Why I Tried Khanmigo
I struggle with writing newsletters for school. Every year I get told to write a weekly newsletter for parents so that they know what is going on for the week.
Intellectually, this is an amazing idea. As a parent of a high schooler I would love to have details, other than the gradebook, of what is happening in each class since the teenager just tells me everything is “fine”.
I really am all for this, until I try to write it and start overthinking. I probably spend 2 hours on the newsletter after I fuss over it.
First Impressions
I tried Khanmigo as a way to test out AI teacher tools. I have gotten decent results, as a science teacher, with Khan academy as a study tool for my students before so I was willing to give it a try.
First, I tried the same test I have used with every other AI tool that claims to be able to develop curriculum. I asked Khanmigo to build a lesson for the scientific method. It was actually good! It included a warm up, discussion, activity, and exit ticket. Furthermore, the activity was age appropriate for high school students! Oftentimes, I struggled with other AI tools I’ve tested to give me an age appropriate and relevant activity (one of them wanted the students to do a skit about the scientific method).
The Newsletter Challenge
Next, I tested it on writing that dreaded newsletter I mentioned earlier. It asked me what we had done this week and what I planned to do next week. It wrote the perfect letter, including cute little emojis.
I actually saved it to use for next year!
I tried out the following features and they all work as advertised.
- Chunk text
- Clear directions
- Class snapshot
- Exit tickets
- Make it relevant
- Leveler
Final Verdict
Khanmigo is a game-changer for teachers. It saves time, reduces stress, and delivers quality content that feels personalized. I highly recommend it and have already started sharing it with my coworkers.
Kate Metz, Independent School District 1 Science Teacher
10 years in Education, BS Biology MSU Denver