The term AI has been buzzing around the educational sector, and that growing hum doesn’t seem to be quieting down anytime soon. AI is a fascinating and fast-growing field in science and technology, and it has so much potential in education. Increasing teacher productivity, seamlessly differentiating instruction, and offering real-time feedback are just some of the ways AI is giving back to educators.
While AI will never replace the expertise and knowledge of a teacher, it is a helpful tool to enrich and enhance a student’s learning experience. Even more exciting, it can give teachers more time to do the thing they set out to do work with students. How does AI specifically help when it comes to the use of Google Workspace? Continuing reading for some powerful AI strategies educators can use to streamline their work while using Google Workspace.
What is Google Workspace?
Formally known as Google Apps Marketplace or G Suite Marketplace, Google Workspace is a platform that allows you to work from anywhere on any device. Gmail, Calendar, Docs, and Drive are some apps you are probably already familiar with. They have made our working lives easier by allowing us to more seamlessly collaborate, find saved work, and share our knowledge with others. Now with the entrance of AI, we can take these advantages to the next level. What are some AI Strategies that can help streamline our Google Workspace use?
AI Strategies to Streamline Google Workspace
In March 2023, Google released Gemini, an AI-powered tool used to make writing, planning, and learning easier. Imagine having a way to cut down on composing emails, organizing lessons, or responding to student work. AI allows just that for educators. Some describe this as a teacher’s personal assistant. So, how does this fit into the Google Workspace ecosystem?
Teacher Tasks
Lesson Planning
Planning lessons can be an all-encompassing and time-consuming task. Catching your students’ attention, teaching the material, and then having the students apply it engagingly and memorably. This leaves little time for the other endless “To Do” items. AI can help with this. While in Google Docs, use the “floating pen” generative AI icon to help save time on lesson planning.
Whether you want AI to formulate the entire lesson for you by using a prompt such as “create a lesson for me about the civil war” or you are stuck on a concluding exit ticket, AI is here to help. If you don’t like the lesson plan AI-generated, click the refine button to “formalize,” “shorten,” “elaborate,” or “rephrase” the text.
Responding to Emails
Responding to emails is another task that teachers put much time and effort into. Gemini can help with this too! In Gmail, start composing an email. You can ask the “floating pen” to generate a friendly reminder about an upcoming field trip. Or, have AI proofread your letter to parents, looking for grammatical errors or run-on sentences.
Writing Letters to Parents
You can ask for assistance writing a letter to parents about class behavior: “AI, help me write a friendly letter to parents to remind them that cell phones and electronic watches are not allowed. Please include the district cell phone policy in this email.”
Don’t feel comfortable having AI write an email? Sometimes just starting with an AI generated response can help you get ideas on the page to then edit and change, making it your own.
In the Moment Help
AI can also be a powerful tool to use in the moment. Imagine being amid a student debate. One student is certain their answer is correct, another argues the opposite. As the teacher, you are also trying to decide which answer is correct. A faster approach than the old “phone a friend” uses AI to help with that. AI can fact check content on the spot. It has the ability to pull up reputable sources and provide students with answers in age-appropriate responses.
Adaptive Learning Experiences
AI can also be a great resource for differentiating at the moment. Seasoned teachers often have a handle on modifying a lesson to support a range of learners (think new to country students, highflyers, or special accommodation students). But sometimes we forget, and sometimes newer teachers need some support.
For example: “Create a 10-minute activity for a student with low English proficiency about the water cycle. Be sure to include lots of images.” While this strategy is not always foolproof, it can be a starting point and a quick way for a teacher to generate a way to meet all their diverse students’ needs.
Teachers are always asking for time. Time to lesson plan, time to respond to emails, time to spend more directly with their students. Finally, there is a way to give teachers back some of their time. AI has many powerful strategies that partner with the already powerful Google Workspace platform. Check them out today and see just how much time you can get back.
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