Regardless of your opinion on AI, it is here to stay. When used effectively, AI can significantly enhance education in various ways, from boosting student confidence to facilitating rapid brainstorming sessions that help students articulate their ideas.
In this episode, Sparking Creativity with AI (Episode 135), we joined Erika Sandstrom as she explores how AI can spark innovation, strengthen teacher-student relationships, and improve overall mental health.
Here are the key ideas we took away from this episode:
- Sandstrom believes that instead of educators being fearful about AI, they should embrace all the possibilities it can bring. Educators can use AI by leveraging it to simplify and enhance their teaching methods.
- She also notes that AI's efficiency allows teachers to focus on supporting students and frees up personal time for activities like having lunch. Plus, AI fosters better relationships between students and teachers by allowing teachers to guide students more effectively while also learning new technologies alongside them.
- Sandstrom uses AI in various creative ways in her classroom to improve mental health, such as breathing bubbles that students create using Canva. Students inhale and exhale with the bubble, thinking of joyful memories that they recreate and use as backgrounds. They also use Canva’s Magic Morph to build dream rooms and vision boards.
- Sandstrom uses multiple platforms in her classroom, including Brush Ninja, Canva, Adobe Express, WeVideo, ScreenPal, the Doink app, and Genially. Students create reels and magical interactive grids on green screens about important issues such as teen self-care and saving the planet.
- Sandstrom even uses AI to address students' test anxiety and help them practice gratitude. Using Curipod, Sandstrom teaches about test anxiety, surveys students, communicates with them, and explores various reading techniques, chair yoga, Tai Chi, and Qi Gong. The class creates gratitude videos in Canva, listing ten things they are grateful for using their five senses, and maintains daily gratitude journals.
Sandstrom's innovative use of AI in the classroom exemplifies how technology can transform education, making it more engaging, supportive, and effective. Her approach demonstrates that AI, when embraced thoughtfully, can enrich the educational experience, fostering a nurturing and dynamic learning environment. As educators explore the vast possibilities AI offers, they can better prepare students for the future, ensuring a more equitable and inspiring educational journey.
Check out the full podcast for all the details: YouTube | Spotify | Apple Podcasts
Don’t forget to listen to three of our podcasts from our themed choice boards to earn 0.5 of CEU credit. Simply submit this form when you finish.
Explore Further:
- Connect with Erika on LinkedIn
- Follow Erika on Twitter(X)