Empowering Educators with Artificial
Intelligence
Primary Teachers' Workshop on AI in Education
By Martin Nkonde May 2025
Workshop Objectives
Understand what AI is
Use AI ethically
Save time with AI tools
Boost student engagement
Promote critical thinking
Explore AI tools and
trends
Apply AI to teaching,
support, leadership etc
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the ability
of a computer system to perform
tasks that normally require human
intelligence. These tasks include:
Understanding language
Solving problems
Learning from experience
Recognising patterns
In education:
AI can help teachers and students by:
Creating schemes of work
Creating lesson plans
Records of work
Marking classwork
Giving learners instant feedback
Helping with translations
Generating quizzes, exercise, school
reports, memos
Supporting diverse learning needs
Important to Know:
AI is powerful, but it:
Doesn’t understand like humans, it
follows patterns
Can make mistakes, hallucinate facts
Needs to be used ethically and
responsibly
Simple Definition for Students:
“AI is like a smart robot brain that
helps us do things by learning, but we
still need to think for ourselves.”
Using AI Ethically and Intentionally
as Educators
AI is a tool, not a teacher
Avoid student misuse (no full AI
essays) Use plagiarism and AIdetection tools
Protect student data
Be transparent about AI use
Use AI to support, not replace,
relationships
How Teachers Can Save Time
Automating Repetitive Tasks
Resource Creation
Generate lesson plans, schemes of
work, records of works, quizzes
Create differentiated resources for
various learning levels.
Suggest classroom activities,
discussion questions, and homework.
Assessment Creation & Grading
Create progress comments for report
cards
Task
Traditional Time
AI-Supported
Time
Writing lesson
15–20 minutes 3–5 minutes
objectives
Generating
quiz questions
30 minutes
5–10 minutes
Writing report
1–2 hours
card comments
20–30 minutes
Strategies That Boost Student
Engagement
Gamify lessons (Quizizz, Kahoot)
Personalize learning (reading levels,
translations)
Creative writing prompts
Generate posters, infographics, or
slides
Use visuals Aids (Canva,
MagicSchool)
Teach AI as a Thinking Partner, Not a
Solution Machine
Emphasise that AI gives ideas, not always
correct answers
Encourage students to question and evaluate
what AI suggests.
Encourage Curiosity and Questioning
Use AI as a Starting Point for Deeper
Thinking
Promote the ‘Why’ Behind Their Work
Use AI for discussion
Final Thought:
“AI can assist student thinking—but it’s the
teacher who builds student thinkers.”
• Best for: Teachers who want quick,
classroom-ready AI help.
• Why it’s worth it:
Tailored for education (lesson plans,
rubrics, IEPs, email drafts, etc.)
Safe, ad-free, teacher-friendly interface
Over 50 education-specific tools
• 🔍 Example: “Generate a lesson plan on
healthy eating for Year 3.”
Best for: Interactive slide presentations and
student engagement
Why it’s worth it:
Creates ready-made, AI-powered lessons
Includes polls, drawings, think-pair-share,
and exit tickets
Great for primary students
🎯 Use it to: Spark discussion and creativity
with minimal prep time.
Best for: Differentiated reading
resources
Why it’s worth it:
Turn any topic or text into a reading
passage at multiple grade levels
Generates vocabulary, comprehension
questions, and summaries
📖 Perfect for: EAL/ESL support or
mixed-ability classrooms.
Canva AI (Magic Write & Design Tools)
Best for: Creating visuals, posters, and
worksheets
Why it’s worth it:
AI can generate design ideas, text,
and lesson visuals instantly
Beautiful templates for newsletters,
classroom displays, and handouts
🎨 Save time + improve classroom
visuals.
Best for: Brainstorming, planning,
feedback, creative ideas
Why it’s worth it:
Versatile for almost any teaching task
Great when paired with good prompts
(like MagicSchool templates)
💡 Tip: Always review outputs for
accuracy and appropriateness.
Final Thought
AI won’t replace teachers—but teachers
who use AI well will:
✅ Save time
✅ Spark creativity in their work
✅ Build student thinkers
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