AI is everywhere right now. You’ve probably seen it on social media, in teacher groups, or maybe you’ve even tried it yourself. And maybe — like me — you’ve asked yourself this:
“Can I really use AI in my classroom and still stay aligned with what I know about language acquisition?”
The answer is yes — if we don’t lose sight of the foundation. For me, that foundation is built on three simple but powerful pillars:
- Comprehension
- Communication
- Connection
Those pillars guide everything I do — from lesson planning to resource creation to the way I use technology like AI.
Because here’s the truth: AI is incredible, but it’s only as good as how I use it.
If what it creates isn’t comprehensible, doesn’t support communication, or doesn’t help students make meaningful connections, it’s not going to be effective.
So today, I’m walking you through exactly how I use AI — especially ChatGPT — in my classroom without losing the soul of my teaching.
Why I Use AI (But Never Let It Take Over)
We are busy. Like, really busy.
AI helps me do the behind-the-scenes work faster. But I don’t use it to create “perfect” lessons with one click. I use it to make my process easier — so I can focus on creating meaningful input for my students.
And beyond classroom prep, I also use AI to help me with admin tasks. It helps me:
- Draft emails for students, parents, and administrators
- Organize notes
- Write feedback
Think of it like a super-organized assistant who’s always there and never gets tired. But again — the power comes from how we use it.
The 5 AI Tools I Actually Use (and Recommend)
1. ChatGPT – For Text Creation and Collaboration
This is my most-used tool, and for good reason. ChatGPT helps me write both fiction and nonfiction texts — especially nonfiction.
Here’s my process when I use ChatGPT:
Step 1: I start with a draft or outline.
This might be a text I already wrote or just bullet points of what I want.
Step 2: I use the Chrome extension Voice Control for ChatGPT.
I literally talk to ChatGPT. I explain the story or idea — just like I’m talking to a colleague, and I do it in Spanish. For example, with Los animales en los desastres naturales, I said, in Spanish:
“Okay, I want this story to be about what happens to animals during natural disasters, especially hurricanes. I want to show how families take their pets with them, how shelters help, and how this connects to empathy. We can talk about Katrina, Ian, and Orion. It should use high-frequency words and be written for novice-high students.”
Step 3: I ask for help improving the flow.
Once it gives me a version, I’ll say something like:
- “Can you make it more comprehensible?”
- “Can you simplify some of the sentences?”
- “Make sure you’re using high-frequency verbs like tener, ser, estar, gustar.”
We’ll go back and forth two or three times until it feels just right.
The goal is never to let AI write for me. The goal is to have a thinking partner who helps me refine what I already know I want — but faster.
2. Gamma – For Instant Slide Decks
Once I have a story or article ready, I head to Gamma. It turns my text into a clean, engaging slide deck in just a few clicks.
In Episode 144, I provide step-by-step instructions on how to use Gamma, but it’s pretty user-friendly. My main tip here is to use a text you already love!
If you’re on my email list, I’m sending you the Gamma slide deck I made from this story as a freebie — so you can see how this works in real life.
3. Mote – For Audio Support
Once I have the text and the slides, now I want to add audio with Mote.
Mote is perfect for layering listening input onto written materials. Once I’ve created a slide deck or doc, I use Mote to record an audio related to the text or my voice reading the text aloud.
Some benefits of Mote are:
- Embed audio into Google Slides or Docs
- Creates the transcript of the audio
- You can paste the text, and Mote gives you the audio using an AI voice
- It can be used to read aloud the slides, too
This is especially helpful when you want your students to have more focused listening — and when you need to rest your voice!
4. Quizziz + QuestionWell – For Comprehension Checks
Once I have the text, the slides, and the audio, I need a comprehension check. For this, I love to use Quizziz.
Quizziz creates quick, low-stakes games using a text you provide. The questions can be at different levels of Depth of Knowledge and in different languages. Once Quizziz creates the questions, you can edit.
Again, the tool doesn’t create perfect questions every time, but it does a lot of the heavy lifting — and then you can jump in to make minor edits.
Bonus Tip:
If you like to use Blooket or other tools, check out QuestionWell to generate questions from your story. Then export to Quizziz, Kahoot, Blooket, or Gimkit.
This turns your input into interactive practice in just minutes.
5. Diffit – Turn Your Text Into Ready-to-Go Student Activities
I don’t use this tool as much personally, but some of my academy members love it — and I can see why.
Here’s how you can use it:
- Paste your own text into Diffit (instead of letting AI generate one). This ensures it’s compelling and comprehensible.
- Select the grade level (usually 2nd or 3rd grade for novice-mid students) and language.
Diffit instantly creates:
- A summary of the text
- Key vocabulary lists
- Multiple choice and short answer comprehension questions
- Open-ended prompts
Then, it gets even better. You click Get Student Activity, and Diffit asks what skill you want to focus on — from vocabulary development to reading strategies to critical thinking.
Depending on your choice, it suggests specific activities, like:
- 5Ws activities
- Close reading tasks
- Cornell notes
- Emoji reaction tasks
- Writing and collaboration prompts
Once you make your selection, you can export everything to Google Slides, PowerPoint, or PDF. It’s colorful, clean, and ready to go.
This tool is especially helpful for:
- Sub plans
- Targeted reading days
- Giving students additional practice in a supported way
Don’t Let AI Distract You
These tools can absolutely help — they’ve saved me time and brainpower. But they will never replace our understanding of our students, or the relationships we build in class.
As long as we stay focused on providing compelling, comprehensible input and building connections, the rest is just support.
Let’s use AI, but let’s not lose sight of the why behind what we do.
If you want to try one of these tools with a ready-to-go resource, grab my free story Los animales en los desastres naturales here:
→ growingwithproficiency.com/mascotas
If you’re on my email list, I’ll also send you the Gamma slide deck I created from this text so you can see how these tools stack together.
Let’s keep creating input that’s compelling, comprehensible, and connected.
Thanks for being here.
—Claudia
Helpful Tools from This Post
- Gamma – Turn Text into Slides
- Mote – Voice Comments + Recordings
- Quizziz – Game-Based Review
- QuestionWell – AI Quiz Builder
- Diffit – Comprehension + Strategy Activities
- Free Story: Los animales en los desastres naturales
