More states and school districts are rolling out guidelines and policies on how educators and students can use generative artificial intelligence in their work.
These guidelines They typically focus on bigger-picture strategies, such as aligning the use of AI with the district's mission and vision, vetting tools, and providing professional development.
But as more teachers experiment with generative AI tools in their work, some are wondering if guidelines don't always provide the answers. “Should I explain to my students when I am using AI?”
Anecdotally, teachers say they have used ChatGPT and other generative AI tools to create lesson plans, provide feedback to students on assignments, create rubrics, compose emails to parents, and letters of recommendation for students. .
Jacob Singer, a high school English teacher at Bellarmine Preparatory School in Tacoma, Washington, said he has talked with colleagues about whether teachers are required to tell students they are using AI.
“Some teachers said, 'No, we're teachers.' We go to school and practice these skills. They are skilled. This saves us time. So we should be able to do those things and not have to teach them about it,” Singer said.
But for Singer, not telling students when to use AI “felt uncomfortable.”
“I think whatever your school policy is, you will probably always tell students when you use AI,” he said. “If it doesn't tell you how I use it, [AI] in [assignment], that's my comfort level, so I explain it to them before using it. ”
However, most educators do not share that perspective.
A survey of 1,183 teachers, principals, and district leaders conducted by the nationally leading EdWeek Research Center in March and April found that an overwhelming majority of educators (80%) believe that teachers use AI. They answered that there is no need to inform students and parents when planning lessons. Most educators say the same thing about creating assignments, building assessments, and tracking student behavior in the classroom.
“They don't need to know.”
According to open-ended responses to an EdWeek Research Center survey, many educators simply think of AI as just another tool they use in their work, like a calculator or a curriculum provider's lesson plans.
“Using AI to speed up my work as a teacher is something I don’t think I need to tell my students and parents,” a Louisiana high school career and technical education teacher said in a survey. stated in a free response. “The parent doesn't know what websites I use to create other resources, so she knows that AI was used to create something else.” No need to.”
Other open-ended responses said that the way most teachers use AI is just a starting point, and then they edit what the AI tools produce based on their own context and ideas. . Therefore, they say it makes no sense to tell students that they used AI for brainstorming.
“I don't think many teachers would give credit to AI for creating activities,” said Mark Erlenwein, principal at Staten Island Technical High School in New York.
“I don't trust a calculator to do all my budgeting. I don't give Excel credit for helping me create a budget,” Erlenwein said. When using AI, “I think we'll have to come to an agreement about what intellectual property needs to be given up.”
For Erlenwein, transparency is important in an area where “authenticity” and “ownership of intellectual property” are important, he said.
For example, if a teacher uses AI to create sample essays for students to read, the teacher should be transparent about it. But when she uses AI to help teachers come up with lesson plan ideas, she says, “I don't think that's necessary because she's using AI as an efficiency tool.”
Transparency could help model appropriate use
Experts studying the use of AI in education say teachers need to be transparent with students about how they use technology, as AI can help model appropriate usage for students. It states that there is.
“AI is very new and we're all figuring out how to best use it, so it's important for teachers to explore how to use it with their students,” said Glenn Kleiman, senior advisor at Stanford University's Graduate School. I think it's great to share.” Education, via email to Education Week. “AI can help teachers learn more about new capabilities that AI offers by sharing with students what they are doing, how they are evaluating the results, and what they have tried and failed. It gives you an opportunity to learn and show how you are exploring with it.”
Pat Yongpradit, who leads the TeachAI initiative and is chief academic officer at Code.org, said that when teachers are transparent with students, they can ask questions such as: Ta. “How do people effectively use generative AI tools?” Or when should users cite chatbots?
This is also “a great opportunity to discuss academic integrity,” Yongpradit said.
Singer said one of his responsibilities is to teach students how to use technology, not just “how to make things faster and simpler,” but also “how to use it in a more productive way.” They agreed that behavioral modeling and transparency are essential. responsibility.
Some students agree that if teachers are transparent about how they use AI, students can learn the right and wrong ways to use technology.
“If teachers are clear about how they are using AI, they can show students that they are not using AI in a negative way and that AI can be used for good. ” said fourth-year student Yasmeen Galal. at Woodlands Regional High School in Beacon Falls, CT.
“Fostering an environment where people talk honestly about AI will ensure that students use AI ethically or don’t use it when they shouldn’t,” said Yasmeen. Ta.
For Singer, it's also about the kind of student-teacher relationship educators want to have. He doesn't want to be a “sage on stage,” but not being transparent about the use of AI feels like hoarding knowledge. Instead, he wants to “walk alongside and with my students” as he explores this new technology.
Palash Kapur, a senior at Sycamore High School in Cincinnati, Ohio, said he would “definitely” want to know if teachers are using AI in their work, and “I don't mean to take it in a negative light at all.” Told. The teacher is incompetent or something. ”
“Students will be very open to and appreciate that fact,” he says. “It helps build trust, which I think is really important in the classroom.”
