AI in the Classroom: From Teachers to Facilitators | Shawn Cryan, Educational Systems Coordinator

Key Lessons

• AI can free up time for higher-order thinking tasks and more creative, human-centric activities in various professions, including teaching and software engineering.

• AI in education can enhance individualized learning, allowing teachers to become facilitators rather than just content providers.

• Educators using AI tools like ChatGPT can create customized curriculum content and assessments from sources they curate and vet.

• How Shawn & I use AI with our kids outside of school.

Description

In this episode of The Bits of Chris Show, host Chris Lettieri talks with educator Shawn Cryan about the transformative potential of AI in education and everyday life.

The integration of AI in education and daily life offers exciting possibilities for personalized learning, increased efficiency, and enhanced human creativity. As we adapt to these technologies, we have the opportunity to focus on higher-order thinking and more meaningful human interactions.

By listening to this episode, you'll gain valuable insights into the practical applications of AI in education and beyond, helping you prepare for a future where human skills and AI capabilities work in harmony.

Here's what you'll learn:

AI Revolutionizing Education:

• The shift from traditional teaching to personalized education using AI

• Introduction to Khan Academy's AI tutor, Khanmigo, and its potential impact

• How teachers are evolving into facilitators rather than just content providers

• Unlocking higher-order tasks like project-based learning through AI assistance

• The move from teacher-centered to student-centered learning environments

AI-Powered Curriculum Development:

• Creating social-emotional curriculum online during the pandemic

• Using AI tools like ChatGPT for basic level information and content creation

• The importance of vetting AI-generated content

• Exploring content vendors for schools and their role in education

• Sean's experience with "We Are Well" curriculum based on TED-Ed content

Maximizing AI Effectiveness:

• The power of using AI on curated, personal data sets

• Creating embeddings with your own data for more nuanced results

• ChatGPT's strengths in common knowledge vs. the need for specialized data in niche areas

• Understanding Bloom's Taxonomy and its application in AI-generated assessments

• The potential of chaining prompts or using an ensemble of AI models for sophisticated results

AI in the Workplace:

• How AI is replacing certain tasks, freeing humans for higher-order work

• Examples of higher-order tasks for software engineers

• Emphasizing that AI is augmenting jobs, not replacing them entirely

• The potential for AI to enable us to be more human in our work

AI in Personal Life:

• Creative ways to use ChatGPT with children for learning and play

• Utilizing ChatGPT's image recognition for household tasks and family activities

• The potential future of augmented reality glasses powered by language models

Resources

• Shawn’s Portfolio

• Kahnmigo

Timeline

[00:01:15] Shawn introduces himself and his background in education and educational administration.

[00:03:25] Discussion on Shawn’s career path and his role as an educational systems coordinator.

[00:04:52] Exploration of current issues in education, including balancing academic success with nurturing environments.

[00:06:50] Introduction to the topic of AI in education, mentioning Khan Academy's AI tutor.

[00:08:00] Shawn explains the concept of individualized learning and how AI can facilitate it.

[00:15:57] Discussion on content creation companies for schools and how they provide educational materials.

[00:19:00] Shawn shares his experience creating his own health curriculum using AI tools.

[00:22:28] Chris introduces advanced AI techniques, including injecting personal data into language models for better results.

[00:25:30] Explanation of how to use ChatGPT with personal data sets to enhance its usefulness.

[00:31:18] Discussion on using AI to create better assessments and project-based learning opportunities.

[00:34:35] Introduction to Bloom's taxonomy and how it can be incorporated into AI-generated assessments.

[00:35:30] Exploration of using multiple AI models together (ensemble of LLMs) to create more sophisticated educational tools.

[00:39:30] Shawn and Chris share personal experiences of using AI in parenting and engaging with children.

[00:42:19] Discussion on potential future applications of AI, including augmented reality glasses for real-time information.