It is undeniable that AI is impacting teachers and students both inside and outside of the classroom. Navigating within this new educational landscape I decided to attend the Erasmusplus course in Amsterdam entitled Artificial Intelligence Tools for Language Teachers, from July 21^st to July 25^th. The course, led by trainer Cecilia Iris Baldo, introduced various AI powered tools and provided us with practical tasks which enabled us to appreciate how both teachers and students can benefit from these tools.

The course aimed to assist language teachers on how to select and utilise AI tools to enhance language learning. We also explored how to create original and differentiated materials using various AI tools.

Language teachers from nine countries gave a brief background presentation of their school on the first day of the course. This was followed by basic information on digital safety and security. The importance of using unique passwords, two-factor authentication and creating a classroom cybersecurity policy were explored. The continuing days focused on how to craft effective AI prompts to create materials, assessments and how to use AI powered tools to grade students’ work.

By mid-week, we had gained knowledge about the four main components that structure all effective AI prompts, these are: persona, task, context and format. Each component was then examined more closely to gain a deeper understanding of how each component functions in creating an effective AI prompt. We then applied this structure to our individualised AI prompts to create a wide variety of classroom tasks, which included: improving lesson plans, assessments, differentiation and material generation.

Towards the final days of the course, we explored how AI powered tools can be used to encourage student reading. As every educator knows, reading assignments are foundational to learning, yet many of our students struggle to complete them. Reading barriers such as, time constraints and unclear relevance can hinder student engagement. This is further amplified by teaching a diverse classroom where learning brings various strengths and needs. Generative AI tools like NotebookLM encourages flexible, inclusive approaches that accommodate all learners. We explored how this AI tool could summarise dense notes into digestible formats. It encourages students’ engagement with texts as it makes readings feel relevant by connecting them to students’ interests.

Given the limitless AI powered educational tools that are available online, by the end of the course, I felt that I had only scratched the surface of the ways in which they can be maximised by teachers and students. However, as Howard Hendricks in his book Teaching to Change Lives: Seven Proven Ways to Make Your Teaching Come Alive reminds us educators, ‘As long as you live, you learn; and as long as you learn, you live.’

Ms Lydia Bartolo Bonnici

English Language and Literature Teacher

Immaculate Conception School