The AI Infused Classroom

by Holly Clark

Open-source, content-creating AI models are a relatively new addition to the education landscape—and they are the next step for digital tools. With more than twenty-five years of experience as an educator and as one of the first teachers in the United States to have a 1:1 classroom, bestselling author of the Infused Classroom series, Holly Clark , takes a future-oriented approach to technology integration in education. Through her training and speaking engagements, she equips educators worldwide to effectively use technology, including AI, in their classrooms. And now, with The AI Infused Classroom , she offers a thoughtful, practical guide for navigating the latest iteration of edtech.

The key to successfully integrating any digital tool, Clark says, is to focus on the deep learning and masterful pedagogy teachers can achieve with educational shifts, like the one the world is currently experiencing. Yes, things will change, but AI does not replace the need for well-trained and highly qualified teachers in the classroom. In fact, students need educators’ guidance, now more than ever, to ensure they are prepared for the world of AI.

Genres: Education, Nonfiction, Artificial Intelligence

128 pages, Paperback

Published May 18, 2023

Reviews

[Tara Charlton · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this for a class and while there are some practical ideas about using AI in the classroom, I ultimately didn't find it very compelling. For one thing, some of the more general teaching strategies/styles that were suggested made it seem like the author sees 2 types of teachers in the world: teachers who yap at their students all day before tossing them a worksheet and then teachers who embrace AI. There was a correlation drawn between AI use/instruction and fostering a sense of curiosity and deep learning in students and...yeah those things are important, but I wasn't fully convinced of why AI is integral to that process.The overall tone throughout the text was an off putting "AI will fix everything!" There was also a Q&A with ChatGPT at the end regarding big questions about AI which just felt a little silly. I wish that this book had either gone more heavy on the practical advice and tips for incorporating AI, or engaged more critically in a philosophical/pedagogical discussion of its uses and implications. On the other hand, it's a quick read, and I can see it making for a fruitful book club discussion among teachers.

[Lauren Ward · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you want to take your teaching into the future and prepare your students, check this out.

[Meghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

As an English teacher, I am intrigued by generative AI and enthusiastic about bringing it into the classroom. I also believe that demonizing AI or ignoring it all together would be a disservice to my students and their futures. While I am adamant about teaching students the digital and media literacy skills they need to be responsible consumers and producers of information, I worry that my lack of technology knowledge may hinder my ability to teach students the most effective strategies and skills to use resources such as AI.

Clark's book is great for educators looking for an introduction to generative AI. I read this book immediately after reading Matt Miller's (whom she mentions throughout the book) AI for Educators, and from both were able to get a good grasp on generative AI and how it operates.

The AI Infused Classroom was quick and easy to read and provided a lot of great ideas and resources for educators to bring into the classroom to ensure effective and responsible use of AI. At times the information and language felt repetitive; however, for those that are new to this type of technology that may not be a bad thing.

[Mary Spence · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was useful to me as an AI and ChatGPT learner. The ideas are presented in a simple and organized way, and there are ideas for how to use it transparently with students.

The repetitive language and overly cheery encouragement of AI use are off-putting, as are the anecdotes where the author discusses how terribly sad it is for her to encounter teachers who are skeptical of the magical benefits of AI.

I did truly benefit from her explanations and examples of the various uses of AI for the classroom, as well as her ideas for asking students to consider the ethics of AI and to reflect on how much and how effectively they use it. I appreciate the author's question about why we, as educators, might want our students to use AI less than we do, ourselves. Good point...

[Ellen Elsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a useful, practical primer on AI and its potential in the classroom. The overriding message is that AI is here to stay, and rather than banning it or fearing it, educators need to adjust their teaching methods to capitalize on its promise. Clark provides lots of tips and suggestions for teaching with AI, such as using video reflections so students can share their thinking and become more reflective learners and writers. (And also to demonstrate that they are not allowing ChatGPT or whatever tool to do all the work for them!) She promotes seeing AI as a writing assistant, similar to a peer editor. She also emphasizes the importance of teaching AI literacy, so students can understand how AI works, the biases that may be present and the ethics of its use.

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this book for free from a conference I attended. Nothing was life-changing in it; you could pick almost any tool and go through what she suggested-- it is what we've been doing with other edTech tools for quite some time. It's clear that Holly is all-in on AI; she boasted at the conference that she pays $200/month for the best version of ChatGPT.

With any tool we have to be intentional about its use. We need to make sure that it's the right thing at the right time for the students in our classroom. I do agree that we need to teach kids how to use it, but on this topic I'm making sure the water is safe before I jump in.

[MaryAlice · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked how Holly Clark provided practical ways that artificial intelligence can be integrated into classroom instruction. Specifically, I appreciated the many useful suggestions about how AI models, like ChatGPT, can be used to enhance the writing process. She also includes a very useful chapter which illustrates ways that students can be taught about how to craft prompts to guide AI language models. AI is here to stay, and as educators, it’s important that we stay to understand its purposes and potential future value using our “tomorrow glasses.”

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

This text was a very quick and practical guide for how to immediately begin incorporating AI usage into the modern classroom. The text provided basic background knowledge- but where it really excelled was in the helpful suggestions for activities, prompt stems, and programs that could help teachers embrace these new tools and run with them. I highly recommend this text for teachers looking for ways to help strengthen their educational opportunities for students. I plan to check out Clark's other texts as well!

[Jennifer Sanford martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is exactly what I was looking for to be able to use in my classroom. Before reading this book, I had a lot of fears about the use of AI in an English classroom. Knowing students are going to have to read and write on demand without the use of AI, I was very skeptical about its use. However, Holly Clark gave a lot of great ideas to incorporate this technology in the writing process. It has really calmed a lot of my initial fears. I'm excited to use some of this technology in my classroom this year.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

The AI Infused Classroom is an excellent text for teachers looking to become more comfortable with AI and how to use it effectively in the classroom. Clark does a great job explaining how AI can benefit all parties involved in education, and provides many practical tools and strategies for developing competencies in this area. Clark helps readers to see AI as a tool for the classroom, not a hostile takeover. Great read for any teacher looking to improve their instruction and better prepare their students for the future!

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

I highly recommend this book for educators just starting to explore using generative AI in the classroom. If you’ve been following the movement of programs like ChatGPT since the buzz started and consider yourself technologically literate - like you read up on it as soon as it pops up - this isn’t your book. It’s also super focused on including it in your classroom, using it to encourage critical thought in our students, and mostly ignores some of the more problematic areas.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holly Clark provided practical strategies for using AI in the classroom, as well as ways to shift your instructional practice to prevent the use of AI for just a copy/paste cheating tool. The book is very well organized and I like that she discloses her own use of AI for her writing purposes, modeling how others can also use AI as a "thought partner" (a phrase that has really helped me make peace with using AI myself.)

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great starting place for teachers of any subject to begin harnessing the power of AI models like ChatGPT. Excited to share these ideas with our teaching teams and see how it impacts the learning and engagement of our students for the better. Great resource with both background on AI and activities and prompts you can use with students tomorrow. Thankful for this one!

[Megan VanAllen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a great starting place for those interested in learning more about AI in the classroom. Holly Clark provides insightful strategies and ways to incorporate AI. She also encourages teachers to find how they can best use it for their planning to take back precious time that we so desperately desire.

[Edith Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Ai infused classroom book, Is very informative about aI and its uses in a classroom setting. Strategies seem easy, and some ways to use Ai will be very fun for students. It is worth the time and money.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this book was great for teachers who are beginning their journey using AI in the classroom. She gives practical suggestions for where to begin and many different ways to use AI in the education setting.

[Erin Wicks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Want to jump start your usage of AI in the classroom?  The AI Infused Classroom by Holly Clark is a great place to start. It offers useful ideas for teachers of all ages to implement in their classrooms.

[Megan McKellar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick read. Good general overview. Provides helpful and manageable advice and frameworks.

[Wendi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good book to start learning about using AI in the classroom. It is easy to read and follow along to start incorporating this technology.

[Susan A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a fantastic beginner book to find out more about AI in the classroom. Well written, well structured, and great ideas!