AI for Student Success: Being Productive & Learning Future Skills

Today’s world is changing fast, and artificial intelligence (AI) is a massive part of that. New AI tools have many parents and educators concerned, but when used appropriately, AI tools can help students increase their productivity and enhance their education by providing a more personalized education. 

This guide will explore ways ChatGPT and other AI tools can be used to improve time management, make study time more efficient, and help students get the help they need on-demand with an AI tutor. 

Educators and parents: Guide your students' reflection and discussion with this student worksheet. (Log in to your Google account and select File-->Make a Copy)

Students explain AI/ChatGPT (Video)

Questions to prompt discussion with students:

Elementary School Topic: Understanding AI

• What can ChatGPT do that a regular search engine like Google doesn’t?

Middle School Topic: Avoiding Pitfalls

• How could AI inhibit your learning rather than enhance it if used the wrong way?

High School Topic: Give-and-Take

• How can you interact with a tool like ChatGPT to get better answers and a better understanding of a topic?

Parents and Teachers: View the full VIP Facilitation Guide Here

How students are using ChatGPT/AI (Video)

Questions to prompt discussion with students:

Elementary School Topic: AI at School

• How can you responsibly use AI apps like ChatGPT, Bard, and others for schoolwork?

Middle School Topic: Avoiding Pitfalls

• One of the students in the video described irresponsible ways a student could use ChatGPT for homework. What would you consider a dishonest way to use this technology?

High School Topic: Ethical Use of AI

• What would be a way to use ChatGPT for schoolwork that could be considered cheating?

Parents and Teachers: View the full VIP Facilitation Guide Here

Turning ChatGPT into a Tutor and Learning Assistant (For Students, Educators, & Parents)

(This student-friendly video can be shown in the classroom or at home)

Questions to prompt discussion with students:

Elementary School Topic: “Prompt Engineering”

• If AI or ChatGPT aren’t giving you the right information you want, how can you help the program give you information that better answers your question?

Middle School Topic: Power Prompting

• What are some things you can include in a prompt to help ChatGPT provide more relevant results for what you need?

High School Topic: Time Management

• If ChatGPT gives you an answer that doesn’t help with what you need, what are some ways to refine your prompt?

Parents and Teachers: View the full VIP Facilitation Guide Here

How to Use AI to Increase Productivity (For Parents & Educators)

(This student-friendly video can be shown in the classroom or at home)

Questions to prompt discussion with students:

Elementary School Topic: AI is Everywhere

• Which AI tools mentioned in the video do you think would be most helpful to you?

Middle School Topic: Evolving Technology

• What are some careers where AI will continue to be an important tool to enhance productivity?

High School Topic: A Tool for Your Future

• What are some ways an AI tool might help you when you get ready to apply for college?

Parents and Teachers: View the full VIP Facilitation Guide Here

Expert Video - Using ChatGPT and AI in the Real World

(This student-friendly video can be shown in the classroom or at home

Questions to prompt discussion with students:

Elementary School Topic: AI in the Workforce

• The professionals in the video talked about how they use AI technology. What other jobs could an AI app like ChatGPT help you?

Middle School Topic: Tool vs. Crutch

• One of the experts in the video said ideally, AI is a tool, not a “crutch.” How can you tell the difference?

High School Topic: Finding Balance

• Are there any ethical considerations people should consider when using chatbot technology in school or work?

Parents and Teachers: View the full VIP Facilitation Guide Here

Expert Video - AI to Support Education

(This student-friendly video can be shown in the classroom or at home)

Questions to prompt discussion with students:

Elementary School Topic: Is Using a Chatbot Cheating?

• Do you think it’s okay to use a chatbot like ChatGPT in your work, or is it cheating?

Middle School Topic: Tutoring the Tutor

• If you prompt a chatbot like ChatGPT to explain something like how to solve a math problem, but you still don’t understand, what else can you do?

High School Topic: Getting the Most Out of AI

• How can you use ChatGPT as a tool to enhance your understanding rather than just a source of information?

Parents and Teachers: View the full VIP Facilitation Guide Here

Expert Video - ChatGPT and Cheating

(This student-friendly video can be shown in the classroom or at home)

Questions to prompt discussion with students:

Elementary School Topic: If You’re Not Sure…

• What’s the best way to find out if you’re using AI in a way that isn’t cheating?

Middle School Topic: AI and Cheating

• Do you agree that students can use AI or chatbot technology in their schoolwork without cheating, and why?

High School Topic: Thinking Critically

• What does it mean to be a critical thinker when using a chatbot?

Parents and Teachers: View the full VIP Facilitation Guide Here

Expert Video - Using AI and ChatGPT as a Tutor

(This student-friendly video can be shown in the classroom or at home)

Questions to prompt discussion with students:

Elementary School Topic: AI as a Tool

• One expert in the video compared using AI to help with schoolwork as using an electric screwdriver instead of a manual one. What are other tools we use that make tasks easier and faster, even though you still have to learn how to use them?

Middle School Topic: A Virtual Partnership

• How is a chatbot like ChatGPT or Bard designed to be used as a partner in work, and what role does the user play in this partnership?

High School Topic: The Human Element

• What are some examples of things a teacher can help you with that AI can’t?

Parents and Teachers: View the full VIP Facilitation Guide Here

Why should students learn how to use AI tools?

• AI tools are being incorporated into more applications, including tools that students will need to use for school and future careers
• Many career fields will require strong AI skills as job descriptions change to match current technologies
• AI shouldn’t be used to cheat but it can be a study assistant to enhance learning and productivity. In many cases AI doesn’t give the answer without teaching how it was found

AI Tools That Enhance Learning & Improve Study Skills

• Grammarly: Grammarly uses AI to spot mistakes and give suggestions to make a student’s writing even better, helping them learn finer writing mechanics
• Notion AI: Notion AI is a powerful note-taking tool that uses the ChatGPT API to help summarize notes and brainstorm ideas
• Speechify: Speechify uses AI to convert textbooks, notes, and websites into audio, making studying easier for auditory learners
• Quizlet: Quizlet utilizes AI to tailor flashcards and study sets, helping students master topics at their own pace
• Khan Academy: Khanmigo allows students to ask questions about lessons as they go and get help with concepts they are struggling with

Prompts to Use ChatGPT as a Tutor

• “I don’t understand this math problem [include the problem]. How do I work through the problem to find the right answer?”
• “Explain to me why [historical event] was important.”
• “I found the answer to this problem [include problem], but I don’t understand how I got it. Please explain.”
• “Explain this problem to me in 4 different ways so I can see different ways to solve it.”
• "Summarize the life of ___ in 50 words or less."
• "Explain ____ to me like I am 5 years old."
• "Compare and contrast [event in history, places, people]."
• "What themes are in [this book]?"
• "What steps do I need to take to solve this math problem: [insert math problem]?"
• "Discuss the cause of [this event in history]."
• "How does [this science concept] work in real life?"

Ways to Use AI Tools to Help Prioritize Your Time & Be More Efficient

• Use the following prompt when you are overwhelmed with school assignments:
  “I have the following assignments [include assignments, estimated length of time, and due dates]. Please help me create the most efficient plan to finish them over [time period]”
• AI time-tracking tools can be used to help you determine where your time is being spent so you can make changes to be more efficient
• Use AI tools to automate tasks such as scheduling, organization, and more
• AI tools can help students proofread their work while teaching them ways to improve their writing  
• Students can use AI to summarize notes taken during class so they can pull out the most critical information 

What Do Experts Say About AI Tools?

Monica Burns - Ed Tech Consultant

“If you are working side by side with your child at home and you don't know the answer to a question, or you're not quite sure how to explain something, AI tools can definitely come in handy.  As a family you might come across things that you're just not quite sure how to explain or need a step-by-step guide or process on how to do something so you can have ChatGPT generate an explanation. You can put qualifications in your prompt to say,” Give me a simple explanation” or “Give me an explanation for my third grader who hasn't had experience with this before”.

"From a tutoring perspective, there are a lot of tutoring tools that use AI already. They're kind of built into the tools themselves. Families can absolutely use AI to support their children at home. Teachers can even rethink how they might differentiate instruction or explain something a little bit differently."

Jamie Lewsadder - Associate Superintendent of Technology Services, La Canada Unified

“There's this large fear about cheating. I would argue that cheating existed before ChatGPT. Yes, this is a shortcut tool for kids. But when I interviewed them and asked them about what they liked about it,  they said things like, ‘it's faster than Google’, ‘I have a tutor now’, and ‘I can get answers when my teacher isn't available.’ So there are things that kids are seeing, not as a way to cheat, because these are students that want to do their best as learners.  So we have to separate it. It's not just a tool for cheating. It's a tool that can enable a lot of really positive growth.”

More resources for parents, students, & educators

• ChatGPT Guide (2023): What Parents, Educators, & Students Need to Know
• Positive Ways to Use ChatGPT for Students
• AI Writing Tools for Students: What You Need to Know About Jasper AI, ChatGPT, and More
• Safeguard Your Student's Future with Our Free Social Media Agreement
• How to Use AI for College Prep: What Parents, Educators, & Students Need to Know

Conclusion

It’s understandable that many parents and educators may be hesitant to embrace new AI tools, but artificial intelligence technologies are here to stay. Students need to learn how to use AI tools in an academically honest way to gain important skills they may need in their future career field. When used correctly, AI tools can help students be more productive and allow them to have a personalized tutoring experience on demand. 

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