The world of artificial intelligence is constantly advancing and changing the education landscape. The time is now to learn what this new technology can do for us as teachers and how to embrace it. This week I have a guest blog post with helpful tips for English teachers.

Hi! My name is Kerrianne Miranda, and I am a middle school English teacher!

Every year I reflect. I think, next year all of the lessons are going to be all planned. I am going to use all of the resources from last year. For the last 17 school years, I have said this, but every year I find myself spending countless hours looking for the just right tool, story, or graphic to match my student’s needs.  I teach students with disabilities, students, that have a first language other than English, and students with very low socioeconomic statuses. Ensuring all of those students can access the standards on the level they need and also making sure it is appropriate for teenagers is an epic battle. Enter ChatGPT. ChatGPT may be the answer to all of those problems.

With ChatGPT, I can ask for resources on a topic at different Lexile levels. I can copy a text into ChatGPT and simply ask it to rewrite it at a lower level or even increase the complexity level for students. This is a great way to ensure that each student is getting the same information but on an accessible level. ChatGPT can translate documents for you too. If you aren’t looking at a specific article, ChatGPT will write the article for you in whatever lexile or grade level you want with specific vocabulary! Take a look at an example of the Pros and Cons of cell phones in schools written at a 5th-grade reading level and then at a 9th-grade reading level. Take a look!

5th Grade: “Pros: Educational Resources: Cell phones provide access to educational apps, websites, and online resources that can help students with their learning.

9th Grade: “Pros: Educational Resources: Cell phones offer access to a wide range of educational apps, websites, and online resources. Students can leverage these tools to enhance their learning experience and access information quickly and conveniently.”

The vocabulary upgrades in terms of accessibility, and there’s a bit more description that stronger readers would be able to handle. 

ChatGPT can also write its own story based on the parameters that you give the AI. I have asked for spooky stories on an 8th-grade reading level and the story that ChatGPT spit back out was perfect for talking about suspense, and foreshadowing! The more specific you are with ChatGPT, the closer to the perfect response you will be. Here’s a small excerpt of the story:

“Once upon a time, in a small town nestled deep within the woods, there stood an old, dilapidated mansion. It had a reputation among the townsfolk for being an eerie and foreboding place. Legends whispered of strange happenings within its walls, and an uneasy feeling settled upon anyone who dared to approach. One gloomy autumn evening, a group of curious teenagers decided to venture into the mansion. Their hearts raced with excitement and trepidation as they pushed open the creaking front door, revealing a foyer enveloped in darkness.”

I know my 8th graders would be interested in hearing the rest of the story! Try ChatGPT out for yourself to see what types of stories it will write for you!