Save Your Energy For Where You Shine Best!

MagicSchool AI 

@LisaBerghoff

 

In my 28 years as an educator, the phrase "teachers have too much on their plate" has been stated, at least  in some fashion, every single year. Not that it wasn't true before, it was, and it still is. It really really is true! Our roles in and out of the classroom continues to expand and grow, but not really evolve. More and more things get added to our to-do list each, and the lists from the previous years have not changed much. I am skeptical, leery even, of shiny new technology tools that claim to fix everything in education. Teaching is hard work. Learning is hard work. Both teaching and learning are complicated, nuanced, and fraught with misinformation.

That said, I do appreciate it when there are tools that I can use that may chip away at some of the more tedious and time intensive tasks that make being an educator less fun. Basically, I'm talking about anything that keeps me away from students. 

Magic School AI is one of those new tools that is designed to help manage all of the tasks that eat up our time when we are not with students. Need to write a rubric for an upcoming assignment? Formatting that rubric is going to be a real pain, so is coming up with the wording. How about creating questions to go along with a YouTube video? How many times will you need to watch the video before you get the questions just right? Need to write questions that align with the four Depth of Knowledge levels? These are all examples of what Magic School AI can do to help you. 

What Is Magic School AI?

Magic School AI is an educational technology platform that harnesses the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to help teachers personalize learning experiences for high school students. Developed by a team of educators and AI experts, Magic School AI offers a diverse range of interactive lessons, activities, and assessments across various subject areas, including math, science, language arts, and more.  According to their mission page, the folks at Magic School AI are "here to lighten the load, so teachers can save their envery for where they shine best-in the classroom, in front of students." They believe that relationships are at the center of everything and that Magic School AI can help save teachers time so they can devote their energy to working directly with students. They indicate that there are some things teachers don't need technology to help with, and so they have created tools to streamline tedious tasks that only educators would recognize. From the mission page: "Instead of only creating tools that address commonly understood aspects of teaching, we’ve drawn from research-based best practices, feedback from educators, as well as our own experiences in the classroom, to create tools that will save time on repetitive, tedious behind-the-scenes tasks that only teachers understand require tons of effort… things like generating relevant content, writing IEPs, differentiation, creating assessments, and supporting school discipline. That way, teachers can spend their time on the uniquely human, creative aspects of their work."

How to Use Magic School AI: 

1. To begin using Magic School AI, simply sign up for an account on the platform's website here. Once registered, you'll have access to a vast aray of  resources and tools designed to support your work with students.  You can also install the chrome extension which lives at the bottom right corner of your screen. You will then have easy access to all of the Magic School AI tools. 

2. Take some time to explore the content available on Magic School AI. Browse through the library of lessons, activities, and assessments to find resources that align with your curriculum and instructional goals. You can search and filter the tools from the top toolbar. If you find certain tools you will likely use again, just click the star and it will appear at the top in the favorites section. I find that I like the YouTube question generator. Click to view below. 

3.  Take advantage of Raina (chatbot). Raina is your AI instructional coach. Ask any questions related to best practices or work in a school. You can ask for ideas, advice, strategies, and more. 

Coming Soon! Magic Student

Magic Student is an AI platform designed to build AI literacy for students. It's purpose is to teach students how to use AI responsibly and also unlock learning opportunities that you can't get without generative AI. There is currently a waitlist and it will be rolled out when it is ready. Click here for more information. 

Magic School AI is a powerful tool that has the potential to change how we spend our time as educators. . By leveraging AI technology to personalize learning experiences, engage students, and provide valuable insights for teachers, Magic School AI can empower educators to create dynamic and effective learning environments that meet the needs of all students. So why wait? Dive into the world of Magic School AI today and unlock new possibilities for teaching and learning in your classroom. If you are new to generative AI, Magic School is a great place to start. 

Want some help getting the ball rolling? Reach out! I'm always happy to help.