ChatGPT is revolutionizing many of the tasks we do on a daily basis, and it will potentially have a heavy impact on education. While many school districts are still working on creating guidelines for students to use ChatGPT and other AI tools, it can be a great tool to help teachers lighten their workload.

We’ve explored some great ways teachers can use ChatGPT in the classroom to increase student learning and speed up lesson planning and other time consuming tasks. These time-saving ChatGPT hacks for teachers are a great way to reclaim some time for instruction. 

Many teachers are concerned about how ChatGPT will change a teacher’s role. However, students will always need the personal connection they make with a skilled teacher. Stephen Lockyer, a teacher who is active on Twitter stated: “ChatGPT generates a recipe but needs a chef to cook the food” (Source: Twitter)

If you are looking for a general overview of ChatGPT and want to learn how to navigate this AI tool, be sure and check out our ChatGPT Guide for Parents, Educators, and Students. 

Parent and Educator Video Lesson

How Does ChatGPT Work?

• ChatGPT uses a large language model developed by OpenAI that is able to quickly generate content using natural language commands, making it easy to generate responses that help support learning, even with a free account
• Students can create a free account using their Google or Microsoft account
• It is free to use the ChatGPT research preview. However, there is a paid version that gives you priority access to your OpenAI account, even when the server is overloaded

How can teachers use ChatGPT to save time?

• Teachers can use ChatGPT to assist with grading papers and writing assignments (Source: Axios)
• ChatGPT or other AI tools can be used to brainstorm classroom activities, which makes it an effective teaching tool. For example, use the starter prompt, "Give me 10 educational activities for kids in [grade level] to learn about [topic]"
• Teachers can use ChatGPT to create lesson plans
• Have ChatGPT assist in writing emails to parents
• Create writing prompts for students that support current subjects they are learning about
• Create lists of spelling words for students by grade level and topic
• Write a syllabus for a class, for example, use the prompt "Provide examples of a syllabus for a fifth-grade classroom"
• Create grammatically incorrect sentences for students to edit
• Have ChatGPT create reading passages for students by grade level 
• Create extra math problems for students to solve

How to adapt assignments so ChatGPT can’t be used to cheat 

• Have students present their work, even if it is a written essay. It’s easy to determine if it is their own writing and see who truly understands the material and the process that was required to complete the assignment when students have to verbally demonstrate their understanding
• Ask students to include personal stories. ChatGPT and other artificial intelligence tools are unable to create personal stories in student writing
• Change the format of your writing assignments. ChatGPT can easily mimic the traditional five-paragraph essay so give students an unexpected format that makes them think through the process
• Have students write about hyperlocal issues. ChatGPT is better suited to national topics so focusing on topics and events within your own community will make it more difficult for students to cheat
• Make peer feedback part of the writing process so students understand how to evaluate writing and have help finding their own writing voice

Student activities that incorporate ChatGPT

• Students can use ChatGPT as a debate partner “who will point out weaknesses in their arguments” (Source: OpenAI)
• Have ChatGPT provide the beginning of a story and let students finish it
• Use ChatGPT to brainstorm project ideas to help students learn
• Have students ask ChatGPT to respond to them in a foreign language they are learning and use it for conversational practice
• Have students create a piece of writing using ChatGPT and then edit and improve it themselves
• Have ChatGPT generate a list of story titles and let students choose one to write about
• Tell students the type of information you want them to find and have them work to determine the most effective ChatGPT prompt to use in order to get that information

How to set guidelines about ChatGPT use

• Be upfront with your students about your expectations about their use of ChatGPT. Provide clear writing instruction so students understand when they are allowed to use it and when it is not ethical to do so
• Have a discussion about plagiarism and discuss how to determine if something is their own work
• Let students know that ChatGPT does not always provide the correct answers
• Stay up-to-date on the current policies in your school district regarding ChatGPT and share those policies with your students.

Teachers Using ChatGPT in the News

Creating outlines is just one of the many ways that ChatGPT could be used in class. It could write personalized lesson plans for each student (“explain Newton’s laws of motion to a visual-spatial learner”) and generate ideas for classroom activities (“write a script for a ‘Friends’ episode that takes place at the Constitutional Convention”). - New York Times

More resources for parents, students, & educators 

ChatGPT Guide (2023): What Parents, Educators, & Students Need to Know

AI Writing Tools for Students: What You Need to Know About Jasper AI, ChatGPT, and More

AI for Student Success: Being Productive & Learning Future Skills

Conclusion

ChatGPT and other artificial intelligence tools are quickly evolving right now and school districts are working to create their own usage guidelines. There’s no doubt that they will change the way we do many things, including the way we teach students. Embracing ChatGPT and using it to support education can help prepare students for future careers as well as help them develop critical thinking skills that will help them in college and beyond.