IBM Watson to Help Teachers Improve Student Learning

IBM Watson to Help Teachers Improve Student Learning

Teachers will have access to a new free tool using IBM’s Watson cognitive technology that has been trained by teachers and designed to strengthen teachers’ instruction and improve student achievement, the IBM Foundation and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) announced Wednesday.

Elementary school teachers across the United States are piloting Teacher Advisor with Watson – a tool by the IBM Foundation that provides teachers with a complete, personalized online resource.

Teacher Advisor enables teachers to deepen their knowledge of key math concepts, access vetted math lessons and acclaimed teaching strategies and gives teachers the unique ability to tailor those lessons to meet their individual classroom needs.

Using IBM Watson’s cognitive computing technology, teachers who are math experts have taught Watson the ability to advise and support classroom educators who teach third-grade math –a linchpin academic subject.

In this first phase, Teacher Advisor offers hundreds of vetted lesson plans, instructional resources, and teaching techniques, which are customized to meet the needs of individual teachers and the particular needs of their students.

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Teachers can type in a particular topic or question and get personalized, non-judgmental assistance and recommendations from Watson while planning a lesson, understanding a concept in-depth and targeting successful teaching strategies to help improve student learning.

Watson may even ask the teacher additional questions to refine its response, honing in on what the teacher needs to address certain challenges. Educators can also access videos on teaching techniques to master key skills and bring a lesson or teaching strategy to life into their classroom.

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Watson technology can understand the meaning behind teachers’ queries through its cognitive computing capabilities (Watson’s Dialog and Natural Language Classifier APIs). According to IBM, Watson’s expertise will increase over time through training and interaction with teachers.

This philanthropic tool aims to fully support teachers’ development, offering vetted teaching material from education non-profits UnboundEd, Student Achievement Partners, and Illustrative Mathematics.

The pilot version, currently in beta form, will be improved with continual teacher feedback, building content, adding curriculum, and other grade-levels over time.

The IBM International Foundation is closely collaborating with teacher associations and an advisory board of renowned education leaders, including federal officials, state school chiefs, and deans of schools of education and school board leaders, who share a vision to make Teacher Advisor accessible and available for all teachers, for free.

In addition to the IBM Foundation, funding partners include the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, the The Ford Foundation, and Carnegie Corporation of New York.

Photo / Video courtesy: IBM