Author: kgullackson (Page 2 of 6)

Activity 1 (Part A): Getting Comfortable with AI

This activity highlights AI’s creative potential while letting you tailor prompts to your interests.

For a hobby of interest: Give me a list of 5–10 things to do for someone who enjoys (your hobby).
For a food of interest: Provide me a (choose 1) dinner/lunch/breakfast recipe that includes (your favourite food).
For books or songs of interest: Generate a list of (choose one) music artists or books for someone who loves (your favourite song or favourite book).
For a country of interest: Give me inspiration for unique activities to do while visiting (insert country) for (insert duration of trip) with a group of (number of people) aged (insert age).

Activity 1 (Part B): Using AI in the Classroom

Give me (insert number) activities to do with a class of (class size) students in (grade level) on the topic (topic) in (subject). The activities are designed to be done as (choose: stations/whole class/small groups/individually). Please provide alternatives for students who (insert an individual need you encounter).

Rationale for Selected AI Tools 

We chose ChatGPTDiffit, and Gemini for their accessibility, adaptability, and ability to support teachers with different levels of tech skills. ChatGPT offers quick, customizable lesson ideas; Diffit adjusts reading materials to meet diverse learning needs; and Gemini provides a comparative AI experience to develop evaluation skills. These tools align with our constructivist approach by promoting experimentation, critical thinking, and differentiated instruction, while remaining free or low-cost so teachers can continue using them beyond the course.

References

Association for Experiential Education. (n.d.). What is experiential education? Retrieved August 11, 2025, fromhttps://www.aee.org/what-is-experiential-education

CAST. (2018). Universal Design for Learning guidelines version 2.2. http://udlguidelines.cast.org

Kasepalu, R., Prieto, L. P., Ley, T., & Chejara, P. (2022). Teacher artificial intelligence-supported pedagogical actions in collaborative learning coregulation: A Wizard-of-Oz study. Frontiers in Education, 7, 736194.https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2022.736194

Main, P. (2021, November 18). Direct instruction: A teacher’s guide. Structural Learning. https://www.structural-learning.com/post/direct-instruction-a-teachers-guide

Piaget, J. (1973). To understand is to invent: The future of education. Grossman

Activity 1 Part One & Two

Activity 1 (Part One): Getting Comfortable with AI

This activity follows a constructivist learning theory and aligns with Learning Objective 1: Use AI to enhance creativity, brainstorm ideas, and design lesson/unit plans.

Activity 1 is designed to get those new to AI comfortable with using it. The first part of this activity highlights AI’s creative potential while allowing the learner to cater prompts toward their interests, making it fun. Through highlighting AI’s creativity, the learner can understand how it can support and enhance teachers’ ideas, rather than replacing them.

Instructions: 

  1. Copy and paste the prompts below into CHATGPT one at a time. 
  2. Customize the prompts by filling in the italicized sections.
  3. Have fun looking at the answers!. 
a) For a hobby of interest: Give me a list of 5-10 things to do for someone who enjoys (your hobby: ie: swimming, baking, drawing etc).
b) For a food of interest: Provide me a (choose 1) dinner, lunch, breakfast recipe that includes (your favourite food: ie: watermelon, curry, greek food, smoothies etc.)
c)For books or songs of interest: Generate a list of (choose one) music artists, books for someone who loves (your favourite song or favourite book: ie: All Too Well by Taylor Swift).
d)For a country of interest: Give me inspiration for unique activities to do while visiting (insert country: ie: Italy) for (insert duration of trip: ie: 2 weeks) with a group of (number of people on trip: ie: 4 people) of the age of (insert age: ie: 21-25)

Reflection

After completing the prompts, please respond to the Google Forms question below to evaluate your learning.

Activity 1 (Part Two): Using AI in the Classroom

After seeing that AI can be fun and personal you now see how AI can be fun and helpful in the context of a classroom. This makes using AI less daunting in the classroom. 

Instructions: 

  1. Copy and paste this paragraph into CHATGPT, replacing the italicized words accordingly.
  2. Take note of the results as they can be used in your classroom in the future!

Give me (insert desired number of activities: e.g., 5) activities to do with a class of (insert class size: e.g., 23) students in (grade level: e.g., grade 4) on the topic (topic you are teaching: e.g., photosynthesis) in (subject: e.g., science). The activities are designed to be completed as (choose one: stations, a whole class, small groups, or individually). Please provide alternatives for students who (insert an individual need you come across in your classroom: e.g., have ADHD and benefit from visual learning). 

Give me (insert number) activities to do with a class of (class size) students in (grade level) on the topic (topic) in (subject). The activities are designed to be done as (choose: stations/whole class/small groups/individually). Please provide alternatives for students who (insert an individual need you encounter).

Please complete the Google Forms question below to evaluate your learning.

Assessment Plan & Evaluation

Formative Assessment

Throughout the course, the website will lead you through step-by-step Mini Quizzes through HP5 and Google Forms. These will provide you with immediate feedback for multiple-choice questions and feedback later on for short-answer questions. It will also provide other pieces of necessary information to guide you on the course. If you are not sure of the content, trying the activities/content again may support this (see activity sections for specifics). On some of the pages, there is additional information if you need or want to know more. There are also versions of the Google Forms that can be printed out and assessed by the course instructor if needed.

Summative Assessment

Sharing a lesson plan template created with AI support on a blog post to share and receive feedback from other teachers. The lesson plans will be shared in a blog-like format where feedback can be provided after viewing the content. The goal is to gather input from fellow teachers and course organizers.

This rubric below is made for teachers to assess their lessons once they are feeling more confident.

Lesson Plan Assessment:

CriteriaEmergingDevelopingProficientExtending
Differentiation & InclusionDoes not account for diverse learnersSome differentiation is shown but very limitedDifferentiation is clearVery adaptive, supports in place for diverse learners
Curriculum AlignmentDoes not align with learning outcomesSomewhat aligns with learning outcomesFollows learning outcomes appropriatelyGoes above and beyond just learning outcomes, extends the learning
Clarity & EngagementUnclear or hard to follow Somewhat easy to follow and engagingClear and organized; activities engage students.Very clear, organized, and highly engaging

AI-Supported Lesson Planning Checklist For Teachers

A teacher-friendly checklist to help you plan lessons with AI, covering inclusion, curriculum alignment, ethics, and engagement can be downloaded below.

Ressources & Prep

Before you get started, please read the materials, watch the video, and complete the reflections before you begin the activities.

Exploring ChatGPT for Teachers

Watch an interactive H5P video that introduces ChatGPT and shows how it can support teachers with lesson planning, time-saving strategies, and responsible use. As you watch, you’ll answer quick questions to check your understanding and reflect on how AI can fit into your teaching practice.

Watch and interact with the H5P video. we created below.

Reflection:
After completing the video, share your thoughts in the comments:

  • How might ChatGPT save you time in your lesson planning?
  • What is one privacy practice you’ll keep in mind when using AI tools?

Another Quick Walkthrough

Getting Started with Gemini

Watch this video below to learn more about Gemini.

Here are the steps to get started:

1. Access the Gemini Web App

2. Sign in with your Google Account

  • On the Gemini homepage, you will be prompted to sign in.
  • Click the Sign in button.
  • You will be redirected to the Google login page. Enter the details for your personal Google account.
  • If you don’t have a Google account, you will need to create one.

3. Start using Gemini

  • Once you are signed in, you will be directed to the Gemini chat interface.
  • You can begin interacting with the AI by entering a text, image, or audio prompt in the message box.

Getting Started with Deffit

To begin, please watch the following introduction video:

How to Sign Up

  1. Click “Create Free Account”
    Locate and click the button to begin the signup process.
  2. Choose a Sign-In Method
    Select your preferred option (most teachers use Google sign-in for convenience).
  3. Enter Your School or District
    Provide the required information about your school or district to complete registration.
  4. Enter Your Grade Level(s)
    Indicate the grade levels you teach so the platform can personalize your experience.

After you’ve completed the prep activities, proceed to the Ethics & Privacy module.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Use AI to enhance creativity, brainstorm ideas, and design lesson/unit plans.
  2. Confidently integrate digital tools into their teaching workflow.
  3. Integrate AI tools to support differentiated instruction and inclusion for diverse learners.
  4. Apply ethical and responsible practices when using AI in lesson planning.
  5. Create effective prompts for accurate, relevant, and curriculum-aligned content.
  6. Evaluate and adapt AI-generated materials for accuracy, bias, and alignment with learning goals.

Rationale for Selected AI Tools

We chose ChatGPTDiffit, and Gemini for their accessibility, adaptability, and ability to support teachers with different levels of tech skills. ChatGPT offers quick, customizable lesson ideas; Diffit adjusts reading materials to meet diverse learning needs; and Gemini provides a comparative AI experience to develop evaluation skills. These tools align with our constructivist approach by promoting experimentation, critical thinking, and differentiated instruction, while remaining free or low-cost so teachers can continue using them beyond the course.

Learning Context & Accessibility

Learning Context: HOW TO USE AI COURSE

Accessibility & Inclusive Design.

This course is designed to be inclusive and easy to use. It will be accessible to teachers through WordPress. We chose this platform because it is flexible, widely used, and allows us to create engaging content while keeping student data private and secure. WordPress supports learning by doing, enabling teachers to explore interactive resources to find what works best. It also facilitates connecting with other teachers, sharing ideas, and giving feedback, so learning occurs collaboratively.

It is essential to recognize that teachers have diverse technology skills and comfort levels. Following the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), which promotes proactive planning to reduce barriers for all learners (CAST, 2018), this course ensures accessibility and inclusion throughout.

You can download the UDL Guidlines below

Resources and Content That Prepare Learners for Assessment Activities

Teachers use videos, guided practice, questions, prompts, and peer feedback to practice creating useful lesson plans that can support their teaching. This will also be interactive with teachers and the course instructor talking about their short answer responses and resolving any misconceptions leading to more discussions and collaboration.

How to Support Access:

Closed Captioning (CC) in H5P Interactive Video

  • If the video has captions, a CC button will appear in the video toolbar.
  • Click the CC button to turn captions on or off.
  • If multiple caption languages are available, use the dropdown menu next to CC to select your preferred language.

Changing the Video Speed:

  • Click the gear icon (⚙️ Settings) in the video toolbar.
  • Select Playback speed.
  • Choose your preferred speed:
    • Faster (e.g., 1.25×, 1.5×, 2×)
    • Slower (e.g., 0.75×, 0.5×)

Other Supports:

Link Buttons like the one below.

AI Website Hyperlinks:

  1. ChatGPT:(Quickly generates lesson ideas and materials)
  2. Diffit: (Differentiates content for diverse learners)
  3. Gemini:(Supports research and content creation)

Learning Design & Rationale: Experiential + Direct Instruction

The learning design we chose is experiential. Experiential learning engages learners “intellectually, emotionally, socially, soulfully and/or physically and creates a learning task that is authentic.” (Association for Experiential Education, n.d.). The AEE further explains that experiential learning is personal and forms the basis for future experience and learning. 

This is reflected in our learning resource because our activities are an active process of exploration and application. Rather than being shown or told about how generative AI can be used to lesson plan, our tool provides an opportunity for teachers to be guided through a series of interactive activities that require them to experiment with AI prompts in a relevant context. For example, activity 2 involves prompting AI with a series of questions, each time becoming more specific, and then comparing results to one another.

Our design templates also involve direct instruction as some of them provide teachers with exact formulas for prompting AI. According to Main (2021) direct instruction “emphasizes explicit teaching, carefully sequenced lessons, and small learning increments” because clear instruction reduces the chance of misinterpretation. In our resource, this approach is reflected in the use of pre-laid-out templates that guide teachers step by step. Activity 1 for example, involves little inquiry or open-ended exploration, as they are designed to build foundational understanding and ensure clarity before teachers move on to more creative, exploratory tasks.

Our rationale for a combination of these approaches is to build teacher confidence while encouraging creativity. The use of direct instruction provides a clear framework proven to be successful when lesson planning. This structure reduces confusion and is a strong starting point, especially for those new to AI. Once this foundational understanding is set, experiential learning allows teachers to experiment with what they learned, deepening their understanding of genAI.

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