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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#15. The Data: The Good, the Bad and the Unknown

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This year I have been granted the opportunity to pilot blended AP Psychology at Cary-Grove High School.  I have been enjoying re-envisioning my curriculum and it has sparked a new sense of creativity in my lesson design.  

 Study Overview:  The purpose of my study is to determine the efficacy of the blended model.  I teach three sections of AP Psychology; two sections follow a traditional method and one selection follows a blended method.  The students who elected to take AP Psychology were randomly assigned a section.  

 First Data Points!!:  I am excited to have my first set of data points to analyze.  My students took their first unit test last week.  It covered History, Perspectives and Cognitive Processes (Chapters 1, 7A and 7B) from Meyer's 1st ed.  It consisted of 50 questions, multiple choice.  The test questions were drawn from previously released AP exams and the Meyer's test bank.  
When I first looked at my data, I was pretty bummed.  The blended class did not outscore their peers.  They were smack dab in the middle of the data pile.  Ironically, we are diving into our research unit and researcher bias was fresh in my mind.  I knew that I needed to take a step back and re-frame how I was approaching my analysis.  

First, I needed to remind myself that it is okay to disprove my hypothesis.  Just because I am enjoying the the new model does NOT  mean that it is the best model for my students.  That's the whole point of this study!  I do not want to spend the rest of my career using an instructional methodology that is flawed.

 Second, I did no harm.  The kids who were randomly assigned into the blended class were equally as successful as the students enrolled in my other AP Psychology classes.  Their scores were also consistent with previous years as well.  If (and it is a BIG if) the data continues to support this, then we know that offering a more flexible schedule can still produce the results we expect.  

 Third, there is still a lot of data to collect.  I will be collecting data from unit exams and cumulative exams, student satisfaction surveys, student attendance and homework completion.  The results of the first test were just the tip of the iceberg!  

 Lastly, in future units, test corrections will be organized differently in the blended classroom.  In the past, I have allowed one day for students to complete their test corrections in class.  If they had additional corrections to complete, they had to complete them in the testing center.  Going forward, the blended section will have two days of flex time for corrections and the students will attend based on their individual need.  My hope is that this will allow me more time to offer individualized supports to the students who most need them.  I will be using their cumulative exam scores as a means of comparison to measure the impact of this change.

Test Corrections: I revamped my test correction process this year.  I was inspired by a post by the Effortful Educator found here.  The students are now asked to demonstrate their knowledge of the correct and incorrect answer for each question.  Here is an example of what my test correction form looked like for Unit 1.  Feel free to use or adapt as you see fit.

 Thank you for taking the time to follow my journey!  I'd love to hear from you!  Please leave your questions and comments below.

 Sincerely,
Cori




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