Stories of Technology, Innovation, & Entrepreneurship in the Southeast

The conventional textbook lesson and topical test have long defined the traditional K–12 classroom. However, a growing number of educators and students are turning to an emerging model: project-based learning (PBL) as a more immersive, application-focused method of instruction.

PBL is all about helping students connect the dots between academic content and its real-world application. Imagine students working together on a project that uses math to design an architectural plan, or applying chemical equations to purify drinking water. It’s hands-on, relevant, and impactful.

A study published by the National Institutes of Health and conducted by Frontiers found that “compared with the traditional teaching model, project-based learning significantly improved students’ learning outcomes and positively contributed to academic achievement, affective attitudes, and thinking skills.”

Joel Smith, a longtime educator at Maryville High School, has emphasized the importance of PBL for more than a decade. He teaches engineering and math, and also coaches the school’s robotics team. His focus has always been on helping students see the real-world application of what they’re learning.

“I wanted to be the classroom where every student felt like their voice was appreciated at the table,” Smith said. “Projects are the best way to bring those voices out.”

While a traditional lesson plan might take one to two hours to prepare, developing a high-quality PBL lesson can take up to 50 hours. That includes writing the plan, testing it, buying materials, and tailoring it for students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs).

“It took me about 50 hours to create a project-based learning lesson from scratch,” he said. “And in Maryville, we only have about seven hours of lesson planning built into our schedule each week, which is more than other school districts.”

The disconnect between the time required and the time available led Smith to build a solution. He trained an AI model, which he calls TeachCraft, to dramatically reduce the time it takes to create custom, standards-aligned projects.

“I thought — this is a problem that AI can solve,” Smith said.

So, he started experimenting. Using past classroom data, rubrics, test scores, and even census information about the school, Smith trained an AI model to generate tailored, ready-to-use project-based lesson plans. 

He quietly tested the software in his own classroom. Planning was easier. Teaching was more enjoyable. And most importantly, students were engaged. He sensed a joy in his classroom that couldn’t be replicated with a Chromebook activity.

“One teacher across the hallways saw me using it one day and asked about using it in their classroom. So, I helped them get it set up,” he said.

Unbeknownst to Smith, that teacher began recommending the TeachCraft AI model to other teachers in the building. Before long, educators across Maryville High were using TeachCraft. Then, came a knock on the door.

“You can imagine my surprise when our College and Career Readiness Coordinator came into my classroom and asked to formally teach all the career and technical education (CTE) techers how to use TeachCraft,” he said. 

A new Tennessee mandate now requires project-based learning in all career and technical education (CTE) courses statewide.

“That’s when I really realized that I have created something special here. There’s a need for this — a big need,” Smith said. “One that school districts will pay for – especially if their learning outcomes and test scores improve as a result.”

Smith believes this CTE mandate could mark the beginning of a broader shift — one in which traditional, test-driven instruction is replaced by more personalized, practical, and confidence-building learning experiences.

As such, he decided to take his idea a step further and build it out from an AI model into a full-fledged application. This way, the platform would be simpler to use and house all information in the same location.

Through all this, Smith said he considers himself an “accidental entrepreneur.” He loves to build things, but never saw himself as a business owner. In many ways, TeachCraft has been the catalyst for shifting his mentality.

“We are one point in a student’s life. We can impact them positively or negatively. So, I believe my role as an educator is to prove their worth and help instill confidence as they move forward in their academic and further careers,” Smith said.

One key benefit of PBL is its ability to expose students to potential career paths across different subjects. For example, Smith described a TeachCraft lesson he facilitated about neutralizing a chemical spill site. What would have been an otherwise dull equation on paper was brought to life through an immersive, real-world scenario.

Another major advantage of TeachCraft is customization. The same project can be adapted for a student on an IEP or one identified as gifted, helping teachers better meet the needs of every learner in the room.

Smith sees TeachCraft as part of a larger cultural shift in education where teachers can inspire students, build real-world skills, and spark interest in future careers.

“The conversation isn’t whether project-based learning is good,” Smith said. “The question has always been — how are we going to do it. TeachCraft is the answer to that problem.”

And now, it’s catching on well beyond the four walls of his classroom.

Smith recently pitched the TeachCraft application at the Knoxville Entrepreneur Center’s 2025 What’s the Big Idea? competition — and walked away with first place. He’s also been invited to speak at Nashville’s AI Week in May.

Closer to home, the impact is already visible.

“I have teachers coming up to me sharing that they’re teaching a TeachCraft lesson today,” Smith said. “It gives me chills. I dedicated my life to helping the kids in my classroom, but now, even students outside my classroom are being impacted by this kind of learning. That’s powerful to me.”

As of a few weeks ago, the Maryville High School administrative team has asked Smith to implement TeachCraft for the entire High School starting in the fall of 2025.

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