“Today, we’re starting an informational text on the history of Nintendo,” English teacher Daniel Dorsch said to his class.

Informational texts weren’t always his sixth-grader’s favorite thing to do, but he noticed a lot of interest from at least six of his students.

Why?

He had found a way to bring the lesson to life through relating it to his students’ interests. He couldn’t have done this on his own. Nintendo wasn’t necessarily his interest, and even if it was, it can be time consuming to create a new lesson plan.

Dorch, though, had found a way to get help: an AI prompt that allowed him to keep the heart of his assignment while working in a new focus that would more engage his classroom.

By working to save himself time on some of his classroom’s administrative tasks, Dorsch was able to have more time for creativity and connecting with his students.

The Educator

Walk into Daniel Dorsch’s sixth-grade English class at Capon Bridge Middle School, nestled in the scenic Shenandoah Valley of West Virginia, and you’ll find a classroom buzzing with energy, curiosity and creativity.

Dorsch, an English teacher and published poet (author of Thunder and Song, a collection of Civil War poetry), thrives on making learning meaningful and genuinely engaging.

His philosophy?

Combine rigor with a good dose of fun and creativity, turning students into enthusiastic learners.

How Have You Used AI in Your Classroom?

Dorsch’s journey with AI began from a desire to improve his teaching practice and manage the daily demands of the classroom. After colleagues introduced him to AI tools, Dorsch quickly found himself creating lessons he’d only dreamed of.

A highlight was a unique argumentative writing project involving Play-Doh sculptures and persuasive advertising posters.

“I told [AI], ‘I want to teach these standards of argumentative writing,’” Dorsch said. “‘I want it to be a major project. I want it to incorporate both a Play-Doh sculpting element and lead to a poster creation.’ AI said, ‘Just a second,’ and 20 seconds later I had the whole project laid out.”

AI also transformed his approach to literary discussions, deepening student engagement.

Dorsch also used AI to help craft assignments on the book Treasure Island.

“I took those basic comprehension questions and pasted them into AI, asking it to turn them into higher-level thinking questions,” he said. “One of my favorites was about the character Ben Gunn — students had to explore how his secret revealed his true intelligence. It took a little prompting, but students started realizing, ‘He actually has a plan and knows exactly what he’s doing.’”

What Has Been the Impact of AI on Your Teaching and Learning?

AI hasn’t replaced Dorsch’s creativity — it’s amplified it.

“Instead of spending hours trying to put the project together myself, now I have the outline — and I can actually just teach it,” Dorsch said. “What would have taken me a week of planning took five minutes.”

One particularly memorable lesson used AI to generate an informational text about Nintendo, immediately engaging students with content relevant to their lives.

I feel like kids learn better when they’re allowed to get up, move around and approach learning from different perspectives.

 “The second I said we’re starting an informational text on the history of Nintendo, you saw at least six little faces go —” and he smiled, demonstrating their excitement. “It’s something central to their lives.”

AI also brought new life to classroom activities, such as vocabulary exercises and grammar scavenger hunts, transforming routine assignments into dynamic, collaborative experiences.

“I feel like kids learn better when they’re allowed to get up, move around and approach learning from different perspectives.”

What Tips or Tricks Can You Give Educators Who Want to Start Using AI?

Dorsch encouraged fellow educators to start simple, recommending starting with the standards.

It only makes sense for us to use it. If utilized in the classroom, it can take some of the guesswork out of planning and free us up to just be there for our students.

“Tell AI the standard and the kind of lesson you want, and it builds from there,” he said. “AI takes a lot of that guesswork out. It allows you to just say, ‘I need to teach this standard. Please help me generate this kind of lesson,’ and it does.”

To those hesitant about AI, AI isn’t going anywhere, Dorsch said.

“It only makes sense for us to use it. If utilized in the classroom, it can take some of the guesswork out of planning and free us up to just be there for our students.”

Using AI to Streamline Tasks

Dorsch’s innovative approach embodies Piller 2: Use AI to streamline teacher administrative and planning work through using it to plan an engaging and in-depth learning experience for students and to help him develop higher-level questions to support student discourse.