Ali was born and raised in the UK. Ali is based between the UK, Spain, and Qatar. He has served in a number of roles in international schools, such as Head of School, Director of Learning & Teaching (PreK-12), PYP/MYP/DP Coordinator, and English teacher. He is passionate about developing schools and others. Currently, he is a consultant for school developmental projects, recruitment, educator training, and business development. Ali mentors students on university programmes and serves as a board member for education and charity missions. He works with the IB in various school support roles and contributes to visiting teams for NEASC and CIS. Ali advocates for diversity, health, and well-being. He makes time to enjoy his love for travel, daily gym exercise, home workouts, MMA, and yoga.
As technology reshapes the educational landscape, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is at the front of this transformation. From personalised learning to automated grading. As Forbes indicates, understanding AI and its capabilities is becoming a top-needed skill for the present and future workforce. AI tools are revolutionising how educators teach and how students learn. Many of these tools are available for free! Here are some free AI tools to play with and ways to upskill your game.
Google Gemini (gemini.google.com)
I am a Gemini, so let’s start with Google Gemini, which can be used to help create personalised lesson plans, provide efficient student feedback, help grasp concepts and summarise emails. As an educator, you can leverage Gemini to analyse student data and develop personalised content that meets each learner’s unique needs. This tool can identify student strengths and weaknesses, allowing for a more customised and effective teaching approach.
Microsoft Copilot (copilot.microsoft.com)
Microsoft Copilot is another powerful AI tool, which has somewhat similar capabilities as Google Gemini, that can significantly benefit both teachers and students. It offers creative text formats, generates images, citations of sources, and provides impressive factual accuracy whilst offering integration with Microsoft 365 tools. Both of these useful tools are helpful with developing ideas, brainstorming, and having informative discussions. Remember, the more specific your prompt or question is, the better AI can understand what you need and provide a relevant response. These tools are great alternatives to the hyped everchanging ChatGPT.
Otter ai – (otter.ai)
Otter.ai is an AI-powered transcription service that can transcribe real-time lectures, meetings, and discussions. This tool is invaluable for educators and students, making reviewing and referencing spoken content easier. By using Otter.ai, you can ensure that important information is captured accurately and is readily accessible for future study and review. I really wish I had something like this during my school and university days when I would struggle with notetaking as someone who suffered from dyslexia. You might also utilise this tool for lengthy school and board meetings. There is a basic free version and paid versions too.
Invideo – (invideo.io)
Invideo.io allows you to create videos just by typing text. Simply explain a concept in writing to use AI to transform your words into a full video with visuals, narration, and music. It’s easy to use and lets you customise the video, making it an excellent tool for engaging lessons. I have used the free version, and it does the job well. There are paid options too.
Ethical Use of AI and Academic Integrity
AI tools offer numerous benefits for learning and teaching, however, it’s crucial to consider the ethical implications and ensure that their use aligns with principles of academic integrity and promoting ethical use.
- Remember that AI tools were created by humans. So, expect errors, bias, and misinformation. These tools are still new and constantly being updated and changed.
- It is important to check facts and be aware of the bias that can be generated from these tools. We must teach critical thinking to our students to assess AI outputs and actively work to mitigate bias and ensure fair treatment of all students.
- Ensure that students and educators understand how AI tools operate, what data they collect, and how they make decisions. Transparency fosters trust and accountability in the use of AI technologies.
- There are a number of AI plagiarism detection tools. Whilst this can be helpful, please be very cautious because many of these detection tools have been proven to be inaccurate and unreliable. There have been reports of AI tools falsely accusing students of cheating and being biased against non-native English speakers.
- To help with building academic integrity and encouraging authenticity of work, communication with students and knowing students well through strong relationships is the key. For example, having conversations with students about their work, submission of written drafts or projects. Encourage students to discuss their research process, what they learned, and how they approached the task. Implementing a variety of assessment methods, such as presentations, debates, portfolios, and practical projects, supports critical thinking and makes it more challenging to plagiarise.
- Think about designing assessment tasks that prioritise authentic thinking, encourage real-life applications and problem-solving. Rote memorisation and just writing away simply isn’t going to cut it anymore!
- Obviously, we must discourage the misuse of AI tools for cheating or plagiarism but, clearly communicate the acceptable uses of AI in coursework and assessments.
- Additionally, it is an asset to foster a culture of academic honesty and make your school’s academic integrity policy and its practices understood by the whole school community. This also means teaching students how to use AI to help with their creativity, analysis, and study, and not as a quick shortcut to real foundations.
- I have had the joys and opportunities of visiting and communicating with educators and school leaders from all over the world in my role as a consultant and educator. Visiting schools and delivering professional development in the Americas, Europe, Africa, Middle East, and Asia has given me multiple insights and perspectives. The commonality I have found through conversations is the need to maintain the human touch in learning and teaching.
Staying Up to Date with AI Tools and Developments
The field of AI is rapidly evolving, and staying current with the latest tools and developments is essential, which can provide valuable insights, peer support, and updates on the latest trends and tools. Joining professional networks and communities through LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram are some great spaces. Regularly reading newsletters, blogs, and publications dedicated to AI and educational technology like EdSurge, TechCrunch, theneuron.ai, and uncoverai.beehiv.com, often feature articles on emerging AI tools and practices. Attending webinars and conferences also provides opportunities to learn from experts, discover new tools, and network with other educators. For example, the IB Global Conferences and ECIS Leadership Conferences are just some to mention.
Upskilling through Free Courses
That’s right, free! I have hand-picked some free online courses that might spark some interest. Some of these courses are upgradable to a certificate with a small fee. You can Google, bookmark and take your pick.
Generative AI for Educators (grow.Google/ai-for-educators): Generative AI for Educators by Google will help you learn how generative AI tools can save you time on daily tasks, personalise your tracking, and creatively enhance lessons and activities.
AI for education: Resources and learning opportunities by Microsoft (learn.microsoft.com/en-us/training/educator-center/topics/ai-for-education): Discover resources and courses on utilising AI for educational purposes with Microsoft.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) Education for Teachers (www.coursera.org/learn/artificial-intelligence-education-for-teachers): Explore AI with human intelligence, understand its evolution since the 1950s. Use creative, critical, and design thinking in AI applications and explore the ethical considerations of AI. Available in 21 languages.
Generative AI in the Classroom with Adobe Express (edex.adobe.com/professional-learning/self-paced-course/generative-ai-in-the-classroom-with-adobe-express): In this self-paced course, you’ll discover how new generative AI features by Adobe Express can creatively enhance teaching and learning.
HarvardX: CS50’s Introduction to Artificial Intelligence with Python (www.edx.org/learn/artificial-intelligence/harvard-university-cs50-s-introduction-to-artificial-intelligence-with-python): A comprehensive course, which covers the fundamentals of AI, machine learning and to equip you with skills using Python.