Alexander Darling's Portfolio Page

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About Me

Hello everyone! My name is Alexander Darling. I graduated from SUNY Oneonta in 2020 and I am currently in my fourth year teaching. I began my teaching career teaching 5th grade in Pittsfield, Massachusetts during the pandemic. I taught 5-8 social studies for two years at St. Thomas the Apostle School in Delmar, NY. I currently teach 7th grade social studies in Albany City School District.

My Topic and Purpose

With new technologies constantly changing our world, it is imperative that educators are able to effectively adapt to meet these advancements.  Being able to properly implement technology can aid in a teacher's ability to craft instruction and help learners prepare for the expectations of the future. AI tools are the latest innovation in tech, and have slowly become more common in the workplace. With the endless possibilities AI tools provide, I believe it is of the utmost importance that educators understand these tools’ potential and how they can assist student learning. My purpose in designing this course is to provide educators with knowledge on how to effectively integrate AI tools into their classrooms to support their jobs in creating instruction and to help their students use AI tools to enhance their learning experience.

Scope of Learning Outcomes and Content

By the conclusion of the course, learners will be able to…

• Understand the potential impact artificial intelligence has on education.
• Identify specific AI tools and their various purposes to support learning.
• Implement AI tools to help support student’s learning.
• Design lessons and activities using AI tools.
• Understand ethical practices while utilizing AI tools.
• Teach AI literacy skills to students.

Needs Assessment

Educational Problem & Opportunity

With artificial intelligence being a relatively new tool in the realm of technology, it is imperative to provide educators with opportunities to improve their skills and become more comfortable with integrating it into their own classrooms. Though AI is an up-and-coming tech, it is already making a profound effect on the educational setting. AI is being utilized by educators of all types, being utilized in ways such as, from helping promoting personalized learning to students to aiding teachers in collecting and analyzing data (Pedro et al., 2019).

Data collected from Quizlet (2023) helps support this idea; that artificial intelligence is a tool being widely utilized by teachers and is creating positive impact. The survey collected data from 1,500 respondents (1,000 students aged 14-22 and 500 educators). In their survey, they found that 62% of educators who responded have used AI in some fashion, and that 48% of them had a positive experience with the technology. Educators are also utilizing AI in a variety of ways to support their teaching and their students learning, with the following spread being:

• Research (44%)
• Generating lesson plans (38%)
• Synthesizing information & data (38%)
• Generating class materials i.e. worksheets, quizzes, tests (27%)

Data Quizlet collected also shows that students are benefitting from the integration of AI in the classroom.

• 73% stated AI helps them understand content better
• 67% stated AI helps them study more efficiently
• 47% stated that AI has positively affected their learning experience

With data suggesting the benefits that AI has on both teachers and students, it is also important to understand the challenges and doubts educators still have about AI in the classroom. There is still a portion of educators (35%) who have never utilized AI before. There is also a clear lack of AI education and how to responsibly utilize it. 53% of students stated their teacher never discussed how to properly use AI technology when completing work, and 59% said their teacher has never encouraged AI to be used.

Data collected shows just how beneficial AI can be to educators and learners. There are also problems, mainly in regards to AI education and teaching how to use it responsibly, that must be addressed moving forward.

Learners & Participants

The course is designed for K-12 educators who are looking to improve their ability with integrating technology, specifically AI, into their classrooms. The course is also aimed to aid K-12 teachers looking to improve their knowledge on AI education and teaching their students how to effectively and responsibly use AI in their learning.

Analysis of Gaps

The emergence of AI in education has provided numerous benefits, but also is accompanied by challenges in its integration. One of the most glaring gaps is the lack of AI education that is provided to educators and how to effectively include AI tools into their classroom. With the introduction of AI, teachers are required to learn new skills to improve their practice. Such skills include utilizing AI for data interpretation, understanding how to use AI to complete repetitive tasks (i.e. grading), and helping learners develop skills in using AI for their own learning (Pedro et al., 2019).  

• Existing efforts to address this gap

Intent Statement

This mini-course will provide educators with the knowledge of how AI can positively impact their practice, the skills needed to effectively implement AI into their teaching, and the confidence to teach their students how to responsibly and effectively utilize AI tools to support their learning.

Analysis of the Learner and Context

This mini-course is designed for any K-12 educator who is looking to improve their knowledge of technology integration into their classroom. The course is non-dependent on age-range or discipline; the course can benefit educators from a variety of backgrounds. Prior to taking the course, educators should have a basic knowledge and interest in technology integration in the classroom. The course will be asynchronous, and participants will only need a computer and internet access to complete the course.

Performance-Based Objectives

After completing this mini-course, learners will be able

• Define what artificial intelligence (AI) is and explain its affordances in the field of education.
• Assess and compare different AI tools based on specific educational use.
• Develop a set of ethical guidelines for appropriate use of AI in their classroom.
• Create a lesson plan that implements artificial intelligence to improve student engagement and learning outcomes.
• Integrate AI tools that promote student digital literacy, providing students with the knowledge to effectively and responsibly use AI to support their learning.

Task and Content Analysis

(MOD 7-8) For each course-level target objective, consider 1) what the participants need to know in order to achieve this objective (e.g. the prerequisites that enable or support the objective); 2) what specific learning content and activities may address the prerequisites and target objectives. Then consider how the learning contents and activities will be organized into a process of learning through several learning units (e.g. 3-5). See example Task Analysis).

Curriculum Map

(MOD 7-8) Upload a visual map to show the sequence of learning units, each with its own objectives and activities. The units should work coherently to support the achievement of the ultimate objectives of the whole mini-course. Use this map to guide the creation of the actual learning units while adapting it when needed. The key idea is to fine-tune the objective-content/process-assessment alignment.

References and Resources

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