There’s a lot of talk about AI in math education. Is it revolutionary? The beginning of the end of students thinking? Like most things in teaching, the truth is somewhere in the middle.
If you’re a math teacher feeling stretched thin, drowning in differentiation, or just plain curious about how this AI thing could actually help you in math teaching, here’s what you need to know:
You don’t need to master AI. You just need to start by playing.
Just Play
The best way to learn AI is the same way we learn anything new: start small, be curious, and play. Open up a tool like ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini. Think of it as a super-powered assistant that’s ready to brainstorm with you.
Try asking it to:
- Write three exit tickets on adding fractions for students at different readiness levels
- Reword this math instruction for a multilingual learner at WIDA level 2: [insert instructions]
- Explain the concept of standard deviation in a way that connects to sports statistics
You don’t need a clear goal or a polished lesson plan. Just mess around. See what it does… and doesn’t do.
Why It Matters
AI is already really good at solving problems. The “back of the book” is now available 24/7.
This doesn’t replace us; it elevates us. It means what matters most is what’s not in the back of the book: Reasoning. Strategy. Modeling. Discussion. Reflection. These are the higher-order thinking skills that AI can’t replicate.
So no, AI doesn’t replace us. It puts even more value on what only teachers can do: Help students make sense of math and own their thinking. It frees us up to focus on the deeply human aspects of teaching and learning.
What to Avoid
- Don’t ask it to write your whole lesson plan. It’s just not there yet and it doesn’t know your students.
- Always check its work. AI can be wildly confident and totally wrong. Your teacher judgment is crucial.
- Don’t just put students on ChatGPT and assume they will know how to use it. If you’re curious about student-friendly math AI tools, stay tuned – I’ll be posting those soon.
- Keep student data safe. Never put student names or identifying info into an AI tool.
- Don’t try to do everything at once. Start small. Start safe. Start simple.
What’s Next?
As you start to play, you’ll likely discover some unexpected uses (and limitations!). This initial exploration is key to understanding how more specialized tools work.
In the next post, I’ll dive into math-specific AI tools like Khanmigo, Coteach.ai, Snorkl, Edia, and others, breaking down how they differ from generic AI and how they can specifically enhance your math classroom.
- 🧠 As you start to play, what unexpected things did you discover? Share your ‘aha!’ moments or even your ‘huh?’ moments in the comments!
- 📩 Reply to this post or DM me, and I’ll send you a free prompt library you can start using tomorrow.
You don’t need to do this alone. Let’s figure it out together.