Adapting for AI: How elementary teachers adjust their practices for an AI-integrated curriculum
TL;DR
Drawing on daily individual reflections, group reflections, and post-camp interviews, it is found that teachers' adaptive practices of repair, differentiation, translation, and balancing sit at the intersection of three tensions (technology, learner, and instruction).
Abstract
Conversational AI tools are entering children's everyday experiences, and schools are interested in adopting them. However, successful classroom integration depends not only on the technology but also on the work teachers do to make it usable and appropriate for their students and classroom context. There is little known about how elementary teachers work as they implement conversational AI tools in real classrooms. In this study, we examine three teachers'experiences implementing an AI literacy and English Language Arts (ELA) curriculum built around ToyTalk, a conversational AI toy development platform, over 13 instructional days, a three-week summer camp. Drawing on daily individual reflections, group reflections, and post-camp interviews, we find that teachers'adaptive practices of repair, differentiation, translation, and balancing sit at the intersection of three tensions (technology, learner, and instruction). Teachers'understanding of AI and their role evolved over the camp experiences. From these findings, we contribute design implications and considerations for deploying conversational AI within elementary classrooms.
