Using AI to Differentiate Reading (and Writing) Experiences
As a high school English teacher, I’m always open to new and fresh ways to engage my students with reading material. While I’m well aware of the concerns surrounding how students use AI to essentially bypass all opportunities to hone their ELA skills, I do think there are ways to counter this by thinking differently about how we use AI in our curriculum. But it takes some experimenting on the teacher’s part to figure out what this could and should look like.
I recently started exploring ElevenLabs, an AI tool that specializes in text-to-speech voice generators for podcasts, audiobooks, sound effects, and AI agents. I’ve plugged in a few random articles (long and short) into ElevenLab’s podcasting feature, and I have to say I’m pretty impressed with its ability to turn any written text into podcast form. Its ability to identify the most important details and main ideas from the text is nothing new; but to turn those mirrored details into a cohesive and fairly interactive discussion between two chatbots is the real value.
I’ve decided to start a fun (I know that word is subjective) AI-generated podcast where I turn news articles into succinct yet insightful discussions. Each episode will feature one recent news article related to educational technology. So, here it is. I call this podcast Talking the Read.
Talking the Read
Episode 1: “Trump’s Executive Order on AI in Education”
Show Notes
Today’s episode is based on an article from Education Week: “Trump Wants Teachers Trained How to Use AI. Will It work?” (24 April 2025)
The Process
ElevenLabs
ElevenLabs has a few different features. The one I’m using here is for creating podcasts. I simply pasted in the URL address of the article from Education Week. Then, I chose which voices I wanted to have discuss the article’s content and how long I want their discussion to run. I click “Generate” and in less than a minute, I have a five-minute discussion between two chatbots.
ElevenLabs produces a complete transcript that I can edit–including who’s speaking which clips. I can also type in an original intro and outro (which I did). Once I got my transcript just right, I exported the audio as an mp3 file. Done. Sort of…
A Human Touch
Once I exported the mp3 file from ElevenLabs, I dropped it into traditional recording software for some human touchups: I split some of the clips and spaced them out for more natural pauses, and I added some theme music for more appeal. Save. Export. Done.
If you’re not savvy with recording software, no big deal. What ElevenLabs generates is still an impressive final product and just as effective for teachers trying to differentiate some of their class reading material.
Additional Ideas for Classroom Use
Teacher Usage
Parent Communication. Create a monthly podcast for parents where you share the latest news and learning happening in your classroom. Essentially, turn your classroom newsletter into a podcast.
Flipped Classroom. Turn reading materials into podcast form (like what I did in Talking the Read) and have students listen to it for homework. Consider having them read the material and listen to the podcast for better retention. This would allow more time in class the next day for students to engage with the content in more socially constructive ways.
Audio Review. Transform lecture notes and class agendas into a discussion that recaps the most important information/concepts from that day’s lesson. Kick it out at the end of class for students to review the big takeaways. This might be especially helpful for students who are absent.
Student Usage
Historical Interviews. Have students research historical figures and write a script where the podcast host interviews the historical figure.
Literature Projects. After reading a novel, have students compose a scripted interview with the characters or create a mock news report based on the story’s events. Use ElevenLabs and its many voices to create dynamic listening experiences.
Class News Podcast. Have students take turns composing scripts where they produce a weekly recap of what’s been going on in the classroom.
Final Thoughts
As the article in Education Week points out, many of us are simply trying to figure this out as we go. In many school districts, clear guidelines, policies, and professional development programs on AI are still missing or are in early stages of development. Whenever you’re trying out a new AI tool and are considering how you might use it in your classroom, make sure you get approval from your school administrators and let them know exactly how you will be using it.
Braving Education 