Don't Reinvent the Wheel
The hardest part of using AI in the classroom isn't the technology; it's the creativity. You know ChatGPT can do amazing things, but you stare at the blinking cursor and think, "What should I ask it?"
The good news is that you don't have to figure it out alone. There is a massive, vibrant community of educators who are already testing, failing, and succeeding with innovative ideas using ai. They are sharing their exact prompts, lesson plans, and failures for free. You just need to know where to look.
We have curated the best "watering holes" on the internet where innovation is happening right now.
1. The "In the Trenches" Communities (Facebook)
Facebook Groups remain the beating heart of teacher collaboration. Unlike LinkedIn, which can feel corporate, these groups are where real teachers share the messy, practical details of what actually works.
ChatGPT for Teachers: With hundreds of thousands of members, this is the "Town Square." It is the best place to ask basic questions like, "How do I stop students from cheating?" or "Does anyone have a prompt for 5th-grade fractions?"
The AI Classroom: Run by Dan Fitzpatrick (The AI Educator), this group is more focused on strategy and future-forward ideas. It is less about "quick fixes" and more about "how do we change education?"
AI for Education - Teachers & Leaders: A fantastic resource for policy, ethics, and leadership discussions.
2. The "How-To" Influencers (TikTok & X)
If you have 60 seconds between classes, TikTok is the fastest way to learn a new AI trick. These creators specialize in bite-sized tutorials.
On TikTok:
@aisavvy: Excellent for quick explainers on the latest tools like Claude 3.5 or Gemini Live.
@tommythings: Uses humor and skits to show the "reality" of AI in life, which is a great stress reliever.
@TheMerrillsEDU: A husband-and-wife team who share incredibly practical, visual tutorials for tools like Canva and Microsoft Copilot.
On X (Twitter):
@EthanMollick: A Wharton professor who is arguably the leading voice on practical AI use. His experiments are legendary.
@DanFitzTweets: The author of The AI Classroom. He shares high-level frameworks that help you explain AI to your administration.
3. The "Deep Dive" Newsletters
Social media is great for sparks, but newsletters are for fire. These are the resources that respect your intelligence and give you deep, researched strategies.
The AI Educator: Dan Fitzpatrick’s weekly Sunday newsletter is a staple. It usually features one big idea, one new tool, and one prompt to try.
Cult of Pedagogy: While not exclusively AI, Jennifer Gonzalez provides the most grounded, pedagogical reviews of tech tools. If she recommends it, it works.
The Intercom (Edutopia): Edutopia has pivoted heavily to include "AI in Education" as a core topic. Their articles are vetted by researchers, so you know they are safe to use.
4. The "Prompt Libraries" (Reddit)
If you want unfiltered, raw feedback, go to Reddit.
r/Teachers: Search for "AI" here to see the honest venting. You will learn what not to do by reading about others' frustrations with AI cheating or hallucination.
r/Using_AI_in_Education: A smaller, more focused community specifically for sharing prompts and success stories.
Try This Today: The "Feed Cleanse"
You are likely scrolling your phone tonight anyway. Make it productive.
Open TikTok or X.
Follow @TheMerrillsEDU and @EthanMollick.
Join the "ChatGPT for Teachers" Facebook group.
By injecting these voices into your daily feed, you will passively learn new innovative ideas using ai every time you open your phone.
