AI Literacy Lesson Plans
Quick activities to help students think critically about the impacts of AI
Take a look inside 7 images
Quillbot
Pros: Provides a ton of writing tools and detailed feedback. In addition to the multitasking web interface, writers can integrate QuillBot's editing tools into their favorite apps.
Cons: Sometimes the suggested edits are incorrect or don't make sense, so users should use the "fix all errors" button with caution. Plagiarism checker requires a premium account.
Bottom Line: The highly customizable interface gives writers detailed control over the AI output and overall experience.
Teachers of all subjects can find ways to use QuillBot to enhance their workflow. The Translator tool is an excellent resource for world language teachers, but all educators will appreciate the ease of translating documents for students or parents who speak a language. Keep in mind that the translations are not always entirely accurate. Subject-area teachers can utilize the Paraphrase tool to simplify informative text for students who are struggling with reading. For teachers who do a lot of writing, both academic and casual, the Grammar Checker is a step up from most built-in spelling and grammar tools.
The Co-Writer tool is a full-service writing assistant. With only a few keywords, the "Smart Start" feature will draft an outline for an essay or research paper. On the left of the screen, you can write your text, while on the right side, you can search, read research, and insert citations with a single click. The paraphrasing tool, stand-alone or in Co-Writer, is useful for modifying text to find better word flow. Students who use Co-Writer can share their work with a teacher or partner for collaborative composition and feedback, and can request feedback from the tool itself. Co-Writer also offers templates for everything from a project proposal to note-taking, or you can create your own template.
Editor’s note: Never input personal, sensitive, or confidential information into a generative AI model. Any information you put in can become publicly available and used as training data for future iterations of the tool. If there is ever any doubt about whether or not to enter particular information, do not include it. Be aware of privacy settings on your device that might be helpful. Keep in mind that these tools often don’t have their own privacy settings.
QuillBot is an AI-powered platform that can help writers improve their writing and workflow. QuillBot offers a variety of tools, including Paraphraser, Summarizer, Grammar Checker, Citation Generator, Translator, and Co-Writer tools that support each stage of the writing process. Premium subscribers can also access the Plagiarism Checker, which will scan up to 20 pages of writing per month to analyze for potential plagiarism. The Summarizer provides short, medium, and long renditions of the text you input.
You can copy and paste text into QuillBot or upload document files. You can also compose your writing in QuillBot's Co-Writer tool and export it as a DOCX file. It's easy to share QuillBot files with other users for collaboration and feedback. In addition to the web version, there are also QuillBot extensions for Chrome (which works well with Google Docs), Microsoft Word, and MacOS. The QuillBot extension will work in almost any application that involves writing, from email and messaging apps to social media. QuillBot supports four English dialects and 23 different languages, though features vary among languages. The Translator tool boasts 45 languages, with more to be added soon.
The potential pitfalls of using this tool exist not within the tool itself but with the user. Keep in mind that suggested edits are simply that: suggestions. They may not always be the best choice. A writer who does not have a strong understanding of copyright rules and plagiarism may intentionally or unintentionally use this product unethically. QuillBot does offer advice on these topics, but it cannot prevent misuse. To use this tool, students and teachers should have a strong understanding of how to cite sources, how to paraphrase, and other writing skills. QuillBot makes all of these tasks easier, but it also makes it easier to take unethical shortcuts. It's increasingly important for teachers to set clear classroom expectations on using AI tools for student assignments.
The Plagiarism Checker is not designed to be a tool for teachers checking batches of student work for plagiarism. However, teachers could use it to check student work on occasion or at random. Teachers can also encourage students to run their own writing samples through Plagiarism Checker (if they have a Premium subscription) to look for potential issues. The Plagiarism Checker scans the internet in real time for similar works and generates a detailed report about the writing sample. Test scans produced very accurate results.
QuillBot provides support at all stages of the writing process. The Co-Writer outline generator can help writers organize their thoughts or explore a topic more thoroughly. Helpful tips guide writers throughout the online platform, but the free writing courses promoted on the website are unengaging and of questionable quality. The paraphrasing and grammar tools are very useful in the refining stage. The tool also provides options to get general advice, increase clarity and readability, or ensure content is complete, and shares line-by-line feedback with "thoughtful" explanations. The detailed explanations can help students to truly improve their ELA skills.
With so many AI tools at students' fingertips, teachers have to start rethinking traditional assignments. Paraphrasing, summarizing, and translating are all tasks that can be done with a click of a button. It's crucial to teach students how to use tools like QuillBot to improve their work rather than cut corners.
Learning Rating
A tool for intervention and scaffolding. Easily exploited.
Like many of us, I struggle to type common words from time-to-time ("peculiar," for instance). Especially when texting, I heavily rely on autocorrect to assist me with these spelling errors. Quillbot is no different if not used under supervision and in intensive interventions. The likelihood that students can self-direct their internalizations of their re-formulated writing is slim-to-none when they can easily take a "C-" paper and turn into a "B" with a click of a button. Students need to be shown with the help of an instructor that they can write and internalize the issues Quillbot fixes: the goal is to eliminate the need for the magic button, not to create a dependency on it.
Explore Our Favorite Tools
