network.
Learn more @SwingEDU
Blog of Rachelle Dené Poth
Looking for some PD for your school? I provide in-person and virtual training on the following topics. If you want to learn more about and explore AI and ChatGPT, contact me to schedule! Rdene915@gmail.com
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I am what most refer to as a “Techy teacher.” I love most things edtech and pursue a lot of edtech use in my classroom. I have been so driven by edtech that I pursued a master’s degree from Purdue University in Learning Design and Technology. The program has really helped me develop stronger edtech tools and designs for my classroom. When someone needs help with tech in our school, they usually come to ask me. I am not saying this in a bragging sense, it is merely to give the background that I love technology and see its benefits to our daily lives as human beings, especially as teachers.
All that said, I have some reservations about AI and the newly discovered ChatGPT (which I have only read about, and not used). Let’s first start with AI. For me, AI is an easier topic to discuss. I use Google Assistant on my phone to prioritize my daily life. I have even used IFTTT in conjunction with my Google Assistant to create a verbal command system that would award points to table groups similar to the house points in Harry Potter. So there are some great benefits of AI. My only reservation is something that I read about in EdTech Magazine. The title of this article is Empowering Teaching and Learning with Interoperability written by Douglas Konopelko. Interoperability was a new term to me but I have since embraced it. Interoperability in short is the ability of various programs and software to talk and work with each other seamlessly. My frustration with this topic and AI is how little companies are trying to accomplish this. The Google, Microsoft, and Apple battle are well known. None of those companies seem to want to work together and share their systems to work with each other. The same can be said for EdTech. If we are to fully be able to use the systems we have in education, we need them to have interoperability. The companies behind them need to embrace this. The question then turns to, can AI help us in accomplishing this? I am writing this post hoping to seek the answer to this question. There is so much overwhelming data in education and we need systems that can easily combine all the pieces we need into one system that makes it easy for teachers to use.
This brings me to the next tricky subject, ChatGPT. I have not used ChatGPT. It is blocked in my school and I have no desire to use it at home. I keep coming across Twitter posts with articles discussing the benefits of ChatGPT in education and for educators. I am extremely cautious to embrace this. The biggest issue I have with ChatGPT is originality and authenticity. In the article How CHATGPT is fast becoming the teacher’s pet from Forbes, a teacher is quoted saying that he lets the students use ChatGPT to write their first draft of code for them. But if ChatGPT is writing the first draft of code, then how is it “their” code or program? Other uses for ChatGPT in this article discussed are writing emails, comments for students, and creating tables and charts to name a few. And sure, automating these processes do seem like they would make my life as a teacher more efficient. The struggle I have is how can we confirm originality with these processes. How can we ensure there will not be mistakes? Yes, we all know “Skynet” is not taking over but when will ChatBot perceive the student, parent, or teacher as a threat and send the wrong message home? And maybe this is because I have some control and trust issues with the processes of my own classroom.
Let’s circle back to our topic of interoperability. What role does AI or even ChatGPT play in this term? If ChatGPT can create charts and tables, can it then provide interoperability for the systems that we use in schools? Can it gather all of the data from all the sources we use and make reports for schools to use? I for one am tired of chasing down data, copying it from one source to another. Could ChatGPT and AI automate and streamline this process for me? There are systems out there like Class Composer which let us take all of our data and put it into one place. I am a teacher so I am not on the backend of the data dump but I do know, I have had to enter my student data into Class Composer. So what can be done to make this process easier and eliminate my need to enter the data? We all know how much time this will save. Can ChatGPT solve this issue for us?
In this evolving world, I am more than happy to embrace change and technology. There are great benefits to using technology in our lives, especially in the classroom. And we can forget to take the time to measure the value of technology in the classroom. Our efforts should be on interoperability. How are we going to push all these systems to work together? How can ChatGPT help with that? How can I be assured of trust in ChatGPT’s originality or authenticity? I am just a techy teacher trying to navigate this evolving world and embrace the new tech.
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As we continue to seek ways to best prepare students for the skills that they need to be successful in the future, it’s important that we are not afraid to take risks in our classroom by bringing new methods and different digital tools for our students. In looking at resources from the World Economic Forum and the Job Skills Outlook for 2025, for example, many of the skills that we’ve been talking about for years are still in demand and predicted to be even more essential in the future. Some of those skills include critical thinking and problem-solving, creativity, collaboration and communication, flexibility, resilience, leadership skills, and digital literacy. Deciding on methods to use or which digital tool to use in our classrooms can be a challenge sometimes, however, there are some easy ways to get started with STEM learning activities that provide many benefits for students.
Regardless of the grade level or content area, all teachers can bring in STEM-focused activities for students in a variety of ways. There may be concerns about a lack of teacher training, however, it just takes a little bit of time to become familiar with the technology or the concepts and then let students dive in and take the lead in learning. It is great when students teach us as well. It does not require us to be experts in all of these areas. We just need to find a few ideas and get started.
Why STEM Matters
Helping students to learn about STEM is important for their future success as many of the in-demand careers are in STEM-related fields. These careers will increase in demand and it is important that all students have opportunities to explore their interests in these areas. There are many benefits of learning about STEM including that it helps students to develop problem-solving skills, which is a valuable skill for any type of career. Students build collaboration skills when working with classmates to solve STEM challenges for example. These opportunities also spark curiosity as students become more engaged in learning, not just the content area but also learning more about the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math. Providing STEM-related learning opportunities helps students to become more comfortable with taking some risks in learning and also shifts students from being consumers to creators and even innovators.
STEM also helps students to build social-emotional learning (SEL) skills. As students work through a learning activity, they build self-awareness in regard to their skills and their interests, self-management as they work through challenges, and develop persistence and resilience as they may face obstacles in learning. They also become better with time management as they plan their project-based learning (PBL) or need to meet a specific deadline for their work, depending on the methods used. Students build relationships as they collaborate with classmates and develop social awareness as they learn about one another or by exploring the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and learning about places and challenges being faced around the world. Decision-making skills are developed as they focus on their learning journey and make decisions and take greater ownership of their learning. Providing STEM activities helps students to become quite flexible in their learning as they have to continue to iterate and reflect on where they are in the learning journey.
Getting Started and Ideas to Explore
Finding the time to get started with STEM may present another challenge for teachers, especially with benchmarks that need to be met and specific curricula that must be followed. However, there are some different ways to bring STEM in even if it’s for a short term or as a class activity.
Start with a discussion about the various subjects of STEM and then encourage students to explore something related to their interests and share it with classmates. There are many online resources available and even educational programs and courses that can help students to learn about STEM subjects. It could be that they enroll in an online course or follow a tutorial and then create something to share in class. Hands-on learning is a great way to get students involved in STEM and that can require very little if any funding.
Think about the content that you are teaching and identify a real-world problem for students to solve or apply a STEM concept to it for a solution. Students can work individually or in small groups to come up with different solutions and then provide feedback to each other.
Design hands-on learning activities for students. Depending on the course you teach, it could be having students conduct an experiment in a science class, they could design a prototype for something, reconstruct a famous landmark from history or another course of study, and try to improve upon it using STEM concepts. Use the STEM challenges to connect students in the classroom and boost student engagement in learning.
Bring in some digital tools and STEM materials. There are many digital tools available that not only provide students with opportunities to learn about STEM but also involve emerging technologies like artificial intelligence for example. We have been working with Marty the Robot, a humanoid that can be coded screen-free with color cards or using the app with text-based and block-based coding. This is another great opportunity to bring in STEM, PBL, and SEL and understand how AI is programmed. Also with the great choices focused on STEM and SDGs and more with iBlocks, students engage in learning that is authentic, meaningful, and personalized for them. Teachers have all of the materials they need to get started. Another option is Ozobot, a one-inch robot for teaching students about coding that is a favorite in my STEAM class. It can be used as a screen-free coding resource too!
Think about cross-curricular collaboration. Finding time to bring in STEM activities can be done when collaborating with colleagues through cross-curricular collaborations. Find a common focus and have students apply their knowledge from these courses to design a project or work together with classmates to develop STEM and essential SEL skills.
Finding the Funding
Some of the challenges with bringing STEM into classrooms may include a lack of funding, depending on the type of resource that a school may want. Applying for grants or connecting with a local school or organization that offers a lending program or a library of resources that they share can be a great way to get started. Another suggestion is to obtain a few items and have students work in learning stations. Giving students a chance to explore multiple resources and then exchange ideas and reflect on their learning experience is also beneficial. When it comes to technology, not all schools may have access to the right devices, so finding a variety of resources to use that provide students with the opportunity to learn and engage with these tools is important. Also connecting subjects with other areas of the curriculum so that they see the real-world connection makes it more meaningful for students.
Another idea is to find guest speakers who can talk to students about STEM fields and the importance of these areas. In my school, we have access to a cohort that helps us find local organizations, technology companies, and local universities that offer resources or STEM-related learning opportunities for students.
The Benefits are Long-Lasting
Providing access to resources that equip students with the right information and opportunities to work at their own pace and explore based on their specific interests and needs is essential. Providing students with opportunities to engage in more student-driven learning through STEM-related activities will offer many benefits beyond just the content knowledge. It will prepare them for whatever the future holds and equip them with a variety of skills that will be adaptable to many areas of work and life.
About the Author:
Rachelle Dené Poth is an ed-tech consultant, presenter, attorney, author, and teacher. Rachelle teaches Spanish and STEAM: What’s nExT in Emerging Technology at Riverview Junior-Senior High School in Oakmont, PA. Rachelle has a Juris Doctor degree from Duquesne University School of Law and a Master’s in Instructional Technology. She is a Consultant and Speaker, owner of ThriveinEDU LLC Consulting. She is an ISTE Certified Educator and currently serves as the past -president of the ISTE Teacher Education Network and on the Leadership team of the Mobile Learning Network. At ISTE19, she received the Making IT Happen Award and a Presidential Gold Award for volunteer service to education. She is also a Buncee Ambassador, Nearpod PioNear, and Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert.
Rachelle is the author of seven books and is a blogger for Getting Smart, Defined Learning, and NEO LMS. Follow Rachelle on Twitter @Rdene915 and Instagram @Rdene915. Rachelle has a podcast, ThriveinEDU https://anchor.fm/rdene915.
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As we planned our next “Change the Narrative” videos, I asked Kathy what topics she thought were the most important to cover. Without a pause, Kathy responded, “Coalition Building!”
So check out this video and build your team!
Why this Matters
Build a stronger coalition. Energize and develop the advocates of DEI initiatives. Resistance will form among some community members in dealing with any DEI initiative. In response to this resistance, we need to build up the voices of advocates for the work.
Build a broader coalition. Who are the groups that may not immediately jump on board with DEI work but may support some of the initiatives or changes you are advocating for? Find natural partners in this work.
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One of the largest questions schools are facing this year is how to try to improve student behavior. We all understand that one side effect of the pandemic was students were deprived of learning key social skills that can help regulate their behavior.
The National Center for Education Statistics reports that 84% of schools agree that student behavioral development has been negatively impacted and that has led to everything from student misconduct to acts of disrespect toward teachers and staff to prohibited use of electronic devices.
In reaction, many schools have used their COVID relief federal funding to start or bolster existing social-emotional learning programs. In fact, 88 of the top 100 districts in the U.S. reported spending funds on SEL – that meant more districts expanded SEL than sought additional technology, teacher training, or extended learning opportunities.
And that’s not a surprise. Many studies show that addressing and building students’ social-emotional skills can result in better academic performance, fewer disruptive behaviors, and less emotional distress.
As a quick aside, if your district is still searching for a solution, I have a detailed column that explains how to best vet a new program, considering your district’s available funds, current climate, and hoped-for outcome.
But if like so many districts, you have already purchased a program and are in the early stages of implementation, I have some advice that seeks to flatten your learning curve, enhance buy-in from staff, and start producing results quicker.
The first key lesson is that even if you have chosen the right program, simply buying something and beginning to train staff isn’t enough to guarantee success. Just as we know that students do better when they understand the relevance of the work they are completing, your staff is more likely to find success if they believe in the option you’ve chosen.
One way to accomplish this is by sharing with them the process you went through to choose your solution. You likely not only gauged your product’s effectiveness in schools in general but also studied exactly how it worked in schools that mirror your district. Let your teachers know what research went into it, and freely share any examples you have from other implementations, from successes to roadblocks.
If you completed a trial with a small group, let staff know. Allowing teachers and others to talk with multiple people about implementation will help tamp down fear of the unknown.
You should also set clear expectations for your program, even if it’s already been rolled out district-wide. Explaining that usage can deepen in coming years will offer a roadmap to staff, and help teachers see the end goal without allowing day-to-day frustrations to hamper their efforts.
The last method to improve your staff’s buy-in is to extend your SEL program to include care for their social and emotional states. During the last several years, teachers may have been working so hard to mitigate the negative effects from the pandemic on students, they ignored their own self-care. Teacher resignations and polls that show increased unhappiness in their jobs are proof that stress, extra work, and uncertainty have taken their toll on your staff.
Remind your teachers to take care of themselves and offer them programs in yoga or controlled breathing. This can not only reduce their stress, but also prove you care about their well-being. In short, take care of your staff like you hope they take care of your students.
Above all, remind staff that all of this work takes time to master, like any new skill. While you can’t expect students to absorb SEL lessons and improve behavior immediately, if staff is consistent with their lessons, progress will begin in mere weeks. This will then reinforce the importance of your SEL program.
Al Kingsley is an author, the CEO of NetSupport, Chair of a Multi-Academy Trust in the UK, Education Author and co-chair of Workstream 5 at the Foundation for Educational Development, whose mandate is to develop a framework for long-term vision and sustainable planning for education in England. He travels the world, speaking about and studying education. Al’s latest book isMy School Governance Handbook.@AlKingsley_Edu.
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It’s a short list, but the older I get, the longer it becomes.
Jeff Buckley’s “Last Goodbye.”
Pearl Jam’s “Release.”
James’s “Out To Get You.”
Regardless of where I am (except in the car; I’m not a lunatic) or what’s happening in my life, there are certain songs that make me close my eyes. A reaction both genuinely involuntary and intimately purposeful. A strange, dichotomous shutting off of one sense in favor of another, telling our eyes to sit this one out while our ears do the heavy lifting.
And then there’s the goosebumps. The sensation, dubbed frisson, is triggered by a dopamine flood measuring 4-5 seconds associated with seeing, hearing, or experiencing something that triggers an emotional response. Interestingly, the brain elicits the same reaction to fear.
I like to think about it as moment recognition. My conscious decision to dim everything else in an effort to brighten the experience of a deeply personal, infinitely resonant moment in my life. But in order for it to take hold, to really matter, I have to remember that moment, often at a random, unrelated or loosely connected time.
So I do.
And it works.
Now, while I don’t walk around my school, eyes shut, meditating on moment recognition, the practice itself has made its way into my leadership. Instead of song lyrics, however, it’s small moments with kids, staff, and community.
When a kindergartener found out he would be repeating this year, he said, “it’s okay. I love kindergarten, and Mr. Kulak is my best friend.”
When I responded to a Twitter question about leadership catchphrases, a teacher chimed in that I often say, “I trust you” and don’t even realize it. Now, I do.
During the promotion, a Tatem OG, whose final child was leaving, approached me sheepishly and asked for a hug. I told her to bring it in, and she cried while we hugged.
Education, unlike any other profession, is a mosaic of these experiences. Without the predictability or isolation of other fields, we have daily opportunities to create and store these brief moments of zen. And the best part? They will always include other people.
So do it. Find small moments for which you close your eyes, literally or figuratively, and store them up. There will come a time, and it might be soon, when you want to close your eyes because of frustration or fatigue, and when you do, behind your eyelids and just within reach will be these moments of frisson.
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At first glance, the release of OpenAI’s ChatGPT in the midst of the 2022 holiday season could hardly be counted among the items likely to be on a teacher’s wish list. It’s hard to imagine joy at such a release during my years of teaching middle and high school English, which consisted almost entirely of having students write, then grading student writing. If someone had suggested I introduce a tool that could answer an AP Lit open response question in a matter of seconds to my students, I would have contemplated quitting.
And yet, today I find myself both in awe at the dawn of this reality and curious about what it really means to be a teacher within it. As I pondered the questions – How will ChatGPT affect learning? How can teachers use it as a tool in their classrooms? How can teachers learn to both recognize and teach students the unique role and value of the human in an AI classroom and world? – I had the thought, maybe I should just ask the machine.
So, on an ordinary day at work for me “in the cloud,” I grabbed a cup of coffee and settled into a chat with my computer. I found myself immensely curious. Would ChatGPT have some decent answers? Where would I find its limitations? Could this conversation help teachers start to understand the power of this technology as both an empowering tool and a frustrating reality? After a thrilling chat that lasted less than 5 minutes, I have to say…I think it could. Below is our coffee talk, with ChatGPT’s unedited contributions in purple.
Me: How will ChatGPT affect learning?
ChatGPT: I’m sorry, but I am not familiar with a chatbot or language model called ChatGPT. Could you provide more context or clarify your question?
(Ha! Clearly we’re not off to a good start. I refrain from asking GPT, “Are you being ironic?”)
Me (Trying again): How will generative AI affect teaching and learning in classrooms?
ChatGPT: Generative artificial intelligence (AI) systems, such as language models like GPT-3, have the potential to revolutionize education by providing new ways for students to learn and interact with educational content.
One potential application of generative AI in education is the creation of personalized learning experiences. For example, a language model could be used to generate customized learning materials or activities based on a student’s individual needs and interests. This could help students learn at their own pace and in a way that is most engaging and effective for them.
Generative AI could also be used to create simulations or virtual environments for students to interact with, providing hands-on learning experiences that would be difficult or impossible to replicate in a physical classroom.
Another potential use of generative AI in education is the creation of interactive tutoring systems that can respond to a student’s questions and provide real-time feedback and guidance.
Overall, the use of generative AI in education has the potential to make learning more personalized, interactive, and efficient. However, it is important to carefully consider the ethical implications of using AI in education and to ensure that it is used in a way that supports and enhances, rather than replaces, traditional teaching methods.
(Really? You think we should consider the ethical implications on AI in education when all this AI is out there in the “open” for free? That’s very intelligent of you! Thank you.)
Me: What other ways can teachers use AI in lesson planning?
ChatGPT: There are many potential ways that teachers can use artificial intelligence (AI) in lesson planning and teaching. Here are a few examples:
Personalized learning: AI can be used to create customized learning materials and activities for individual students based on their needs, interests, and learning style. This can help students learn at their own pace and in a way that is most engaging and effective for them.
Grading and feedback: AI can be used to grade assignments and provide feedback to students in real-time. This can save teachers time and allow them to focus on more high-impact tasks, such as providing one-on-one feedback and support to students who need it.
Content creation: AI can be used to create educational content, such as videos, simulations, or interactive exercises. This can help teachers create engaging and interactive learning experiences for their students.
Data analysis: AI can be used to analyze data on student performance and engagement, providing insights and recommendations for teachers to use in their lesson planning.
Collaboration and communication: AI can be used to facilitate collaboration and communication between students, teachers, and parents. For example, AI-powered chatbots or virtual assistants can be used to answer common questions and provide support to students and parents.
It’s important to keep in mind that AI should be used as a tool to support and enhance traditional teaching methods, rather than replacing them.
(This is actually a solid list of ideas for teachers! We may be onto something.)
Me: What is the best use of a teacher’s time with students in a classroom with AI technology?
ChatGPT: There are many potential ways that teachers can use their time effectively with students in a classroom with artificial intelligence (AI) technology. Some potential approaches include:
Personalized instruction: Teachers can use AI technology to create personalized learning experiences for students based on their individual needs, interests, and learning styles. This can involve using AI to generate customized materials or activities, or to provide real-time feedback and support to students as they work.
Collaborative learning: Teachers can use AI technology to facilitate collaboration and communication between students, allowing them to work together on projects, share ideas, and learn from one another.
Problem-based learning: Teachers can use AI technology to create interactive, real-world problem-solving exercises for students. This can involve using simulations, virtual environments, or other interactive tools to help students apply their knowledge and skills in meaningful ways.
Project-based learning: Teachers can use AI technology to create engaging and interactive projects for students to work on, allowing them to explore their interests and learn through hands-on experiences.
One-on-one support: Teachers can use their time with students to provide individualized feedback and support to those who need it most. This can involve working with students one-on-one or in small groups to provide targeted help and guidance.
Overall, the best use of a teacher’s time with students in a classroom with AI technology will depend on the specific needs and goals of the students, as well as the teacher’s teaching style and expertise. It’s important to consider how AI can be used as a tool to support and enhance traditional teaching methods, rather than replacing them.
(Ding ding ding! We’re getting so close in number 5, time for one-on-one support.)
Me: What can humans do that AI cannot?
ChatGPT: There are many things that humans can do that artificial intelligence (AI) cannot. Some examples include:
Creativity: Humans have the ability to generate new and original ideas, whereas AI is limited to the knowledge and capabilities that have been programmed into it.
Empathy: Humans have the ability to understand and share the feelings of others, whereas AI lacks the capacity to feel emotions.
Moral reasoning: Humans have the ability to make moral and ethical judgments, whereas AI can only follow the rules and instructions it has been given.
Social interactions: Humans have the ability to form complex social relationships and engage in social interactions in a nuanced and subtle way, whereas AI is limited in its ability to understand and navigate social situations.
Physical tasks: Humans have the ability to perform a wide range of physical tasks, such as lifting, carrying, and manipulating objects, whereas AI is limited in its physical capabilities.
Overall, there are many things that humans can do that AI cannot, and it is likely that this will continue to be the case for the foreseeable future. While AI can perform some tasks more efficiently or accurately than humans, it is still limited in its ability to think, feel, and behave like a human.
(And this, my friends, is at the heart of what we’ve been talking about. We as humans need to be clear about what our unique value is within this reality. Machines work on algorithms…we need to level up our human-only skills. We need to be what we at LINC call “generative humans.”)
Me: GPT, what is a generative human?
ChatGPT: It’s not clear what you mean by a “generative human.” In the context of artificial intelligence (AI), the term “generative” typically refers to the ability of a system to generate new and original output, such as text, images, or music. For example, a generative AI system might be trained on a large dataset of text and then be able to generate new, coherent sentences or paragraphs based on that training.
If you are asking about the concept of a “generative human” in a broader sense, it’s possible that you might be referring to the idea of humans as creative or productive beings. In this context, a generative human might be someone who is able to generate new ideas, solutions, or products through their creativity and ingenuity.
I hope this helps to clarify things. If you have a specific question or context in mind, please let me know and I’ll do my best to assist you.
(Precisely! Yes, you have “clarified things,” meaning you have drawn the same connection I have been pondering. Thank you for seeing things my way GPT!)
Me: Applying that same logic, what is a generative teacher?
ChatGPT: The server experienced an error while processing your request. Sorry about that! You can retry your request, or contact us through our help center at help.openai.com if the error persists.
(Well, that’s embarrassing. Let’s resubmit…maybe you got lost in the logic.)
A generative teacher might be someone who is able to generate new and innovative ways of teaching and learning in the classroom. This might involve creating personalized learning experiences for students based on their needs, interests, and learning styles; using technology and other tools to facilitate collaboration and communication among students; or developing interactive, problem-based learning exercises that allow students to apply their knowledge and skills in meaningful ways.
In general, a generative teacher might be someone who is able to think creatively and adaptively, and who is always looking for ways to improve and innovate their teaching methods. They might be open to new ideas and technologies, and be willing to try out different approaches in order to find what works best for their students.
(And just like that, you’ve made my point. The value of the teacher in the reality of AI is human connection and creativity. It is generativity in living, breathing motion.)
About the Author
Tiffany Wycoff is the Chief Innovation Officer and Co-Founder of LINC. Connect with Tiffany on Twitter @teachontheedge.
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Listen to Smallbites via Hedreich Nichols, @Hedreich
This week is part two of the SmallBites Black History series. It could aptly called “Beyond the Struggle”. When I think of June and Pride celebrations, there is so much joy. Yes, there is talk of Stonewall and the fight for human rights, but there is a joy that we are missing in February. I believe that comes from the focus on our civil struggle and a lack of knowledge about the many achievements of people from the African diaspora in America.
Let Your Students Do the Sleuthing
I invite everyone to take time, this month especially, to celebrate all that Black Americans have accomplished in the face of insurmountable odds. Did you know that most enslaved people were freed with no education, no restitution and no path to transition from enslavement to freedman in a hostile environment? And yet, there have been notable achievements in every sector, achievements that are not widely known. Since this month is dedicated to Black History, allow your students to research Black business owners, scientists, writers, inventors, choreographers, educators, politicians, generals, etc. Discuss who they find and allow your students to take the lead. I’m hoping that will be acceptable even in today’s climate. There is so much to celebrate and Black achievement in the US is so much deeper than Civil Rights and Soul food.
Who Wants to Join Me??
If you do find someone especially interesting to celebrate, I’d love to interview one or two Black History super sleuths this month for SmallBites. Message me at 5smallbites@bluewin.ch.
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I beat Colin Kaepernick to the knee by a cool twenty-six years.
Before the former 49ers quarterback literally took a knee during the national anthem to raise awareness about police brutality and social injustice, I had already begun the practice, albeit for a far less political purpose.
As a waiter at a local Pizza Hut, I started the unorthodox practice of taking a knee when I took orders. Regardless of who was in front of me, I just thought it was easier, and more comfortable, to take a knee and write the orders on my pad while leaning against the table. For me, it was about ergonomics because standing and writing were awkward, and because I have terrible handwriting, I needed to lean on something to ensure I would be able to understand what I wrote minutes later.
At one point, my boss called me over and asked why I took a knee. I explained, and he just looked at me and said, “But it looks weird. I’d rather you stand up.”
Now, at 19, I wasn’t about to make a stink. He was my boss, and I needed the part-time job. Still, as I look back on it, what difference did it make? I would argue my customers appreciated me meeting them on their level instead of making them look up at me like some deranged, pizza-wielding, megalomaniac.
A few years later, as I started my teaching career, I took a knee all the time. When I would stop by a student’s desk to offer feedback, redirect, or check in, I would take a knee. Now, in year twenty-four, I still find myself on bent knee, despite one of them being ravaged by arthritis and a torn meniscus, and I make sure to start on day one.
Whenever I meet our new kindergarteners during summer meet-and-greets, I always take a knee when I offer my hand to introduce myself. The action has become as involuntary as a sneeze; the reaction from kids invariably features disarmed smiles and enthusiastic high-fives.
As conversations in education continue to focus on equity and access, we need to be mindful that our students first associate equity with their access to us. Providing a model of those two complex concepts ensures kids can see and feel each Immediately.
But it’s much more powerful than that when you consider that children are forced to look up to grown ups as a matter of course, their little necks perpetually craned to get our attention. Taking a knee flips that script in such a way that balances power, something children experience rarely.
Ultimately, we are all just grown-up versions of the children who once had to look up to people all day. Some of us still do. But no one should have to.
**Interested in writing a guest blog for my site? Would love to share your ideas! Submit your post here. Looking for a new book to read? Find these available at bit.ly/Pothbooks
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Learning as I go: Reflections & lessons learned 