My National Council for History Education Webinar Presentation
Scheduled for September 11, 2024
My name is Peter Paccone. I am a San Marino High School social studies teacher with nearly forty years of classroom experience and an advocate for the embrace of AI in K-12 history education.
I am also someone who is scheduled to present at a webinar sponsored by the National Council for History Education on September 11, 2024. The title of my presentation is “Enhancing History Education: The AI Advantage in K-12,”
This presentation will showcase twenty innovative ways history students can use AI in the classroom to enhance their learning, focusing on eight key strategies. These include using AI to master content, develop writing skills, uncover historical context, compare new and past events, connect history to local areas, engage with AI-generated historical figures, draft chapters for a history book, and explore ‘what-if’ scenarios.
All strategies can be implemented using free AI tools such as ChatGPT, Google Bard, Perplexity AI, Poe, and Class Companion. AI use is encouraged but not required, allowing students the flexibility to integrate it as they choose.
The Q&A session will address key concerns, including the presenter’s response to the Wharton School research paper, Generative AI Can Harm Learning, and whether he agrees with the Walton Family Foundation survey finding that over 80% of parents, students, and teachers believe AI has had a positive impact on education.
My History Teaching Background
I have been teaching various social studies classes at San Marino High School for nearly 40 years, though today, I am mostly known as an APUSH and AP Government high teacher.
That said, I also have a tutoring business that supports students across all AP social studies courses, including the new AP African American Studies course, the AP Human Geography course, and the AP Psychology course.
My AI in Education Background
My work in this area includes a range of initiatives and contributions:
Blogging and Publishing:
I have written extensively about AI in education. Some of my more notable pieces include:
- A CHatGPT-Using Learning Activity Pertaining to the Railroad Chinese
- A Cutting Edge PBL Pertaining to the Vietnam War and Designed for Students Who Make Significant use of ChatGPT
- ChatGPT’s “Voice Chat” Mode And How I’m Transforming My Drive Time into Professional Development
- “High School Writing Assignments in the Age of AI”
- “How AI is Transforming APUSH Exam Review Prep”
- “How I Teach the Vietnam War in the Age of AI”
- “How I’m Going to Teach the French and Indian War in the Age of ChatGPT”
- “How My APUSH Students Are Using AI to Learn ‘The Twelve Dates’
- “My Learning with ChatGPT” SMUSD Tech Academy Presentation
- “My APUSH Students AI Using End-of-Year Year Challenge”
- Should Schoolwork Produced in Collaboration with ChatGPT Ever be Graded?
- “The Answers to Questions New APUSH Teacher Ask Related to the Use of AI”
- “The APUSH ‘Relative Importance Prompt’ and the Use of AI for Learning”
- “The Fishbowl Strategy: Utilizing ChatGPT and Class Companion”
Podcast Interviews:
I have been featured on various podcasts, discussing the impact of AI on education and sharing insights into my experiences with AI tools. Here is a sampling of the podcasts I’ve been featured on in the past year:
- “The Changing AI Classroom with Peter Paccone” (The Digital Learning Podcast)
- “As The New School Year Begins, How Are Teachers Handling Students’ Use Of AI?” (AirTalk)
- “AI and AP: This is What I Believe Right Now” (The Bot Brothers)
- “Using AI to Enhance Class Discussion” (Education Talk Radio)
- “AI… K12… and Social Studies” (Education Talk Radio)
- “Using AI to Assess Student Writing” (Got Tech Ed)
- “AI, Instant Feedback Loops, and the End of “Content is King” (The EdTech Lab”
Innovative AI-Relating Course Designer:
A year ago this summer, I created and taught a UCLA summer school course titled “ChatGPT for Change.”
Full disclosure: I was not invited back to teach the course again this year.
Committee Involvement:
This past year, I served as a member of the AP Program’s AI in AP Teacher Advisory Committee. This committee “cracked open the door” to student use of AI in AP courses, particularly in the AP African American Studies and AP Seminar courses. I also served on an AI-related focus group at this year’s AP Conference in Las Vegas. I am looking forward to detailing what I learned there during my NCHE webinar presentation. Astounding, it was, and with huge implications for the future of AI in AP.
Conference Presentations:
I have presented on the topic of AI in Education at numerous conferences and seminars, including the Texas Panhandle Teachers Conference, the National Social Studies Leaders Conference, the Sequoia AI Conference, Spring CUE, the International Society for Technology in Education Conference, the New York Social Studies Teachers Conference, the National Council of Social Studies Teachers Conference, the California League of Schools Conference, and the Annual AP Conference.
Class Companion Connection:
For the past year, I have served in the role of the Class Companion Teacher Advisory Board and Community Outreach Manager. Class Companion is an online platform that allows teachers to upload an FRQ and assign it to students, who then, upon completing their responses, click submit and receive AI-generated instant feedback.
Prominent Publications Spotlight:
I was featured in a Time Magazine article titled “The Creative Ways Teachers Are Using ChatGPT in the Classroom” and in a K12 Deep Dive article titled “4 Ways Educators Are Configuring AI for Classroom Use.”
Facebook Group Administration:
I founded and still administer the AP in AI Social Studies Facebook group, which supports social studies educators in integrating AI into their teaching practices.
Upcoming Conference Presentations:
In October, I’m scheduled to give a one-hour AI-related presentation at College Board’s ‘Forum 2024 Conference.’ For this presentation, I’m hoping to have APHG teacher Robert Mayfield and APGov teacher Tom Richey again co-present with me, as they did for my AP Conference presentation. Click here to view our slideshow.
I’m also scheduled to give a one-hour AI-related presentation at this year’s Ohio Council of Social Studies Teacher Conference
Last but not least, I’ve been invited to attend the Los Angeles County Education Innovation Lab Design Summit (Friday, August 2, 2024, at the USC campus.) “This is a unique opportunity for TK-12 teachers to collaborate, innovate, and provide input that can help shape the future of education technology.”
