AI For Teachers: Shape Your Future In Early Childhood Education
Generative artificial intelligence is a rapidly evolving technology that has given users of all backgrounds a glimpse into how it can change how we work. When it comes to the classroom, AI won’t be replacing teachers anytime in the near or even distant future. However, if you are an educator, there are some convenient ways you can implement AI tools in your classroom, especially if your career is in Early Childhood education.
At Sunrise Children’s Foundation, we’re committed to providing quality care to the teachers, children, and families that make up our school community. Want to learn more about how you can pursue a fulfilling career working with children? You can learn more with our Early Childhood education career FAQs.
What Role Should AI Play In The Classroom?
The debate about AI has extended into the classroom, and one of the most common questions many ask is, “What role should AI play in education?” When it comes to traditional classrooms, including Early Childhood education classrooms, it’s pretty clear that AI proves to be more beneficial to educators than to the students who are so often the target of this technology.
As children grow, they need to develop their sense of creativity and curiosity. Introducing AI tools to them at this age can be detrimental to their sense of creativity and overall curiosity. Instead, AI should be reserved for educators, helping them streamline administrative tasks so that they can focus more of their efforts on the things that matter most — the children they work with.
If you’re a parent, it’s important to recognize that as your child gets older, you should be thoughtful about when you introduce digital tools, including AI, into their world as well. For example, AI tools like Character.AI that are targeted at older children can bring severe consequences if not monitored appropriately.
Benefits of AI in the Classroom
With that said, there are many benefits of introducing AI into your classroom. Let’s take a look at some of these benefits and how they can improve your experience as a teacher.
Streamline Your Lesson Planning With AI
Using AI tools like chat GPT can help you create different lesson plan ideas that align with your overarching objectives and standards. AI can scan a curriculum and determine what appropriate activities may be suitable for your classroom.
Differentiate Lessons
One of the biggest advantages of AI is using it to help differentiate lessons among the diverse students teachers work with. Prompting generative AI to create different ways to differentiate a task can be a great starting point in helping you reach all the students you work with.
Create and Collaborate With AI
Many teachers are crunched for time and don’t have the mental capacity to regularly be creative in their lesson planning or the time to collaborate with other teachers. Generative AI can help address this problem by serving as a substitute during the points in your career when you can’t be creative or collaborative.
Generate Parent Communication Newsletters
With generative AI, you can create visually appealing letters highlighting key points you’re working on in your classroom. AI tools can create an easy-to-understand and friendly communication newsletter to send out to your families. This is also a good way to connect your families with happenings in your classroom and even Early Childhood education resources.
Will AI Have a Negative or a Positive Impact in the Classroom?
It is important to understand how generative AI works and the different tools that you can use in your classroom to enhance student learning and teacher efficiency.
Of course, as with any technology, generative AI should not be a substitute for any current practices in your classroom. Rather, it should be viewed as a supportive tool that will elevate your overall skills as a teacher.
What Should Parents Know About AI and Its Impact on Education?
Just as important as it is for teachers to stay in the loop with generative AI tools, it’s equally important for parents to understand how it’s used in the classroom as well.
Because AI is an advanced and emerging technology, all members of the school community should welcome questions from parents and others about how it is used in the classroom.
