Incorporating AI into Teaching and Learning: A Practical Guide for Educators

Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the world around us and education is no exception. As educators, we’re constantly adapting to new technologies—whether it was overhead projectors, smartboards, or online learning platforms. Now, AI is here, and while it can feel overwhelming, it also offers incredible opportunities to streamline lesson planning, personalize learning, and teach students critical thinking skills in the digital age.

So how can we harness AI effectively in our lesson planning? And just as importantly, how do we guide students in using AI responsibly? Let’s dive into some practical ways to integrate AI into teaching while ensuring students develop the skills they need to navigate this new landscape.

Using AI for Lesson Planning and Prep

AI can be an invaluable tool for teachers when it comes to lesson preparation, saving time on administrative tasks and helping to create engaging materials. Here are a few ways you can incorporate AI into your workflow:

1. Generating Lesson Plans and Resources

AI tools like ChatGPT, Curipod, and Eduaide.AI can help generate lesson outlines, discussion questions, and even interactive activities based on your subject and grade level. Whether you need a quick quiz or an engaging way to introduce a topic, AI can provide a solid starting point that you can tweak to fit your students’ needs.

Tip: Always review and customize AI-generated content to ensure accuracy, alignment with standards, and appropriateness for your class. AI is a great assistant, but you’re still the expert!

2. Creating Differentiated Materials

One of the biggest challenges in teaching is meeting students where they are. AI can help by quickly generating different versions of the same content, making it easier to support struggling learners while challenging advanced students.

For example, you can ask AI to rewrite a reading passage at different reading levels or generate scaffolding questions to guide struggling students through complex topics.

3. Streamlining Administrative Tasks

Grading, writing feedback, and communicating with parents take up a huge chunk of a teacher’s time. AI-powered tools like Grammarly, Quillionz, and even ChatGPT can help draft emails, provide writing feedback, or suggest ways to rephrase comments on student work.

Caution: While AI can assist with grading and feedback, it’s important to keep your human judgment at the center—students still need meaningful, personalized responses from their teachers.

Teaching Students How to Use AI Responsibly

As AI becomes more accessible, students will inevitably start using it for assignments, research, and even creative projects. Instead of banning AI outright, we have an opportunity to guide students in using it ethically and effectively.

2. Set Clear Guidelines for AI Use

AI can be a valuable research tool, but it shouldn’t replace critical thinking. Establish classroom guidelines that outline:

• When AI is and isn’t allowed for assignments
• How students should cite AI-generated content (if applicable)
• The importance of fact-checking AI responses

For example, you might allow students to use AI to brainstorm essay ideas but require them to write their own drafts and verify any AI-suggested facts. 

3. Use AI to Enhance, Not Replace, Student Work

AI should be a tool to support learning, not a shortcut to avoid it. Encourage students to use AI to:

• Generate writing prompts or brainstorm ideas
• Get feedback on their writing (e.g., grammar suggestions, alternative sentence structures)
• Summarize difficult concepts before conducting deeper research

Avoid letting students use AI to write full essays or complete assignments without critical engagement. The goal is to develop their thinking skills, not replace them with AI-generated work

One way to keep a pulse on this is to dedicate time in class for students to create outlines or write their drafts, that way you can ensure they’re not accessing AI to do so.

Also, be aware that AI detectors are notoriously unreliable. Don’t accuse students of using AI for work based on this type of software. Experiment yourself – input text that you know is 100% human-created as well as 100% AI-created and see what the results are to get an idea of the accuracy of the tool.

Final Thoughts: Embrace AI as a Partner in Education

AI isn’t going away, and rather than resisting it, we should embrace it as a tool to enhance both teaching and learning. When used thoughtfully, AI can free up more of your time for meaningful interactions with students, support diverse learning needs, and prepare students to navigate an AI-driven world responsibly.

By integrating AI into your teaching prep and guiding students on its ethical use, you’ll be equipping them with the skills they need to think critically, adapt to new technologies, and use AI as a force for good in their learning journey.

So where will you start? Will you use AI to brainstorm your next lesson, generate a set of discussion questions, or introduce AI literacy to your students? Whatever you choose, remember—AI is a tool, but you’re the teacher. Your expertise, judgment, and human connection are what make learning truly meaningful.