AI Lesson Plan

 Welcome back!  This week, we were asked to use Magic School AI to generate a lesson plan using AI.

Part 1:

https://app.magicschool.ai/tools/lesson-plan-generator?share=23ecc586-5203-4439-9d76-2d00c0ddf274

My evaluation of the lesson is that it does and excellent job addressing the state standard ( a. Explore the function of history and culture in the development of a dramatic concept through a critical analysis of original ideas in drama/theatre works from western or non-western theatre traditions), but falls short in the ISTE standard (Students use effective research strategies to find resources that support their learning needs, personal interests and creative pursuits.).

The lesson directly addresses the state standard by asking students to consider the concepts of societal norms, politics, and cultural values as they relate to one of Shakespeare's plays.  It also asks the students to compare western and non-western theatrical traditions.  All this aligns quite well with the state standard.   

Where the lesson plan falls short is in aligning with the ISTE standard.  That standard implies that technology should be leveraged to do the research.  While it can be assumed that the students would use the internet to do most, if not all, of their research, it is never explicitly stated.  A comprehensive lesson plan would specify the tools the students should use to complete their assignments.

In my opinion, Magic School AI is an effective tool for generating a lesson plan but it is just that: a tool.  It is very useful for generating a plan quickly.  For example, it took me no longer than five minutes to generate this plan.  However, a thorough evaluation of the plan is needed to ensure it meets all applicable standards.  In this case, it does not.  There is no mention of how technology should be integrated into the learning.  Without that element, the lesson plan fails to address the standard.

Part 2:

I chose to use Magic School AI to also generate a 10 question multiple choice quiz on the subject of societal and cultural influences on Shakespeare's plays.  This was the result:

https://app.magicschool.ai/tools/mc-assessment?share=4753eda7-ccca-4b4d-9b7c-34857b7f9963

I didn't find the assessment to be especially useful.  My experience in the classroom is that the students have some influence in the topics and facts we discuss and their input can change what I need to assess and the end of the lesson.  While the quiz is a general assessment on the topic I specified, I prefer to assess based on what we actually discussed and read in class.  I might use this tool to give me some ideas for questions, but I would certainly not rely on it to create the entire assessment.

Part 3:

Reflection   

I think that like many people, I am cautiously optimistic about the use of AI in the classroom.  As with any new technology, there are pros and cons.  I found AI to be a tremendous time saver.  I also discovered that AI is still not sophisticated to be relied upon to do the instructor's job for them entirely.  My example didn't address all relevant standards and didn't do a particularly good job assessing the learners.  The other drawback to AI is that it can be too tempting to students to have it do their work for them.  Having AI spit out a product in response to a set of prompts does nothing to advance the learning and understanding of the student.

This is all a new experience for me.  The last time I taught students, the technology in my classroom included white boards and overhead projectors! Times have changed.

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