When I first dabbled in ChatGpt, I was worried. That's probably an understatement. I was actually waiting for someone to sound an alarm when I entered certain phrases and word combinations into a blank search bar, fearing that they were hiding in cyberspace.
I am a journalist and journalism educator. I teach my kids how to procure and avoid plagiarism. In my Media Ethics class, I ask you to sign an agreement that you will not use other people's materials.
So, what exactly was I playing with AI? And what would you do if I actually liked it?
Spoiler alert: I did it and it's kind of great.
ChatGpt helped me
Teachers are very focused on how students use AI to use cheats and may have forgotten how it can be useful in the classroom or in the home.
I use AI (particularly ChatGpt) in a practical and everyday way.
I recently completed a 16-week intensive ELA and mathematics tutoring program in my local school district. The material given for the program didn't work well for the kids, so I ran it through ChatGpt to make it easier to digest.
AI allows you to quickly customize your lessons. Dozens and reviews? no problem. Bar chart with ice cream flavor? end. First grade fractions? I went there and did that too. I even started playing with bingo designs for fun.
He also uses AI to play teachers at home. When my sixth graders need to consider the state of matter or the history of ancient China, we will look at AI together. ChatGpt whips multiple choice quiz faster (with answer key) than I make dinner. The same applies to studying the monsoon season in India. Once, I even asked AI to create a quiz on how to find fake news.
I recently looked back at my ChatGpt history and found out that I used AI to generate a study guide like I created for SE Hinton's “The Outsiders.” My son got an A in that quiz.
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I don't think AI will replace me
Just as I began to rely on AI, I learned it wasn't going to solve all the challenges in my classroom.
For example, crying students are not comforting them because they are inadequately doing their tests and fearing that their parents will ground her. AI is not going to help students decide that they are sick enough to visit school nurses. It does not help students understand why they understand one concept in mathematics but can't grasp another.
But given all the complexities and challenges of being an educator right now, I'd ask for help, even if it means double checking all the facts.
I'm leaning towards AI, but be careful
I still feel a bit guilty when I ask AI to check the grammar of a sentence or to eliminate redundancy during writing. I don't know if it's because I asked for help or because the work is often great.
Still, ChatGpt made me more efficient as a teacher. I easily pique research guides that benefit students and tailor lesson plans to students. All of this takes time to help me connect with my students more easily and focus on other tasks.
I'm glad I made a leap in my faith. We plan to explore AI as it continues to grow.
