Shadowing Practice: No teachers, no homework: School solely uses AI to teach students - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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This probably isn't what comes to mind when you think of an average school day.
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This probably isn't what comes to mind when you think of an average school day.
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Kids breathing fire, climbing a rock wall, and even learning the art of grilling.
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But for students at the Alpha School in Austin, Texas, this is no field day.
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Here, K-12 graders are proudly cutting classes, spending just two hours a day learning math,
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reading and writing, all with the help of an AI tutor and without a single teacher.
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Morning launch time.
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McKenzie Price is the co-founder of Alpha School and its two-hour learning program.
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This is a school without teachers.
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We have no teachers at our schools.
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Can you believe that?
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The educators are a suite of AI-powered apps that gamify lessons, monitor progress, and with the help of eye tracking, keep tabs on students' attention span.
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Who's teaching you?
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I think the app is teaching me, but I'm also teaching myself.
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All as adult guides, many of which have never been teachers, look on without interfering with their robot counterparts.
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Are you comfortable having guides in the classroom that don't necessarily know the core curriculum?
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It's okay that our guides aren't experts in physics or math or whatever they're doing.
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They are experts in their students.
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It almost sounds like the guides here are told you're here to lead the kids to AI.
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Our guides are not allowed to teach.
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They are coaching students to become self-driven learners.
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Price says the AI tutor personalizes lessons for each student, allowing them to learn class material in half the time.
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And according to data from Alpha, score in the 90th percentile on standardized tests in most grade levels.
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This one's a little unusual.
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It all comes as students nationwide grapple with AI's role.
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While some critics say it's too soon to know if the tech's having a positive effect in classrooms,
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one study found generative AI tutors can sometimes inhibit learning if students become too reliant on the tool.
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How do you make sure that the AI that is teaching kids is doing what it's supposed to be doing?
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We have a lot of guardrails in place to make sure
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that kids are not dealing with some of the issues that come with what we hear about with AI.
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Still, at Alpha, where tuition costs $40,000 a year, academics are just the beginning.
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This is called our check chart.
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Each student must complete a long list of tasks before they can level up, including things like run a mile without stopping,
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solve a Rubik's cube, and even independently put together a piece of Ikea furniture, all in an effort to teach life skills and promote passion projects.
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Welcome to the Alpha School Airbnb.
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Like this group of sixth who are running a real Airbnb.
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How old are you?
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I'm 11.
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You're 11?
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Yeah.
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And how much money did you guys make with this Airbnb?
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So we have $10,000 of confirmed bookings.
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Over at Alpha High School.
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You made an app.
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I developed an app.
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16-year-olds Elle and Sloan are getting ready to pitch an AI-enabled app that gives dating advice.
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I want to ask my crush out to prom in front of all of her friends.
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Is that a good idea?
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It really depends on her personality.
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So you've been learning from AI, and now you're building your own AI?
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Yes.
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A full circle experience putting these AI academics in a class of their own.
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Yeah, a lot to take in there.
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And as a parent, I was a little sketched out seeing those little kids locked into their laptops with their headphones on.
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We used to have sustained silent reading back in the day.
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This is way beyond that because these are gamified interactive apps.
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So the kids are given full attention.
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And Price says they only do that for two hours a day.
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They break those up into these 20-minute intervals.
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The rest of the day is spent in those workshops, collaborating with others, learning life skills.
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Actually, on the day we visited, some of the high school students were going through this rejection workshop where they would pitch strangers on the street, their passion projects.
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AI, not so great at teaching how to get rejected, but something we humans are still pretty good at, I guess.
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Yeah.
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Fair.
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All right, Gotti.
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Thank you, Gotti.
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Thank you.
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We've got to figure out how to strike a balance.
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I was just about to say, and we need to figure it out, guys.
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Like, I feel like I'm talking about it every day.
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I'm going to freak out about technology, but, man, we don't have to give ourselves over to it either.
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Yeah.
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Good.
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Yay, humans.

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Context & Background

The Alpha School in Austin, Texas, represents a pioneering approach to education by utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) exclusively for student learning. With a radical shift from traditional teaching methods, this K-12 institution employs AI tutors to provide personalized learning experiences, emphasizing self-driven learning and autonomy among students. The discussions around the value of AI in education bring forth interesting insights into how technology reshapes our approach to learning and communication. With no teachers present, students have the opportunity to engage deeply with educational content while developing essential life skills through innovative projects.

Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication

  • “Can you believe that?” - A phrase expressing surprise or disbelief.
  • “I think the app is teaching me.” - An acknowledgment of learning from technology.
  • “It’s okay that our guides aren’t experts.” - A comforting statement regarding the role of non-expert facilitators.
  • “How do you make sure that the AI is doing what it’s supposed to be doing?” - A question reflecting concern and curiosity about AI reliability.
  • “Welcome to the Alpha School Airbnb.” - An invitation to learn about a unique project undertaken by students.

Step-by-step Shadowing Guide

To effectively improve your English pronunciation and speaking skills through this video, follow this step-by-step shadowing technique:

  1. Watch and Listen: Begin by watching the video without subtitles to familiarize yourself with the overall context and tone of the conversation. Pay attention to the intonation and pronunciation of key phrases.
  2. First Shadow: Rewatch the video with subtitles and repeat phrases after the speaker. Focus on mimicking their pronunciation and rhythm to help improve your spoken English.
  3. Break it Down: Choose one phrase from the "Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication" list and practice it several times. You can also find more phrases using a shadowing site dedicated to learning English with YouTube videos.
  4. Record Yourself: Use your phone or computer to record your voice while shadowing the phrases. This will help you identify areas needing improvement in your pronunciation.
  5. Reflect and Refine: Listen to your recording and compare it to the original speaker. Identify any discrepancies and practice correcting them. This reflective practice is vital for continual improvement.

By utilizing the shadowing technique effectively, you can enhance your spoken English capabilities, improve your pronunciation, and build confidence in your communication skills. Remember, repetition and practice are key to mastering a new language!

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.

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