Like many schools, we initially took the decision not to engage with AI as it was emerging. However, as our students were experimenting with it independently, we decided to embrace it rather than be left behind.
Seeing how rudimentary platforms such as ChatGPT were enhancing student learning, for example by providing them with basic information for their essays, I believed that the same could be beneficial for our teaching staff.
First steps to implementation
In the first instance, I demonstrated the AI platforms and their capabilities to our teachers in between lessons. I created easy-to-follow videos on how they could engage with them to create lesson plans and access nuanced information through ChatGPT.
Once they were comfortable with that approach, we moved onto creating comprehension questions and generating mathematical equations instantly through AI.
This initial step alone saved our staff a huge amount of time. Homework assignments and class questions could be generated instantly. The accuracy and relevance of these materials need to be vetted and approved before entering into the classroom, but the auto-generation of new materials has many hours of time-saving potential.
The success of this first step generated interest and curiosity and has meant that, rather than being forced, adoption of AI has grown organically since. Staff have experienced the time-saving benefits and gone on to experiment with the technology themselves more and more.
With the help of the simple guides I have developed and through sharing their enthusiasm, AI is now flourishing as a teacher tool in our school.
However, we continue to face challenges such as ensuring consistency over which tools we use, educating our teachers on data protection issues and helping them to understand the copyrighted material generated by platforms like Gemini and ChatGPT.
Finding the right tools
A major challenge that schools will have to deal with as they start to expand their use of AI is understanding which tools are most effective for them.
Initially, we worked with platforms such as ChatGPT. However, as we delved further into the ways in which AI could support us, it quickly became clear that we needed more sophisticated software to meet our needs and expectations.
As a result, we took the opportunity to participate in a pilot scheme for an education-specific AI platform. With it, our staff are able to transcribe videos or audio logs, set and mark homework assignments, create resources and quizzes, develop customised lessons and SEND plans and edit resources to suit different levels of need while also helping to create.
All of these tasks would have previously taken away many hours of our teachers’ time. Instead, they can focus on teaching – and benefit from a better work/life balance.
It can take time to decide which platform will work best for your school. This is time well spent, and can be shortened by understanding the needs of your staff and students.
Inspiring early adopters
Initial reactions to using AI were mixed. Some were keen to get to grips with it while others were less convinced. Some were confident to have a go while others needed additional guidance before they were ready to experiment.
The key is to galvanise early adopters. By creating digital champions and giving them a platform to air their concerns and celebrate their wins, we were able to make significant progress, not just in overcoming scepticism but in honing our implementation strategy.
Nothing exemplifies the success of this strategy better than a recent TeachMeet, in which one of our veteran teachers presented on how she used AI to complete in 15 minutes a task that would normally have taken her hours.
Nurturing our teachers’ sense of curiosity to find solutions that help save them time has been a genuine success story for Roding Valley High School this year. As just one school in a growing multi-academy trust, we know that our venture into AI is being keenly followed by everyone in the Chelmsford Learning Partnership.
There’s no doubt our experience will inform schools across our trust and further afield. And if enough schools get on board, we might finally turn the tide on the teacher workload problem.
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