Teacher Academy

The Teacher Academy: AI in the Classroom Series is a 10-part program designed to help educators confidently incorporate AI into their teaching. From understanding AI basics to mastering prompt engineering, lesson planning, chatbots, and ethics, each module offers clear explanations, practical strategies, and hands-on activities. Teachers leave equipped with time-saving tools, creative classroom ideas, and the confidence to prepare students for an AI-driven future — all while maintaining the human touch.

Check out the YouTube series for more information 

https://www.youtube.com/@AICoPilotClassroom

AI Fundamentals for Educators

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer a futuristic idea — it’s integrated into our everyday lives. From Netflix suggestions to Google Maps, AI quietly influences decisions around us. For teachers, it’s becoming a tool to save time, personalize lessons, and prepare students for a world where AI literacy is as vital as digital literacy.

What is AI, Really?

At its core, AI refers to computer systems that perform tasks needing human-like intelligence. In education, we identify two main types:

  • Predictive AI: Uses past data to make recommendations (like suggesting resources).
  • Generative AI: Creates new content — text, images, quizzes, and even lesson plans.

AI can help teachers generate ideas, create activities, and even give feedback. But it cannot:

  • Understand student emotions.
  • Guarantee accuracy (AI sometimes “hallucinates”).
  • Replace the human connection in the classroom.

Try this activity: AI Show-and-Tell.
Pick a small teaching task, like drafting a parent email or a quiz. Ask ChatGPT to generate it for your grade and subject. Review the results, make adjustments, and share with a colleague.

This exercise will show you AI’s strengths — and its limits.

AI won’t replace teachers, but teachers who use AI wisely will be better equipped to empower students for the future.

Prompt Engineering for Educators

Have you ever asked ChatGPT something and received a vague answer? The problem isn’t always the AI — it’s the prompt. Prompt engineering is the skill of writing clear, specific instructions to get useful results from AI.

The Four Elements of a Strong Prompt

  1. Role – Tell the AI who it should “be.”
    “Act as a 5th-grade science teacher…”
  2. Task – Clearly define what you want.
    “…create a hands-on activity about the water cycle.”
  3. Context – Add details, constraints, or background.
    “…using everyday classroom materials in a 20-minute session.”
  4. Output Format – Tell AI how to present the response.
    “…as a numbered, step-by-step list.”

Why Prompt Engineering Matters

  • Saves teachers’ time by producing near-ready materials.
  • Delivers relevant, age-appropriate outputs.
  • Lets you control tone and complexity.
  • Models good AI use for students.
  • Reduces mistakes by giving more context.

Prompt Makeover Challenge:

  • Write a vague request (e.g., “Make a quiz about Macbeth”).
  • Rewrite it using the four elements (role, task, context, format).
  • Compare the results — the difference will be clear.

Prompt engineering turns AI from a generic tool into your personal teaching assistant.

Chatbots for Teachers

A chatbot is software that mimics conversation. Some use rules with pre-set answers, while AI-powered chatbots can have more natural chats. You’ve seen them in customer support — but in classrooms, they become useful teaching tools.

How Teachers Can Use Chatbots

  • FAQ bots: Answer common student questions like deadlines or class links.
  • Study helpers: Quiz students or provide hints.
  • Writing coaches: Suggest grammar and clarity improvements.
  • Roleplay & simulation: Act as historical figures or debate partners.
  • Parent communication: Share class info and reminders.
  • Teacher productivity: Brainstorm lesson ideas or draft rubrics.

How to Make a Chatbot (No Coding Needed)

  1. Pick one purpose — like answering FAQ.
  2. Choose a tool (Glide, ManyChat, Tidio, or Google Forms).
  3. Write short, student-friendly answers.
  4. Test it with sample questions.
  5. Share via a link or QR code.

Benefits of Chatbots

  • Saves teacher time.
  • Encourages student independence.
  • Provides 24/7 support.
  • Personalizes responses for different learners.

Design Your First Chatbot: Write down the 5 most common student questions. Draft answers. Copy them into a chatbot tool. Test it. Share it.

Chatbots won’t replace teachers, but they extend your reach — freeing time and giving students always-available support.

For more information about chatbots:

https://botpress.com/blog/how-to-build-your-own-ai-chatbot

 

AI, Ethics, and Academic Integrity in the Classroom

Helping students use AI responsibly

Artificial Intelligence is opening new doors for education — but it also comes with challenges. As teachers, we’re excited about AI’s potential to save time, boost creativity, and differentiate learning. At the same time, we must consider ethics and academic integrity carefully.

So how do we guide students to use AI responsibly? Let’s break it down.

Why Ethics in AI Matters for Teachers

AI tools aren’t neutral. They reflect the data they’ve been trained on, which means they can:

  • Carry hidden biases

  • Generate inaccurate or misleading information

  • They can be misused if students rely on them as shortcuts

Ethics in AI is about more than the technology itself — it’s about helping students learn how to question, evaluate, and apply technology responsibly.

The Challenge of Academic Integrity

One of the most prominent concerns educators face is cheating. For example:

  • Students might ask AI to write entire essays.

  • They could solve math or science problems without showing any reasoning.

  • Some even generate fake citations or plagiarized research.

Banning AI isn’t the answer. Students will find ways to use it outside the classroom. Instead, the solution is to teach responsible use — turning AI from a shortcut into a learning tool.

How to Teach Responsible AI Use

Here are a few strategies teachers can try right away:

  1. Redesign Assignments – Use activities that emphasize personal reflection, real-world application, or in-class presentations. These are harder to outsource to AI.

  2. Teach Transparency – Ask students to disclose when and how they used AI. Example: “I used ChatGPT to brainstorm ideas, then revised and wrote my own draft.”

  3. Focus on Process, Not Just Product – Collect drafts, outlines, or oral defenses so you can see the student’s thinking.

  4. Build AI Literacy – Have students fact-check AI responses or identify examples of bias.

  5. Model Ethical Use – Show your students how you use AI in your own work — and explain why you still review and edit the results.

The Teacher’s Role in AI Ethics

Think of this moment as the start of “AI citizenship.” Just as we’ve taught digital citizenship in the past, now it’s our role to guide students on:

  • When AI use is acceptable

  • When it crosses into dishonesty

  • How to credit AI responsibly

By setting clear expectations and modeling integrity, teachers can prepare students not only for the classroom but also for future workplaces where AI will play a major role.

Using AI for Differentiated Instruction in the Classroom

 

How to Meet Every Learner’s Needs Without Doubling Your Workload

One of the biggest challenges in teaching is addressing the diverse needs of all students. Some are ready to advance, while others require more time and support. In the past, creating multiple versions of materials — simplified, standard, and advanced — meant extra planning hours.

Today, AI offers a way to make differentiation faster and easier.

 

How AI Enhances Differentiated Learning

AI tools like ChatGPT can:

Adjust reading levels — Rewrite the same passage for different grade levels.

Simplify or enrich content — Add scaffolding for struggling learners or create challenge questions for advanced students.

Support English language learners — Simplify vocabulary, include visuals, or generate bilingual glossaries.

Provide multiple formats — Produce summaries, quizzes, diagrams, or even creative stories explaining the same idea.

Personalize examples — Customize problems or passages to students’ interests, such as sports or pop culture.

 

Sample Differentiation Prompts

Try these with your AI tool:

“Rewrite this climate change article for 5th graders. Use simple vocabulary and include a glossary of five terms.”

“Take this 10th-grade physics problem and create an easier version with hints for struggling learners, plus an advanced version with challenge questions.”

“Explain photosynthesis twice: once in simple terms for beginners, and once using advanced vocabulary for honors students.”

 

Why This Matters

AI makes differentiation:

Faster — Generate multiple versions in minutes.

More inclusive — Every student can access content they understand.

Equitable — Struggling learners aren’t left behind, and advanced learners stay challenged.

AI won’t replace the teacher’s role in understanding students’ needs. But it can handle the heavy lifting, freeing you to focus on what matters most — connecting with your learners.