Part 2 - How Can a Teacher Use This?

After reflecting on my searches and experiences, I’ve realized that I’ve used ChatGPT quite a bit and have grown very comfortable with it over time. I started experimenting with it during my student teaching, and now I use it regularly for lesson planning, creating classroom materials, and even organizing parts of my personal life like my wedding. When I search or prompt ChatGPT, it usually gives me a strong starting point and then I can then personalize or adapt it to fit my students’ needs. Now that I’ve used it so often, I see ChatGPT as a genuine teaching assistant rather than just a tool. I always have it open on my computer. It saves me time, sparks ideas, and helps me stay creative when I hit a planning block. As for using it with students, I am currently designing a lesson that teachers students how to use generative AI to develop a fitness plan. Unfortunately, ChatGPT is block on student iPads, so I am designing the lesson around Canva MagicWrite. I think it can be a great resource for them, but I’d also want to teach them how to question and verify what it produces so they understand how to use AI responsibly.

I used ChatGPT to generate realistic images that match with a decodable text from UFLI. These images help deepen students’ understanding and connection to what they are reading. I really like ChatGPT. I find it very helpful when creating newsletters or emails for parents. Since I teach first graders, I’m still unsure about having students use ChatGPT independently at this age. I believe it’s important for them to first develop critical thinking skills and learn to work independently, so that when they do use AI as they get older, it becomes a supportive tool rather than something that does the work for them.

A teacher can use ChatGPT to create curriculum related materials appropriate for the childrens' reading levels.  I've had it create stories which include the students' names and vocabulary we have been learning.  

Creating quizzes at the kids' reading levels is so easy!

1. After reflecting on your searches, explain what ChatGPT did.

Chat GPT created rubrics for math assessments, created lesson plans based on the criteria I typed in the prompts, differentiate instruction, create group work, create quizzes, practice problems, writing prompts, and more. 


2. What are you thinking about ChatGPT now that you’ve used it?

Now that I have been playing around with Chat GPT and learning how to edit the prompts to generate the response I am looking for I am finding it very beneficial to use in the classroom. It is really an amazing time saver. 

3. Would you consider using it WITH your students?  Why or Why not?

I would consider using it with my students if I knew of an appropriate way to introduce it to Kindergarten students.  As I was writing this I realized I could ask Chat GPT how to use it in the classroom and it shared some great ideas. I really liked the first one with the story telling which we could do as whole group but as a great way to introduce it to the class in an engaging way! 

1. Story Time Helper

You can ask ChatGPT to help write a short, simple story based on ideas from your students. For example:
"We want a story about a cat, a rainbow, and a rocket ship!"
Then, read it aloud to the class or use it during shared writing time.

2. Rhyming Words and Word Families

Use ChatGPT to quickly generate rhyming words or word families. Example:
"Can you give us a list of -at words?"
You can turn the list into a sorting game or a song!

3. Morning Messages or Class Poems

Let ChatGPT help create fun morning messages or silly poems using student names or classroom themes. Kids love seeing their ideas turned into something special.

4. Class Questions and Wonderings

Use it like a class "question box." If your students are curious—like, "Why do leaves fall?" or "How do bees make honey?"—you can type the question into ChatGPT and share the simple, kid-friendly answer with them.

5. Idea Generator for Centers or Activities

Use ChatGPT to help you come up with themed center ideas, craft directions, or movement games. It can offer fresh ideas for your classroom routine.

I had chatGPT help me with an argument essay- something that all seniors have to do at the end of English 12 (and in other English classes throughout their educational careers). I first prompted it "What are some main arguments for a four day work week?" and it provided them in list form. I then asked "What are some counterarguments?" This allows students to see both sides first before taking a stance. I even then asked whether it can be gender stereotypical just to add in a layer, and it provided information on how it can reinforce gender roles and provide disparities- this was something that brings twelfth grade students to dig deeper into just a simply argument topic. 

I have rethought the way students can use bots like ChatGPT to help them start processes, and help brainstorm in a quick way. I actually plan on allowing them to do this in my next unit, which is their final paper. I figure students are trying to use it for dishonest reasons, and teaching them to use it to ENHANCE instead of do their work might help them rethink it too. 

I had ChatGPTwrite me a behavior plan for a student struggling with emotional regulation in the classroom.  It gave something very detailed and interactive options. This specific students loves Bluey so I asked if could incorporate a theme like that and it did. I thought it was really cool and also a little concerning considering this is something I do for my job lol. However it was great to look at and figure out what tweaks I can make or even what ideas I can add it. 
I probably wouldn’t use it WITH my students. I am a school social worker so I am seeing students individually or in a
small group. I might use it FOR my students when coming up with creative and out of the box solutions for behavior. I might even consider using it to help plan sessions. 

ChatGPT was exciting to explore and great to use. It was able to answer AND manipulate any question I gave them. I tried the recipes, it was able to exclude any allergy I asked, add in specific ingredients, or make a list using. budget! It was impressive. I use poems every week in my kindergarten class, but sometimes I want to add more sight words and once I put it into ChatGPT and asked it to "add more sight words for kindergarten" it did! 

I think my group is so young, that I am not sure how I could even use it WITH my students rather than for them. I think if I had an older group, I would absolutely try to introduce it to them! I think it's a helpful and exciting tool that they would enjoy too.

I had chatGPT write me a lesson plan. I realized it was a lot, so i then prompted it to make it more specific. For example I told it that I only wanted the lesson to be 20 minutes long and to make it for a small group of only 5 students. 
I am thinking of using ChatGPT to enhance lessons and differentiate worksheets to specific reading levels. 
I think I will use chatGPT for my students, but I dont necessarily know if I will use it with my students. If I did I think it would be after they did an activity or project to enhance it somehow. I don't think I would use it with elementary students as a source of their knowledge or research. Perhaps with other kids to generate ideas. 

1. ChatGPT gave me great lesson plan ideas for earthquake data when I created a simple search.
2. It is a great tool for educators to great lesson plans, labs, and activities.
3. I would definitely us it for my lesson plans; getting worksheets, labs, and activities for some of my lessons because it give great ideas and examples.

ChatGPT moves quickly to complete tasks.  I asked it to create a pattern book to use with beginning English learners.  It wrote a table of contents with 10 chapters about how to learn English:
Chapter 9: Food and Drinks

• Explore different types of food and beverages.
• Practice ordering food in a restaurant or café.
• Role-play cooking and dining scenarios.

Chapter 10: Hobbies and Interests

• Discuss hobbies and interests, such as sports, music, art, and reading.
• Learn hobby-related vocabulary and expressions.
• Share your own hobbies and interests with others.

  I can see that it would need more specific directions to complete specific tasks.  While it may be a helpful tool occasionally I do not think I could utilize it all the time to complete tasks for me.  At this time I would not use ChatGPT for my students.  It is so important for English Learners to practice their skills by doing tasks with a teacher and then moving towards independence. I fear that ChatGPT would be come a crutch.