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I agree Claire. It’s amazing how quick lessons and assessments can now be made and how little time it takes. I used to spend hours trawling through websites looking for resources and lessons that then needed to be edited or put together, but not anymore. By using an AI platform, I can tailor lessons specifically for the children who sit in front of me and can edit the ones that are generated if there is anything that isn’t suitable. This leaves lots of room for differentiation and assessment. Id imagine it will also make the life of sub teachers easier as they can generate quick lessons in seconds to complete with any number of different classes. I have to agree that this course has been very helpful and I have become aware of websites that I had never heard of or used before that I know will help me in September when I return to school.
I have used Gemini to create a lesson plan on The Mayans below and I have then used Diffit to source reading and multiple-choice questions to support this lesson plan. Gemini offered a great lesson plan that was broken down into sections and parts which made it very easy to follow. The only things I didn’t like was I was unable to download the lesson plan and had to copy it into a word document. I intend to use this lesson plan in September when teacher my class about the Mayans. It will give them soe freedom to do some research themselves and Diffit has offered lots of back up resources and assessment ideas. I think I could also incorporate Magic school into the lesson and have the children generate an image of the daily life of the Mayans and have the children write a diary entry about it allowing them to use AI and also to practise their writing skills.
Lesson Plan: Exploring the Ancient Maya Civilization
Grade Level: 5th class
Subject: History
Time Allotment: 60 minutes
Learning Objectives:
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
Identify key aspects of the ancient Maya civilization, including their geographical location, time period, and major achievements.
Describe the Maya’s contributions to mathematics, astronomy, and writing.
Understand some theories regarding the decline of the Classic Maya civilization.
Answer comprehension questions based on provided text.
Materials:Copies of the “Journey into the Maya World” reading passage for each student.
Copies of the “Maya Comprehension Check” multiple-choice questions for each student.
Lesson Procedure:1. Introduction (10 minutes)
Hook: Begin by asking students what they know about ancient civilizations. Prompt them with questions like: “Have you ever heard of a civilization that built huge pyramids, developed a complex writing system, and tracked the stars with incredible accuracy, all thousands of years ago in the jungle?”
Introduce the Maya: Explain that today they will be learning about the ancient Maya, a remarkable civilization that flourished in Mesoamerica (present-day southern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, and Honduras).
Set the Stage: Briefly mention that the Maya were known for their advanced knowledge and unique culture.
2. Reading Activity: Journey into the Maya World (20-25 minutes)Distribute Reading: Hand out the “Journey into the Maya World” reading passage to each student.
Instructions: Ask students to read the passage carefully, highlighting or underlining important information as they go. Encourage them to note any words they don’t understand.
Independent Reading: Allow students to read silently. Circulate around the room to assist students with vocabulary or comprehension as needed.
Reading Passage: Journey into the Maya World
3. Discussion (10 minutes)Open Discussion: Lead a class discussion using the following questions:
Where was the ancient Maya civilization located?
What were some of the impressive structures the Maya built?
What were the Maya known for in terms of mathematics and astronomy?
How did the Maya record their history and knowledge?
What are some of the theories about why the Classic Maya cities declined?
What surprised you most about the Maya civilization?
4. Multiple Choice Questions: Maya Comprehension Check (10-15 minutes)Distribute Questions: Hand out the “Maya Comprehension Check” questions.
Instructions: Tell students to answer the questions based on the reading passage.
Independent Work: Allow students to work independently.
Review (Optional): After students have completed the questions, you can review the answers as a class, allowing students to correct their work.
5. Conclusion/Wrap-up (5 minutes)Reiterate Key Points: Briefly review the main achievements of the Maya.
Connect to Modernity: Emphasize that the Maya people and their culture still exist today.
Preview: Mention that in future lessons, they might explore other ancient civilizations or delve deeper into specific aspects of Maya culture.I have never used Minecraft in the classroom before but it sounds like it might be something useful for children who are tech able and needing an extra challenge. I didn’t realise there were 2 versions of it until this module and I wonder would I be able to use it myself.
I have also heard of scratch before but never used it. I like what you say there that it is so easy to use and starts at a beginner level meaning that anyone can try it out as they don’t need prior knowledge. I know it is around a long time but I have just never found the time to start using it in the classroom as we never had the internet or resources available to use it. I liked the guide that helps when explaining to the children how to use Scratch and how it was fun for the children to use.
One of the applications I intend to use in the coming year is Kahn Academy. I tried to use some new ones to me eg. Osmo, dash and dot and Robo Garden but I couldn’t manage to get them working for me. I only have access to a laptop and I feel some of these would work better on an iPad. I was really interested in getting Robo Garden to work but I just couldn’t manage to manoeuvre the website or assign tasks to students. I have used Kahn Academy before and have found it to be very user friendly for both myself and the students. It is easy to set up classroom and to assign activities to the children. They can have their own logins and use it both at home and in school without losing their progress. In also love how it uses different subjects and the children enjoy using it and find it fun even though they are learning as they go.
Hi Fidelma,
I also really liked Copilot Image Creator and how it gives you a descriptive title. I do agree this can restrict some of the more able children however those who find it hard to get started and need support and guidance, this resource could be great to get them going and to actually complete a written piece. I do agree that the image creator teaches the children that they need to be descriptive and add as much detail as possible to get the image they want. I do find children struggle with this sometimes and this is a super tool to encourage the children to stretch their sentences and descriptions. When writing I’ve noticed that some children have all the information in their heads but they struggle to get it down on paper as its as if their thoughts can’t keep up with their pencils. This tool helps them to add as much detail and information that they can in order to create the image they want and they learn how this works first hand by trying it out.
I have signed up to Magic School and I am so surprised by how many different tools for creating that there are. It is invaluable for teachers to help save time and to inspire ideas. I have used Magic school to quickly create a lesson based on WW1 suitable for my class level. I listed what I wanted in the prompt and let the AI generate a lesson for me.
I have also explored Diffit for teachers which has an amazing amount of resources. I honestly couldn’t believe how easy it was to create a lesson on it and to have every resource needed at hand in under a minute. It even linked assessment for the lesson.Both of these websites are fantastic for teachers and would make life so much easier in the classroom. I also liked how Magic school suggested the 80/20 rule to remind me to check over the lessons and work it created. That the 20 percent where the teacher checks over the work is just as important as the 80 percent created by the platform.
I agree Felicity, Immersive reader is a fantastic resource that I can definitely see myself using in the coming year. I would have used it this year had I known about it. I do think that the biggest challenge is having access to IT for the children who need to use it and that they actually know how to use it. In my own school I can see internet being a big issue also as it is unreliable and patchy with a max of 6 iPads working slowly at any one time. The time it takes to set them up and getting them working takes precious minutes away from the lesson and children can become frustrated trying to get things to work. I must look into Grammarly like you mentioned as it sounds like it has many benefits for all children but most importantly the ones who may need the most help.
AI is a fantastic tool and resource for transforming learning in the classroom. It opens up a world of endless possibilities and creativity. When considering certain children in my class this year I was in awe of the possibilities that Immersive reader on Microsoft word offered. When I looked into it and tried it out, I could think of endless ways it would have helped certain children in my class this year. I wish Microsoft had made user more aware they offered a function like this. I run a Teach the teacher feature in my class each year and next year I plan to use AI to help the children to craft their presentations and to create quizzes or games for their peers. A challenge I can see occurring is that some children do not have basic computer skills and will need to know how to use a computer or laptop in the most basic of ways before being able to create using AI. Saying that I do think that the different AI platforms will make certain things easier for those children as they just type in a prompt and the platform generates an answer back. This takes the workload off the children.
Hi Laura,
I really like how you have broken things down here and offered lots of different uses for AI in the classroom. I have never used it for drafting emails but this does seem like a useful option. Are there AI chatbots that are set up to use Irish? That is one thing I feel I would need to check to ensure the children are learning from a reputable source using the correct grammar. I absolutely agree that the read aloud and highlighting text features are fantastic and I could definitely see how they would work and benefit learners in the classroom. I find using AI t generate quizzes so helpful and quick. I have never thought to use it for games but it is something I will definitely look into this year. It will tie in the curriculum focus on playfulness in the classroom. I do agree with one of your first points, that there is need for teacher oversight to ensure that what is being used is accurate and appropriate for the group of children you are teaching.
After engaging with this module my eyes have been opened to how helpful and impactful AI can be in the classroom. I was oblivious to the different types of AI platforms available and have only ever really used Chat GPT. I have found it great in some ways but lacking in others and I would often have to ask the same question in different way to get the answer I am looking for. I have found it very helpful when looking for ideas for lesson plans and I’m just not quite sure where to go or what to do and it does generate some useful options and examples of activities. I have also used some of the worksheets it has generated but I do find that sometimes there are little mistakes on them and I need to check them before using. It really is more of a resource that I tweak rather than something I can rely on to be perfectly correct.
