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Amanda Zeller Use Case

Faculty & Institution

  • Faculty: Amanda Zeller
  • Institution: University of Tennessee, Knoxville
  • EPP area / program: Educational technology

Course Information

  • Course title: Ed Tech 586
  • Course duration: Spring semester
  • Implementation timing: Weeks 11 and 12

AI Integration Overview

  • Use case title: Critiquing and Revising an AI-Generated Lesson Plan
  • AI role: Lesson plan generator and object of professional critique
  • AI tools used: Colleague AI
  • Purpose: Help future teachers understand AI’s classroom uses and limits by generating a standards-aligned lesson plan, then critiquing and revising it using professional judgment.

Activity / Task Description

Week 11 introduced AI in K-12 education through readings, a course video, Colleague AI videos, and a discussion of arguments for and concerns about AI in teaching and learning. Week 12 required students to use Colleague AI to create a detailed lesson plan for one class period, including grade level, topic, standards, timeframe, and student context. Students copied the AI plan into a Google Doc, used comments, highlighting, or suggesting mode to critique strengths and weaknesses, revised objectives, activities, timing, differentiation, and assessment, and wrote a 300-400 word reflection on pros, limitations, teacher judgment, and possible future use.

Do / Do-Not Guidance

  • Documented do’s: Teach effective prompting; teach critical evaluation of AI responses; require reflection on the AI process; connect AI to real classroom responsibilities; emphasize that AI supports teacher work but does not replace teachers.
  • Documented do-nots: Do not assume students already have AI literacy skills; do not assume technology integration automatically improves learning; do not remove the human side of teaching from AI conversations.

Evidence & Reflections

Zeller reported that students needed clearer guidance on appropriate AI use, prompt writing, fact-checking, and revising AI responses. The activity revealed that some students could produce materials quickly but struggled to justify why the materials were instructionally appropriate.

Materials Reviewed

  • A. Zeller Deliverables .docx
  • Copy of Week 11.docx
  • Copy of Week 12.docx
  • Copy of ETEC 586 Spring 2026 Syllabus.docx
  • Examples of AI Lesson.docx
  • A. Zeller WORKSHEET.docx

Library Tags

  • EPP area: Educational technology
  • AI integration type: Lesson generation, critique, revision, reflection
  • Student population: Teacher candidates
  • Implementation scale: Two-week module
  • Materials available: Deliverable form, weekly modules, syllabus, example AI lesson materials