Conclusion and Key Learnings

During these four modules, I learned many new things that changed the way I see teaching and using technology in the classroom.

One of the most important things I learned was about Generative AI. I understood that it can help us create new content like texts, images, and audio. Now, I use Gemini more often than before because it gives me better answers when I plan my lessons. I also learned that we must always check the sources that AI tools use. I additionally learned about Large Language Models (LLMs). These tools are great for understanding and working with language. As an English teacher, this is very useful because it helps me with activities like summarizing texts or answering questions.

Another important idea was the concept of the prompt. I didn’t know before how important it is to give a good and clear prompt. Now, I add more context and details when I ask AI for help, and the answers I get are much better. I also learned about Responsible AI. We need to use AI in a safe and ethical way to avoid problems, and it’s important to think about the impact of these tools on our students and our work.

These ideas changed the way I thought about AI. Before, I believed it was only useful for students to finish their homework. Now, I see that AI can help me as a teacher too. I can create lesson plans, activities, and even correct exams.

From the second module, I learned more about AI tools for teachers. I found tools that help us create videos, presentations, and reading texts for our students. One great tool is Read Along, which helps children learn to read in English. We used this tool to find good reading texts for students in El Salvador. In addition, I learned about Learning Assistants like Poe, Notebook LM, and Gemini. These AI bots can act like experts and give us useful ideas. I plan to create my own AI bot to help me plan my lessons. I will collect the right information, write a strong prompt, and use the bot’s advice to improve my classes.

From the third module, I learned about didactic sequence, which means planning activities that connect to each other for better results. I also learned about the 'I Activate, I Practice, I Produce' stages, which help students learn step by step. Knowing about the national curricula will help me make sure my classes will follow the right rules. All these ideas will help me make good, organized lesson plans for my students here in El Salvador.

These modules really changed how I think about teaching English. Finally, in Module 4, I learned about a tool that will be very useful to me called BRISK. It is actually a Google Chrome extension, so if we want to use it in a document, for example, we have to create a Google Doc rather than a Word document. However, it is worth the extra work because it has so many wonderful tools. In my case, I have used it to create questionnaires from YouTube videos, as well as presentations and, of course, feedback.

In general, absolutely all the tools that were presented to us throughout the specialization course will be very useful in our work as teachers. But from now on, it will be our job to research which ones are the best at the moment, as new tools are emerging every day and existing ones are launching new features. Therefore, we must keep up to date with the artificial intelligence tools that we can apply in teaching.

Practical Application

I will use what I learned to create personalized materials for my students—texts, audio, and activities that match their level and interests. I also plan to use an AI bot as a personal assistant to help me plan my classes faster and better. 

For example, in a reading lesson, I could use Read Along to let students practice reading with support. I can also use Gemini to create a worksheet about the story, including vocabulary and comprehension questions. In addition, I will also use Brisk to assist me with the feedback I will give my students and with many other things this tool can do.

These tools will help me save time and give my students a better learning experience.