91原创

Make learning more accessible

Accessibility is about creating multiple entry points so every student can engage with complex ideas. AI can make teaching in schools more inclusive by helping educators more efficiently adapt educational content and materials to meet a wide range of student learning needs.

鈥淟earning happens when students are supported just beyond their current level of understanding and can connect new ideas to prior experiences,鈥� explains Love, an associate professor in teaching and curriculum, who directs the Warner鈥檚 and teacher preparation programs. 鈥淎I helps teachers provide that support more efficiently, so students can engage with meaningful content rather than be shut out by it.鈥�

Tools like , for example, can help teachers quickly generate different versions of classroom material. Educators can adjust reading levels, create vocabulary supports, translate passages into multiple languages, generate guided questions, and build summaries of graphic organizers from the same source text鈥攁ll while keeping students focused on the same core learning goals. This allows teachers to spend less time rewriting materials and more time supporting student understanding and engagement.

Create more engaging and personalized learning

A common question students often ask is: 鈥淲hen will I ever use this material?鈥� Research conducted by Edward Deci and 鈥攂oth pioneering psychologists and longtime U91原创 faculty members鈥攕hows that students are more motivated when they see clear value in what they鈥檙e learning and feel a sense of autonomy, competence, and聽relatedness. AI can help teachers design lessons that connect academic content to students鈥� interests and real-world experiences, making lessons more relatable and meaningful.

鈥淲hether it鈥檚 rewriting a math problem around sneaker design, creating a story where students are the main characters, or connecting a science concept to a real community issue, AI makes it easier to answer the question, 鈥榃hen will I ever use this?鈥欌�� says Borys, an assistant professor and assistant director of LiDA, as well as the director of the Warner School鈥檚 .

Design assignments that encourage creativity

Traditional tests or essays don鈥檛 always capture every student鈥檚 understanding of course material. With AI, teachers can design more creative, alternative assignments, such as podcasts, videos, or hands-on projects that allow students to demonstrate what they鈥檝e learned in more varied ways.

鈥淎I should never replace student thinking; instead, it should expand how students demonstrate their learning,鈥� says Love. 鈥淏y leveraging AI tools, we can move away from rote testing and recall tasks, creating complex performance assessments that challenge students to apply their knowledge flexibly.鈥�

In Young鈥檚 algebra classes, for instance, students conduct hands-on experiments鈥攕uch as exploring relationships between variables鈥攁nd compare their own conclusions with AI-generated responses, evaluating accuracy and discussing results.

鈥淎I should never replace student thinking; instead, it should expand how students demonstrate their learning.鈥�

In his computer science classes, students learn how AI works, including the difference between basic AI and large language models such as ChatGPT. They even build a simple rock-paper-scissors app using a Markov matrix鈥攁 mathematical model that predicts outcomes based on probabilities鈥攖o predict counter moves, which is an engaging way to introduce core AI concepts.

Strengthen communication with families using AI tools

Strong communication with families is an important鈥攂ut often time-consuming鈥攑art of teaching. AI teaching tools such as Google NotebookLM and Magic School can help draft classroom newsletters, translate messages into families鈥� home languages, simplify complex information, and create engaging, easy-to-read communications in far less time. These tools can make family communication more consistent, clear, and accessible without adding to a teacher鈥檚 workload.

Using these AI tools, teachers can enter prompts such as: 鈥淭urn these notes into a family-friendly weekly update,鈥� 鈥淩ewrite this email in a more welcoming tone,鈥� or 鈥淭ranslate this message into Spanish at an accessible reading level.鈥� Paired with tools like Canva, teachers can also create visually engaging communications that are easier for families to navigate and understand.

Research consistently shows that when families are informed and involved, students are more likely to succeed. AI doesn鈥檛 replace those relationships鈥攊t helps teachers maintain them more effectively and consistently.

Reflect on teaching to improve instruction

Structured reflection is one of the most powerful drivers of professional growth, and AI-supported tools make it more immediate, precise, and usable in practice.

鈥淎I can serve as a thought partner, helping teachers analyze their lessons and identify opportunities for improvement,鈥� says Carson, an assistant professor at LiDA and the Center for Professional Development and Education Reform. 鈥淭eachers can input a lesson plan in an AI tool, such as Colleague AI, and ask the tool to analyze it to anticipate where students might struggle, explore alternative explanations, and generate more effective questions. AI can also suggest different questioning strategies or generate likely student responses, helping teachers prepare more effectively.鈥�

Carson notes that tools like Vosaic also support this kind of reflective practice by allowing teachers to record classroom instruction and then systematically review the videos. Educators can tag moments in a lesson鈥攕uch as wait time, types of questions asked, student participation patterns, or teacher talk versus student talk鈥攁nd review them themselves or with an AI 鈥渃oach.鈥� This makes instructional patterns more visible and gives teachers concrete, observable data to turn everyday teaching into actionable insights that can inform future instruction.

Keep teachers at the center

While AI tools can support teachers and students in powerful ways, they are most effective when paired with human judgment and oversight.

In the classroom, Young is intentional about how students use AI. He often reminds them that AI is not a shortcut but a tool, like a measuring tape: it helps you get the answer, but it doesn鈥檛 do the measuring for you.

鈥淚鈥檒l tell my students: if you鈥檙e stuck, you can ask AI tools for help, but then read the response, check it, and make sure you understand it,鈥� Young says.

For newer teachers, especially, Young sees AI as a powerful way to reduce workload while building confidence.

鈥淯se what you know about teaching and your students鈥攁nd let AI make your life easier, he says. 鈥淏ut you still have to bring your expertise to it.鈥�

Prepare for the future of AI and education

So will AI replace teachers?

Warner School faculty say no. While AI can help automate routine tasks such as drafting communications, adapting instructional materials, and supporting lesson planning, it cannot replace the relationships, professional judgment, and human connection that effective teaching requires.

To help translate the ideas into practice, the Warner School offers an , an online program designed to assist educators in building practical skills for using AI thoughtfully, responsibly, and effectively in their classrooms.

For educators, the opportunity is not to resist AI tools but to learn how to use them well. The most successful uses of AI in education are those that help teachers spend less time on administrative work and more time supporting students鈥� learning and growth.