Pinellas County teachers learning to embrace AI in the classroom

Pinellas County teachers use AI in the classroom

FOX 13's Evyn Moon reports that Pinellas County teachers are learning to embrace artificial intelligence in the classroom after receiving a $25,000 grant to incorporate AI into their lesson plans and teachings.

LARGO, Fla. - Artificial intelligence is all around us and is now becoming an integral part of education.

The Pinellas Classroom Teachers Association was awarded a $25,000 grant to focus on how to incorporate AI into schools.

Artificial intelligence.

"It was kind of scary beause it's something new. And then again, it's something that you have to learn more about to be able to use productively in your work," said Paula Stephens of the Pinellas Classroom Teachers Association. "Ultimately, the goal behind this is to be able to use it to help improve the quality of teacher planning and help give them some time back."

Dig deeper:

Teachers can use AI to help with lesson plans, quizzes, and tests – freeing their schedule to better focus on individual students.

One Pinellas County teacher FOX 13 spoke with has already started using AI, even as an interactive tool, challenging students with games and quizzes and asking them to "beat the computer."

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"We use it as a tool to generate our thinking. So, for example, our warmup question might be to name ten things that are red that make noise, and my kids will have something. And then I'm like, all right, can we beat the computer?" said Heather McShane, a K-5 gifted students' teacher. "And I'll pose it to AI. And they're like, ‘I didn't think of this, and I didn't think of this.’ So I use it as like a springboard."

AI being used in the classroom.

McShane says you can’t rely on it completely, though.

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"It is amazing. You literally can say write ‘insert grade level here lesson for’ [etc.]. And you can even say turn it into a Word document, turn it into a PDF, turn it into a PowerPoint. So things like that, it's great," said McShane. "I just hope that people don't become lazy because of it, because not everything it gives out is good."

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What's next:

This week, the Pinellas County Teachers Association (PCTA) and a group of Pinellas County teachers will meet to discuss 'Embracing AI' training and eventually work with the school districts.

AI.

"It’s a way to embrace it and not fight against it, but make it something that we can actually use to make the classroom a better place for students," said Stephens.

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