i-Tech for Schools Educational Designer works with High School Administrator and Math Teacher to conduct an engaging (and fun!) project-based learning experience…enhanced by GPT Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Conceptualizing the GPT AI-Enhanced Algebra 2 Project
Meet Jonathan LaManna who is much more than a client to me, but a friend. (No. He is not the good looking dude on the left. He is the AMAZING EDUCATOR on the right). He is an administrator at a high school in Daytona Beach and he took over three classes of Algebra 2 when a math teacher went on maternity leave. This is when the fun begins…..
Setting up the Algebra Amusement Park Project Benchmarks
After some detailed planning before the students’ current, awesome teacher left for maternity leave, Mr. LaManna and I meticulously built out the project. This involved each benchmark for students including creating their park, hearing from guest speakers, and running an actual concession stand for exam week to raise money for a local charity. Behind the scenes, I helped with the building of the project and he worked on the math content (aka “fun stuff”).
Below is a sample of one of the benchmarks from the Project Entry. You could tell we had some fun with the delivery (and used AI to enhance the wording for the students).
Initiating Project Idea-Creation with GPT AI
Then we went into the idea-creation phase. Here Mr. LaManna checked in with students to see what initial ideas they have and how they will demonstrate the math content within their “theme” for each benchmark. This process was ongoing throughout the project. The photo on the bottom right is where we used the “Algebra Adventure” GPT built for this project. I created this with the entire project documents needed (rubrics, benchmarks, workshops, etc). This GPT was tailored specifically for this project and provided an extra tool for students to utilize.
See a sample idea creation below.
The GPT also gave students ways to articulate their math within the project that are tailored to their theme. For example, below you will see how the GPT created cost and revenue examples for a group and their concession stand.
Now, what was also pretty cool, was this tool was able to provide feedback to the students. Because the rubric and all pertinent information was loaded into it, students could load what progress they have and get feedback. See a sample below.
Imparting both Human and Artificial Intelligence
As we worked through this Algebra PBL experience we could provide students feedback from the GPT and from Mr. LaManna. This allowed him a more personal approach in class to get into the content deeper for student understanding. We also had “Critical Friends” where students presented their progress to the class to gain feedback within each different theme park and justify their use of Algebra.
Mr. LaManna even arranged to have guest speakers talk to the students about food costs and theme park design. He brought in Dan Stockman (below, left), i-Tech Support President and entrepreneur who was previously involved with the launch of Disney’s Animal Kingdom, to discuss the different aspects of theme park design and function. (Below, right) Chef Ray Bailey, an independent contractor who serves students lunch every day, also happily lent his expertise and business insights into the food and hospitality industry discussing food costs.
Presenting the Algebra Amusement Park Projects
After submitted their final projects, students got to showcase their Amusement Park. Below, you will see the different parks, some of their slides, and also the “ticket” each evaluator received to determine if the students’ park designs reflected an accurate understanding of the mathematical concepts behind them.
Evaluating the Algebra Amusement Park Projects using GPT AI
Upon submitting the students’ final projects, we fed them into to our custom GPT, “Algebra Adventure Architect” for evaluation. At this point, Mr. LaManna had already assessed a handful of the presentations. Because of all the “check-ins” and “critical friends” feedback, he as the facilitator already knew how to score based on the rubric we created. NOW, the amazing thing we found was that the GPT output evaluation nearly matched perfectly with Mr. LaManna’s independent assessments! This GPT proved to be a worthy tool to verify our evaluation OR potentially catch something we missed or need to look into further (there is a lot more to discuss in us utilizing this GPT). Take a look at an example of the feedback….
Putting Algebra into Action at Concession Stands
Finally, the students ran concession stands during exam week, where they raised almost $500 for local charity. The students calculated the cost and revenue of their sales and determined their break even point.
Reflecting on the Algebra 2 Project Impacts
The impact of this project can be truly felt. From the introduction of this project to the Algebra 2 classes, to learning to leveraging AI tools, to the culmination of raising money for charity, this Algebra 2 PBL Adventure is imprinted on the students and will provide a forever connection that they can reflect on for a lifetime. I was honored to be a part of Mr. LaManna’s mission and truly appreciated his relentless enthusiasm to grow and drive this project to make it the most impactful for his students.
For more examples of ways you can leverage AI to create deeper learning experiences in your classroom, visit i-Tech’s AI for Schools resource site.
About i-Tech
The team at i-Tech has only one goal, and that is to help your organization get to where you want it to be and ultimately leave you happy. i-Tech for Schools specializes in the needs of K-12 institutions and takes a high-touch, strategic approach in supporting our school communities. Our work is centered on meaningful relationships that foster a positive digital culture. From pedagogy, to professional development and coaching, to technology support and integrations, we are an extension of your mission.
