Taking inspiration from past educators, Ida Hazovic has built a reputation for innovative English teaching strategies. Mrs. Hazovic earned her English teaching degree, and then she pursued her science degree, partly because of the demand for her science teacher in Brooklyn, New York. With her diverse background in teaching writing, science, and coding, her multifaceted AI program gives students real-time feedback to support the development of her writing skills. Project Topeka she was well placed to take part in the pilot. Recently, Edsarge spoke to Hadzovic about her experience using AI in her teaching practice in her junior high school English class.
EdSurge: How has the use of AI tools in your classroom changed your approach to teaching writing?
Hazovic: To be honest, I was hesitant at first. Like many teachers, I was skeptical about using AI in teaching. But I think it made a big difference in how I approached my writing and teaching. I now tell my students that the writing experience is not about the final product, but rather the journey itself. Project Topeka has helped me as a teacher to educate my students about the importance of review. Through this writing process, they can find inspiration for themselves.
AI is also used to create example sentences. Then have the students decipher whether the sample is accurate. They analyze it and determine if the evidence is reliable, reasonable, and relevant. This helps you practice the writing and revision process and understand that AI tools sometimes have errors.
How did you use AI tools to personalize student instruction?
There are many English learners in my class and they speak different languages. AI tools can be used to provide visual information and reduce read rates for Lexile levels. However, it is important to remember that everyone learns differently and there is no one-size-fits-all method. So in a class of 30 students, every student needs individualized instruction. AI tools also enable more personalized learning.
How have your students responded to incorporating AI into their writing?
Some students were the first to voice concerns. They were concerned about using AI in their grading process. I tell my students that these are the tools that exist and we intend to use them to become better. Actually, you have to explain how the AI works in the writing process, that the AI tool is looking for a specific language. We’re talking about this being an input/output situation, and with practice you’ll be able to figure out the components you need and beat the system in your head. But here’s an interesting reality. What they do is improve their writing and learn about the relationship between input and output. I guide them and encourage them to reach their own conclusions on how to get better results. And it becomes an interdisciplinary lesson in science, math, and writing, where students learn causal problem solving. We not only teach you about learning AI, but we also teach you how to change certain aspects for better results.
How do you ensure that learning opportunities are fair for students when using AI tools?
Giving everyone a chance to experience AI is the first step to making AI fair. Where I teach in New York, culturally sensitive training is practiced, and much of it involves recognizing one’s own biases. So using AI tools in the classroom is an opportunity to talk about our own biases, how AI biases can exist, and how we need to be aware of them. there is. I think the starting point is to discuss this openly with students and really listen to their ideas and perspectives. I teach my students that AI is a tool. It can be used to push us or provide us with a foothold. But I encourage my students to recognize their own agency in this process. To use this tool properly, you need to be a critical thinker.
What role do you see AI playing in teaching and learning writing skills in the future?
AI can be used as a revision and editing tool for students. You can teach your students how to use AI to make the most of their resources and broaden their horizons when writing. AI also improves the efficiency of grading large volumes of essays for teachers.
Like any technology, AI is a tool that we can use to improve our skills. We need to help students use AI responsibly, and we do that by practicing with AI in the classroom. AI isn’t going away. So while we need to educate students on how AI tools can be beneficial, we also need to talk about things like unconscious bias and critical consumption. I try to teach my students to ask more critical questions and use AI as a tool, but I don’t have perfect answers.
To learn more about using AI systems to support and enhance education in the classroom, and how Digital Promise works with AI, visit our Artificial Intelligence in Education webpage and read about our recent AI efforts .
