Skip to main content

Watch out, trap! How to avoid getting stuck in AI generated ‘vicious circle of education’

​

 I recently stumbled upon this quote above, and I could not agree more with the way it sums up the purpose of education these days- creating a culture of learning where independent critical thinking is encouraged, where skills and competences are valued over memorising data that is so easily available, where we appreciate the process over the product, where we invent ways to adapt/learn, relearn and adjust to the ever-changing world. 

How is this possible in the world of AI at our service, where the product- idea, solution, essay is ready for us in seconds?  The danger is that we might soon be operating in a world where teachers prepare an assignment using an ai-tool, students complete it with the use of ai as well, and then educators grade it with the use of an ai grading tool… If that isn’t a vicious paradox, an educational education game, I don’t know what is…

So, how to avoid getting stuck in such a pointless pursuit? There is only one way- make AI a thinking partner in the classroom, not just an idea or solution  generator, in other words focus on the process instead of the product, embark on a meaningful conversation with it. 

How can that be done? Here are some tips:

  • Introduce AI tools to your students and explain how they work, what they can and cannot do, and what are their limitations and biases.
  • Model how to use AI tools as thinking partners by showing your students how you interact with them, ask them questions, generate ideas, create content, and reflect on your learning. Reverse the typical pattern- ‘you ask AI a question, you get an answer’ and use the process- pattern instead, where it is the AI that asks you one question at a time, than after your answer asks you another, guiding you through your thinking journey where it is you who generates the final product rather than AI substituting your thinking with a ready solution. You might want to use the following generic prompt: I want to achieve [desired result]. Guide me step by step through a series of reflective questions that will help guide me to my goal. Generate only one question, idea, or suggestion at a time, then wait for my response before taking the next step
  • Design learning activities that encourage students to use AI tools as thinking partners, not as product-oriented ready-solution providers. For example, you can ask students to:
    • Use a chatbot to brainstorm ideas for a project or an essay, and then compare and critique their own and the chatbot’s ideas.
    • Use an image generator to create illustrations for a story or a presentation, and then explain and justify their choices and edits.
    • Use a speech synthesizer to practice their pronunciation or oral presentation skills, and then self-assess and peer-assess their performance.
    • Use a code editor to write or debug a program, and then test and improve their code.
    • Use a music composer to create a soundtrack for a video or a game, and then analyze and evaluate their composition.
  • Provide feedback and support to your students as they use AI tools as thinking partners. You can also ask students to give feedback and support to each other and to the AI tools. 

Hope you found this piece helpful! Happy teaching and learning:) 

Just a side note, hope you don’t mind......

If you like my content, maybe you would like to support me and buy me coffee?

Also, you might want to check other materials I create for the English Bilingual Secondary Classes (C1) - I am sure some of them will be useful for the English B HL classes, for example BritSpeak or OpenBookCouples. 

Check out the shop at dwujezycznie.pl


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Have yourself a "less-is-more" Christmas....

Every year, the same film plays on repeat. Black Friday hits, and people who swore they were “cutting back this year” are suddenly refreshing carts at midnight, chasing countdown timers and “only 3 left!” banners. This was the starting point for my minimalism lesson: if students are already swimming in Black Friday ads and Christmas wish lists, why not turn that chaos into something reflective and language‑rich?  The heart of the plan is a “Less Is More” advent calendar that runs parallel to the shopping season. While the outside world shouts “Buy! Hurry! More!”, students open a different kind of window each day: deleting unused apps, clearing one surface, designing an experience gift instead of buying another object. Each task comes with a guided question and a pair of chunky expressions to use in a short English reflection, so language development and behaviour change grow together. In  this handout  Black Friday and Christmas haven’t disappeared, but the spell is weake...
1 comment
Read more

Dead Poets Society Lesson

“ Let’s watch a movie! ” We’ve all been there- usually on a rainy Tuesday when the caffeine is failing and the class morale needs a jumpstart. However, we know the "movie day" stigma. A film is only a great lesson if the actual learning matches the energy of the screen. For my money, there is no better choice than Dead Poets Society. It is the ultimate catalyst for talking about the big stuff: identity, rebellion, and the purpose of education. I’ve mapped out a series of lessons that go way beyond just "watching."  We’re talking: • Silent Discussions (for the deep thinkers) • Film Review Writing • A Mock Trial of Mr. Keating   Carpe Diem! Check out the full plan below and let me know what you think  DeadPoetsSocietyLessonPlan Just a side note, hope you don’t mind...... If you like my content, maybe you would like to support me and  buy me coffee ? Also, you might want to check other materials I create for the English Bilingual Secondary Classes (C1) - I am sure som...
Post a Comment
Read more

🔨 Building a lesson with Lego bricks? Yes, please!

​ Yes, these are 16- and 17-year-olds playing with Legi in an English class. Yes, it is fun and at the same time is educational. Yes, they enjoyed it a lot!  Quick recipe for a Lego-based lesson: 1. Ask students to read a fragment of a book in English (in my case, it was the next several chapters of the Handmaid’s Tale by M. Atwood) 2. Bring some random mixed lego bricks to class- it is essential that you have a board for each student. It is good not to have Lego figures to boost creativity! 3. Ask the students to think of a scene/event/ idea/ problem from the text that they consider relevant/important/relatable/inspiring etc (you choose) and allow them 10 minutes to build a Lego representation of it- very basic, primitive even, as not everyone is skillful with Lego. 4. Once they choose what they want to build, they don’t share it, just create their little project in silence. 5. When the structures are ready, students work in pairs or small groups and spend 5-10 minutes trying to g...
1 comment
Read more