In the heart of Venus Independent School District, two standout teachers are at the forefront of using AI in the classroom. Dr. Peter Morgan and Mr. Jamie Corder use AI in the form of Specialized Tutors to engage their students in engineering and Science. 

Specialized Tutors are AI chatbots, designed to help students comprehend a specific subject, topic, or learning standard. Using Chat for Schools, teachers have the ability to create these Specialized Tutors and share them with students in a safe way. 

In this blog, we’ll be exploring the AI tutors Dr. Morgan and Mr. Corder created for their students and how they have impacted student learning. 

Joe Bob, the Engineering Tutor from East Texas

Dr. Morgan teaches engineering and design to students in grades 10-12. Recognizing the need for a more interactive and personalized approach to complex subjects like welding and the design process, he created Joe Bob.

Joe Bob isn’t your typical AI tutor—he’s got the charm of East Texas and a knack for encouraging critical thinking. With instructions to prompt students rather than provide full answers, Joe Bob helps students rethink, redesign, and refine their projects. 

Dr. Morgan's Specialized Tutor covers a wide range of Engineering Design standards (TEKS), guiding students through the intricacies of the design and manufacturing process. The goal of the tutor is to help students with clarity and thoroughness, ensuring that the products they design are ready for production.

After using the tutor to help them refine their engineering projects, students shared their experience with Dr. Morgan. 

“[Students] seem to like the simplified, straight forward resource for gaining background knowledge on a project,” Dr. Morgan said. 

Using Joe Bob, students are now able to receive immediate feedback from AI. This allows students to adapt, and receive more personalized feedback. Additionally, Dr. Morgan can view the student chat history. This has helped him get visibility into how his students learn. 

Albert Einstein, the Science Tutor

Mr. Corder teaches PreAP Chemistry, Physics, AP Physics 1, and College Transitions. He saw the potential of using Specialized Tutors to simplify complex scientific concepts and created Albert Einstein, a tutor designed to demystify the subjects of electricity, magnetism, and waves.

Albert Einstein challenges students with practical problems and scenarios. Scenarios like, “what happens to the voltage across a series circuit if you add another resistor?” After understanding what students already know, the AI tutor provides insight, breaking down the more complex topics into more digestible bits. 

By making physics more interactive and tangible, Mr. Corder ensures his students are not just passive recipients of information but active participants in their own learning journey. Using AI to break down more complex topics has also given Mr. Corder visibility into each of his students' interests. 

“The ability to quickly and efficiently dig into science topics allowed my students to discover which topics they really had an interest in,” Mr. Corder said. “This allowed me to regroup students according to their interests, and because they were actually interested in their chosen topics, they developed a passion for them, making them really desire to share what they learned. This led to great presentations that I hadn't ever thought about teaching. One group, teaching Light and Optics, used a lid to a Slurpee cup and their cell phone to create a holographic projector.  I would have never looked for that!”

Using AI to Engage Students in Learning

With AI tutors like Joe Bob and Albert Einstein guiding the way, Dr. Morgan and Mr. Corder are proving that the future of education lies at the intersection of technology and creativity. These innovative educators are not only teaching their subjects—they are fostering critical thinking, problem-solving, and a love for learning that will benefit their students far beyond the classroom.

Learn more about Skill Struck's Chat for Schools at www.chatforschools.com.