In a recent webinar, educators Amy Allen and David Hicks presented a 'technocurious' approach to integrating generative AI into history classrooms, moving beyond simple lesson-planning assistance. The session, hosted by the National Council for History Education, previewed their forthcoming book Teaching History with Chatty Geeps.
Allen and Hicks demonstrated how tools like ChatGPT can scaffold historical thinking through primary source analysis, offering new methods for assessment and prompting critical discussions about historical representation. They shared practical examples, such as analyzing 1950s textbooks and using AI to model the Question Formulation Technique.
Rather than advocating for uncritical adoption, the speakers encouraged teachers and students to explore what they call 'the messy middle' of generative AI platforms. This framework aims to build critical AI literacy while leveraging the technology's potential to deepen engagement with historical content.
The webinar is available for viewing on the National Council for History Education YouTube channel.