Evaluating Magic School Ai

 

Magic School Ai

Lesson Plan Generator Evaluation

     The lesson that I asked Magic School Ai to generate for was 6.3.R.5.  I did not add any other information besides 6.3.R.5.  It was not successful in pulling the correct standard language, so I entered the standard language with the number:  6.3.R.5-students will identify literary elements and devices that impact a text’s theme. After I gave the generator this information, it was better able to generate a cohesive lesson plan.

     As an experienced teacher, I would only use this lesson generator to give me some ideas to begin in crafting a lesson plan. I believe more inexperienced teachers will use this tool and use the lesson generated “as-is.”  As these teachers begin to teach the lesson plan generated by Magic School, I believe they will soon find it lacking. It is well-aligned, but there is not much rigor or depth of complexity built into the lesson. It did align with the Oklahoma Academic Standard well, yet in a superficial way. The error Magic School Ai made in this lesson suggested that standard 6.1.R.1 was a collaborative standard to 6.3.R.5.  Magic School ai stated, “6.1.R.1: Analyze how elements of literature work together to create meaning.”  This standard number and language do not exist in the Oklahoma Academic Standards. This may be a hallucination in the Ai or a mistake as it pulls from another set of state standards.

      Improvements that could be made are more depth of complexity for theme. The lesson developed was very superficial. I would want student movement to be incorporated, and more authentic learning products could be created. I believe students making a graphic organizer and paragraph does not align with Authentic Intellectual Work. I would want this lesson on theme to more deeply connect to students’ lived experiences, the texts students read, and the learning products should be applicable to the students’ community and meet them “where they are.”

     This lesson would need teacher curation in text selection to negate any stereotype-cues that could come into play.  More Authentic Intellectual Work would need to be included to connect to students’ real lives. It does not satisfy Kolb’s Triple E Framework since the lesson does not include an interactive technology tool or design for students.

Tool Evaluation

     I used the Magic School Ai tool, Text Leveler. This text leveler claims to “level any text to adapt it to fit a student’s reading level/skills.”  I did not find this tool useful. It only lowered the readability scale level from 9.0 to 8.5, far higher than the 6.0 level of which I had asked. The only things I could ascertain that it had done was find three- to four-syllable words and substitute a lower-syllabic word in its place. Since I level texts for the company I am employed, I know that sentence structure is the first step in text leveling. I did not observe any changes to sentence structure in the text leveler tool. This tool would not be useful for me, or another teacher, in the classroom since it does not do what it claims. In fact, teachers who do not have access to readability scale programs, or know how to level texts, may be tricked into believing that the tool has leveled the text appropriately.

Reflection

            I believe Magic School Ai could be a somewhat useful tool, but it must be used in conjunction with an experienced teacher. If a new teacher is using Magic School Ai, I would want them to be aware of its limitations and check its accuracy and sources. My concerns are that teachers without a significant amount of time in a classroom will begin to use this tool for most of their classroom needs. I believe in so doing, the lessons content generated will be superficial, shallow, inauthentic, and not create true human learning.

     The benefits are useful to generate innovative ideas that may be useful as teachers plan more robust content. I also think that it could give newer teachers some insight into how to plan for certain kinds of content creation if they are aware of its limitations.

            I appreciate the Guidance and Considerations for Using Artificial Intelligence in Oklahoma K-12 Schools that was published and disseminated by the Oklahoma State Department of Education. This guide shows the benefits and risks inherent in using Ai in the classroom. Guiding students in their understanding of how Ai sources and curates information will only deepen and develop their digital literacy. The first step in this new digital literacy is a robust teacher development plan around Ai. As teachers begin to explore this technology, they begin to see firsthand it's amazing capabilities and limitations. I believe that Ai will be able to differentiate learning in the ways that teachers have always dreamed were possible but have been partially unable to realize due to increasing number of students in an average classroom. The tools that Ai contain can be utilized to fight against teacher burn-out, and impact students that may not have been impacted by a one-size fits all curriculum.

     I do not have experience using Ai in the classroom, but I use it frequently in my current position. At my current employer, I use Ai in the following ways:  preliminary research on a topic, idea generation when I have hit a writer’s block, text leveling checks, responding to emails, scheduling, outlining projects that I am assigned, and asking questions. I also enjoy the study mode when I hit a learning roadblock. Ai is a powerful tool, but I have seen its bias and hallucination up close and personal. Digital literacy in the use of Ai tools should be a goal for education as we explore this uncharted territory.

Magic School Ai Generated Lesson Plan

https://app.magicschool.ai/tools/lesson-plan-generator?share=086f0918-cd2c-4891-ba7c-4d044cace171

LEARNING OBJECTIVE:
Students will be able to identify literary elements and devices that impact a text's theme.

ASSESSMENTS:
Students will complete a graphic organizer identifying at least three literary elements or devices in a selected text and explain how each contributes to the theme.

KEY POINTS:

• Literary Elements: Discuss elements such as character, setting, plot, conflict, and resolution.
• Literary Devices: Introduce devices like metaphor, simile, personification, and symbolism.
• Theme: Define theme as the underlying message or main idea of a text.
• Impact Analysis: Explain how literary elements and devices enhance the theme.

OPENING:

• Begin with a thought-provoking question: "What makes a story memorable?"
• Engage students in a brief discussion about their favorite books and the elements that made them impactful.
• Introduce the lesson's focus on literary elements and devices.

INTRODUCTION TO NEW MATERIAL:

• Explain each literary element with examples from familiar texts.
• Discuss each literary device, providing clear definitions and examples.
• Anticipate misconceptions: Some students may confuse literary elements with devices; clarify that elements are the building blocks of a story, while devices are techniques used to enhance the story.

GUIDED PRACTICE:

• Read a short story or excerpt together as a class.
• Identify and discuss literary elements and devices in small groups.
• Scaffold questions: Start with "What is the setting?" and progress to "How does the imagery support the theme?"
• Monitor student responses and provide feedback during group discussions.

INDEPENDENT PRACTICE:

• Assign a literary analysis task where students select a short story or poem.
• Students will fill out a graphic organizer identifying elements and devices, detailing their impact on the theme.
• Set behavioral expectations: Students should work quietly and refer to their texts as needed.

CLOSING:

• Conduct a quick share session where students discuss one literary element or device they identified in their analysis.
• Reinforce the connection between these elements and the text's theme.

EXTENSION ACTIVITY:

• For students who finish early, provide them with additional texts to analyze or challenge them to create their own short story incorporating specific literary elements and devices.

HOMEWORK:

• Assign students to read a chapter from a book of their choice and write a short paragraph identifying at least one literary element and device, explaining its impact on the theme.

STANDARDS ALIGNED:

• Oklahoma Academic Standards for English Language Arts:
• 6.3.R.5: Identify literary elements and devices that impact a text's theme.
• 6.1.R.1: Analyze how elements of literature work together to create meaning.
• 6.3.R.3: Analyze the development of a theme over the course of a text.

References

Guidance and Considerations for Using Artificial Intelligence in Oklahoma K-12 Schools. Retrieved June 2, 2025, from https://oklahoma.gov/content/dam/ok/en/osde/documents/services/standards-learning/educational-technology/Guidance-and-Considerations-for-Artificial-Intelligence-in-Oklahoma-Schools.pdf

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MagicSchool.ai - AI for teachers - lesson planning and more!  www.magicschool.ai. https://magicschool.ai

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