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Virtual ESL Teaching Assistant with School AI
Details
Activity Description
Preparation
- Check the website to ensure it is not blocked at your site.
- Read through the lesson plan.
- Print and make copies of any handouts.
How-To
The first thing to do is to create a free teacher account. With a teacher account, you can create a class 'space' which will allow you to have up to 75 participants interacting with an AI tutor.
There are 3 main areas in which to launch a classroom space:
- You can set up a sidekick space for your class where students can get individualized tutoring in whatever areas in which they need help.
- You can find a pre-made space 'template' based on categories, like vocabulary, math, KWL charts, academic writing, etc.
- You can create a custom space for your specific students' needs in which the students can focus on a skill or goal that you create.
The great thing about this app is that an AI 'sidekick' can assist you with setting up any of these spaces that you'd like.
Once you've created your space, the app will generate a QR code or a link that you can share with your students so they can join the space that you've created.
One of the most powerful tools in this site is the ability for the teacher to monitor the students' interaction with the AI to gauge whether they're on track and getting the help that they need, or if the teacher needs to tweak the space to guide students where they need to go. (Obviously, the teacher should inform the students that they'll be monitoring their work.)
As opposed to creating a step-by-step how-to document, School AI has a great 'Knowledge Base' which has lots of easy-to-follow articles on how to set up and use the app. I recommend starting there. Here's the link:
Teacher Tips
There's an AI-driven help center where you can help with any of the spaces or tools available on the app.
More Ways
Another great thing about School AI is that it comes packed with an array of tools to help teachers manage their classrooms, with AI-enhanced tools like lesson planning, worksheet and quiz generators, rubric creators, and lots more.
It also has AI assistants, like coteachers, common core experts, digital literacy coaches, and research assistants.
Finally, it has a community page where you can get help using the app, share best practices, and become an certified School AI educator.
Program Areas
- ESL: English as a Second Language
Levels
- Beginning Literacy
- Beginning Low
- Beginning High
- Intermediate Low
- Intermediate High
- Advanced
- All Levels
Lesson Plan
Note: School AI is incredibly flexible and can be used in a myriad of ways. This lesson plan solely demonstrates one idea of how to harnass the app to create an individualized learning experience for your students while focusing on a common lesson objective.
Let's imagine that I teach an Intermediate Low ESL class and I'm going to teach a lesson on speaking to a doctor. Here's my plan:
Warm-up:
Use the School AI Spaces Discover tool to create a KWL chart activity specific for your ESL level (which you can describe to the AI assistant) about ailments, illnesses, and injuries. It's important to be as specific as possible when prompting the AI assistant. Here's an example of what I typed into the prompts (Note: The AI assistant helped me to do this!):
Title: Talking to a Doctor KWL Activity
AI prompt:
You are a Space for students to walk through this KWL Activity. All of the students are adult intermediate low ESL students, so make the space experience tailored to this grade level, including vocabulary and expectations of answer length and detail.
First, welcome the students to the Space and tell them that you'll be asking about what they know and would like to know about talking to a doctor.
Then, take the students through the K portion of the activity, step by step. Ask them what ailments, illnesses, and injuries they know about in English. Encourage students to add detail. Encourage them to write their answers in their KWL chart.
Then, take the students through the W portion of the activity, step by step. Ask them what ailments, illnesses, and injuries they would like to learn about in English. Explain that they can write words in their native language if they need to. Encourage students to add detail. Encourage them to write their answers in their KWL chart.
When the students have completed the K and W portions, tell the students they will then be learning the lesson and objectives.
When they are done learning, they will come back into the space and reflect on what they have Learned, the L portion of the activity. Encourage them to answer the questions that they asked in the W portion of the activity, and write down the new things that they learned.
Once you've input the prompt, School AI will create a space for your students to interact with the assistant. Copy the link for the space and share it with your students (in your LMS, written on the board, on social media, through email, etc.) The assistant will ask what the students know on the subject and what they'd like to know. Students can always write words in their native language if they don't know the words in English.
Tell the students that they will use the SchoolAI assistant to teach them some vocabulary words and phrases to use when speaking to a doctor.
Students will use the SchoolAI assistant to generate vocabulary and conversational activities tailored to their prior knowledge and areas in which they'd like to learn. At the end of the KWL activity, students will type prompts into the assistant prompt box to generate lists of English words and vocabulary to practice with the assistant.
Write the following prompt on the board:
Prompt 1: "I am an intermediate low ESL adult student. Teach me 10 phrases that I can use to describe the information that I already know to my doctor."
Prompt 2: "Generate a list of 5 - 10 questions that I can ask my doctor based on the W part of my KWL chart."
Activity 1: Think-Pair-Share:
When the students have finished interacting with the AI sidekick for the KWL activity, they should type 'done' into the prompt box.
They then type Prompt 1 into the prompt box and copy the resulting list in their notebooks.
They repeat this for Prompt 2.
When they finish, they share their 2 lists with their partners. If their partners don't understand something, they should ask, "What does that mean?" If their partner can't explain it, they shoudl ask the School AI sidekick to explain it either in English or their native language.
After sharing their lists, each student shares 1 thing that their partner already knows and 1 thing that their partner wants to know with the class.
Activity 2: Talk to your doctor.
Students will use the vocabulary/phrase/questions generated in the previous activity for this next exercise.
The students should type the following prompt into the SchoolAI prompt box: "Imagine that you are a doctor and I am your patient. Let's have a conversation. First, let's talk about what's wrong with me." After inputting the prompt, the student will type (or preferably say, if they have a mic) one or more of the phrases from the K list and engage in the conversation. Let the students know that they can ask the sidekick for help when there's something that they don't understand or know how to say.
When the conversation is over, have the students type: "Doctor, can I ask you a question?" and type in (or say) one of the questions from the W list. They then engage in that conversation, asking for help when needed.
Meanwhile, the teacher can monitor the conversations and offer help to any student who is struggling.
Finally, after a set amount of time, group the students into small groups and have them read their conversations to each other.
The students type (or say) the following prompt: "I'd like to do the L part of my KWL activity, please" and discuss what they've learned during the lesson.
The teacher can monitor to ensure that the learning objective was met for each student.
Tell the students that they can continue to practice the vocabulary/English that they've learned today and use the sidekick to extend the learning. After that, they should practice using the English at the doctor's office during their next visit.
Standards
- Reading Foundational Skills
- RF.2 - Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes). (Phonological Awareness)
- RF.3 - Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words. (Phonics and Word Recognition)
- RF.4 - Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension. (Fluency)
- Reading
- CCR Anchor 1 - Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.
- CCR Anchor 2 - Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas.
- CCR Anchor 3 - Analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and interact over the course of a text.
- CCR Anchor 4 - Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.
- CCR Anchor 5 - Analyze the structure of texts, including how specific sentences, paragraphs, and larger portions of the text (e.g., a section, chapter, scene, or stanza) relate to each other and the whole.
- CCR Anchor 6 - Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text.
- CCR Anchor 7 - Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words.
- CCR Anchor 8 - Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, including the validity of the reasoning as well as the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence.
- CCR Anchor 9 - Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge or to compare the approaches the authors take.
- CCR Anchor 10 - Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts independently and proficiently.
- Writing
- CCR Anchor 1 - Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
- CCR Anchor 2 - Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
- CCR Anchor 3 - Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details and well-structured event sequences.
- CCR Anchor 4 - Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
- CCR Anchor 5 - Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.
- CCR Anchor 6 - Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and to interact and collaborate with others.
- CCR Anchor 7 - Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects based on focused questions, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
- CCR Anchor 8 - Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, assess the credibility and accuracy of each source, and integrate the information while avoiding plagiarism.
- CCR Anchor 9 - Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
- Speaking and Listening
- CCR Anchor 1 - Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
- CCR Anchor 2 - Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.
- CCR Anchor 3 - Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric.
- CCR Anchor 4 - Present information, findings, and supporting evidence such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
- CCR Anchor 5 - Make strategic use of digital media and visual displays of data to express information and enhance understanding of presentations.
- CCR Anchor 6 - Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and communicative tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate.
- Language
- CCR Anchor 1 - Demonstrate command of the conventions of English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
- CCR Anchor 2 - Demonstrate command of the conventions of English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
- CCR Anchor 3 - Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening.
- CCR Anchor 4 - Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases by using context clues, analyzing meaningful word parts, and consulting general and specialized reference materials, as appropriate.
- CCR Anchor 5 - Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
- CCR Anchor 6 - Acquire and use accurately a range of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when encountering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.
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