"Convince me AI has a place in education" with Neil Almond
Nov 4, 2023
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Neil Almond, a teacher and co-creator of AI Education newsletter, explores the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in education. The podcast delves into the definition and purpose of AI, its use in lesson planning, generating diagrams, and reducing teacher workload. They also discuss the limitations of AI in generating accurate and unbiased content, emphasizing the importance of checking for accuracy and biases. Overall, a fascinating discussion on the role of AI in education.
The use of open AI tools, like Microsoft Bing, provides teachers with more flexibility and control over generating accurate and relevant content for their lessons.
Teachers should be cautious of potential biases in AI outputs and critically evaluate the information provided to ensure it aligns with their knowledge and curriculum.
Oak National's exploration of AI in education and their potential to create AI models specifically trained on relevant education data opens up possibilities for improved resources and support.
Deep dives
Microsoft Bing: A Powerful AI Tool for Teachers
Microsoft Bing is a free and highly useful generative AI tool that can be used for text and image generation. It has the advantage of being connected to the most up-to-date large language models, making it a valuable resource for teachers. With Bing, you have control over the prompt, allowing you to get the output that best suits your needs. It also offers a serve and return interface, allowing you to refine the output based on your preferences. By using Bing, teachers can save time and access valuable resources for their lessons.
The Power of Effective Prompting in AI Tools
There are two classes of AI tools: closed tools and open tools. Closed tools offer quick and easy output based on input, but they have limited customization and no serve and return interface. On the other hand, open tools like Microsoft Bing, Chat GPT, and Dolly provide more flexibility and control over the prompt, allowing teachers to shape the output to suit their context. While there is a learning curve to effective prompting, the long-term benefits of using open tools outweigh the initial effort. Teachers can leverage their expertise to create prompts that generate accurate and relevant content.
Accuracy and Biases in AI Outputs
It is crucial to remember that AI outputs are not always accurate and can be influenced by biases present in the training data. When using AI tools, it is essential to double-check the accuracy of the outputs and be aware of potential biases. Large language models, like Chat GPT, are only as good as the data they learn from, and biases can inadvertently seep into the generated output. Teachers need to critically evaluate the outputs and ensure that the information provided aligns with their knowledge and curriculum.
Oak National and the Potential of Education-specific AI Models
Oak National, an open-source educational resource provider, has the potential to create AI models specifically trained on relevant education data. This would be particularly valuable for teachers, as they can access AI outputs tailored to the 2014 National Curriculum for England. Oak National's commitment to exploring AI in education opens up possibilities for improved resources and support. It will be interesting to see how they make use of the data and what innovative tools they develop in the next 12 months.
The Future of AI in Education
The next 12 months could bring further advancements in AI tools and their applications in education. With ongoing developments in generative AI, there is the possibility of creating accurate educational diagrams and models to support teaching. Teachers can look forward to more user-friendly and efficient AI tools that assist with planning, organizing resources, and generating content tailored to their needs. Embracing these tools, along with learning effective prompting techniques, can help teachers streamline their workload and enhance classroom practice.
Episode 149: This week on Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, I’m joined by Neil Almond, a teacher, leader, and co-creator of AI Education newsletter, Teacher Prompts, for a fascinating discussion about the role of artificial intelligence in education. As part of the chat we discuss…
What is Artificial Intelligence?
Is it likely to change the way teachers work?
What are the chances it’s all smoke and mirrors like a lot of other technology?
What are the three things all teachers need to know about AI?
What’s your bold prediction for the next 12 months of AI?
…and much, much more! Whether you’re new to the profession or an experienced senior leader, you won’t want to miss this one!
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If you would like to submit a question, email us at thinkingdeeplyinfo@gmail.com or join the TDaPE discord, where we have a special channel for unseen question submission.
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