101. The Transformative Power of AI

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Folks, let’s face it. Our classrooms are going to look a little different this year. AI, specifically ChatGPT, is going to change the way we design learning experiences and assess student mastery. I’ll be honest, when I first explored the ChatGPT platform I was terrified. As I have dug deeper into the technology and its capabilities, I realized that while it does pose significant challenges — it also presents us with some pretty amazing opportunities. In this series, we will explore what AI is capable of, its implications in the classroom, and how it can benefit both teachers and students. Let’s start by examining where we have been, where we are currently, and looking forward to where we are going. Whether this is a trip you wanted to go on or not, the AI train has left the station and it is time for all of us to jump on board. From Card Catalogs to Artificial Intelligence I belong to the micro-generation called Xennial. Xennials are considered to be a “bridge” between Generation X a...
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#2. Student Surveys Provide an Opportunity

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Every year our students fill out an online survey about their teachers once per semester.  It addresses topics including:


  • classroom atmosphere
  • behavioral expectations
  • teacher preparedness
  • engaging lesson design
  • assessments
  • learning targets


I'll be honest, in the past this survey never really bothered me.  Why?  Because my scores were GOOD.  Good as in there were basically no "disagree/strongly disagree" answers.  This was always quite the confidence boost and acted as positive reinforcement to continue on my chosen path.

 This year, however, was a slightly different story.  As I looked at results, my heart sank and the rationalizing  began.  About 1/3 of my students took the survey (n=27) and 2-3 of those students disagreed with the following statements.

  1. My teacher knows when the class understands, and when we do not. 
  2. My teacher makes an effort to know me as a person. 
  3. The comments that I get on my work in this class help me understand how to improve.

My first reaction was to rationalize why this occurred... Maybe they accidentally marked the wrong box (nope, the other answers were consistent with the other students), maybe it is because I have 30 students in every class (could be a factor, but it isn't an excuse), maybe I already do it and they just don't see it (test corrections, etc). But then I had to take a step back, even if all of those "excuses" are true it does not change the experience of those students in my classroom.  It is a big deal if they do not feel like I know if they understand, if I do not know what makes them "them", or if I am not providing them with tools to help them improve.  It also does not matter if it is 3 students or 30 students.  What am I going to do about it?   In the end, the buck stops here.

 Luckily, I have the rest of the year to build stronger relationships with these students and improve on my instruction.  Tomorrow, I will be greeting every student at the door.  I have noted the students who I don't know as well as others and I will be talking to each and every one of them this week.  I will also develop a formative assessment in which they can share something unique to their life experience and relate it to our course content.  In regards to student mastery of the information, I need to include more formative assessments with concrete steps that they can take to re-learn the material as necessary.  I always have the best of intentions to do this but life gets in the way.  AP Psychology is a content-driven class and sometimes I let the course calendar dictate my pacing to the exclusion of student understanding.

 So, why would I include this reflection on a blog about blended learning? This year I am teaching in a traditional classroom.  Next year, I will begin my pilot of a blended AP Psychology class.  It is my hope that the way the course is structured will help me better meet the needs of my students.  The class will meet three days per week.  In addition to this class time, the students will be meeting with me in small groups 1-2 times per month on days in which the class does not meet.  I cannot wait for these days!  I will have the opportunity to know each student in such a different and more meaningful way.  There is no hiding in a group of 5 students.  Plus, the students will be required to come to class every day until their grade is satisfactory.  I get the opportunity to help them one-on-one and tailor their learning experience to their individual needs and interests!  How awesome is that??  I cannot wait to see the answers to these three questions on my survey next year.  


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