Shortly after ChatGPT’s release in late 2022, concerns about its impact on education became widespread when some school districts across the state banned ChatGPT’s use. Just eight months later, many educators are praising its application in the classroom and encouraging their peers to embrace and adopt generative artificial intelligence (AI) as a teaching and learning tool.
ChatGPT, short for Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer, is an artificial intelligence chat that can not only have (semi-)human-like conversations with users, but also create and debug computer programs, compose music, write essays and answer tests. It’s a bot. You can ask questions, translate and summarize texts, among other applications. Calling it the “industrial revolution of education,” instructional coach Brenda Richards says the technology will redefine how education looks and feels.
Brenda Richards, El Centro Secondary Teachers Association
“We can’t go back to pre-ChatGPT,” says Richards, a member of the El Centro Secondary Teachers Association. “I think we need to really embrace ‘how do we prepare our students for the future?'”
A 31-year veteran educator, Richards supports other educators in his current role and is excited about the potential of generative AI as a tool to assist teachers. Richards understands legitimate concerns about ChatGPT being used to cheat and cheat students, but many educators are using this emerging technology to redefine teacher productivity and generate They say they are using AI to perform the tasks they need to do to increase their time. What it does, she says, is AI for self-care.
“Many teachers fear that AI will replace them as educators, but machines cannot replace human interaction,” Richards says. “It is important to invest in learning more about AI and how to use it.”
AI saves teachers time
So far, Richards has worked with ChatGPT to formulate learning objectives in student-friendly language, develop assessment questions, provide examples and non-examples of concepts, and help educators understand educational relevance. We have provided other applications that allow you to focus on your side. She empowers educators to build professional learning groups and networks on generative AI to learn, share, inform and support each other on how to use this technology to support their students. I hope
“We learn best when we teach each other,” she says.
Jason Chan, Eastside Teachers Association
Jason Chan, a public teacher at San Jose High School, also focuses on using ChatGPT in professional development and teacher retention. He said that chatbots are powerful tools for getting ideas about topics and lessons, and that their potential applications in helping educators with their challenges and responsibilities can mean the difference between happy and exhausted new teachers. said it could be done.
“I think this can really help teachers,” says Chan, a member of the East Side Teachers Association. “Especially in the first two years, a lot of time was spent planning lessons and I definitely struggled with work-life balance. We really need to rethink education in the age of generative AI.” .”
Chang said the technology is evolving every day, creating new applications and possibilities to help educators. Another generative AI app called Gamma (gamma.app), he said, generates presentations, flyers and websites, and handles all the tedious formatting that sometimes requires advanced knowledge and consumes valuable time. To do.
“Generative AI will not replace educators, but it can save education by reducing burnout among new teachers,” he says.
Coronado High School AP physics teacher Bill Lemey is deploying generative AI to make his job easier, even if he has to do it at home, because district administrators have banned its use on networks. increase. Lemei uses his ChatGPT as a research assistant, asking chatbots to find information, replicate issues, and identify primary sources. Chat GPT also provides feedback on student assignments based on the rubrics he provided to the chatbot. Lemei also asks the chatbot to use “style factors” to suggest language improvements (“ChatGPT is improving my writing”).
“This saves me a lot of time,” says Lemay, a member of the Coronado Teachers Association. “I can’t believe this is a free tool!”
Educators as Trusted AI Guides
Lemei’s advice to educators on ChatGPT: Jump in! As generative AI continues to live on, educators should stand up for it and be the go-to guide for students to use it properly, not abuse it says he.
Bill Lemay, Coronado High School AP Physics Teacher
“We have forced this tool underground. says Mr. “Education is about preparing children as best we can. We should teach that.”
The CTA Curriculum and Instruction Committee is currently researching generative AI and its potential uses and implications for education. This topic was discussed at last year’s Good His Teaching His conference and Featured in New Educator Weekend. Their session explored practical applications for incorporating ChatGPT and generative AI into the classroom.
“When it comes to personalized learning and language teaching, think about the possibilities,” Lesinos says. “We can see that it helps increase student engagement and motivation.”
Richards said that where concerns persist that students are using ChatGPT for cheating, educators are discouraging abuse of the tool, such as making it “obsolete” and requiring essays to be written by hand. He said he could adapt to keep it to a minimum. Another idea, Chang said, is that the student could ask the chatbot to write an essay and edit it, or have him write four of his own for each sentence the AI writes. . He says students who want to cheat will find a way to do so, so it’s more important to provide support on how to use this technology responsibly.
Richards adds that it’s natural for educators to be wary of generative AI and its potential implications.
“I think it’s okay for teachers to ride a pendulum of sorts, going back and forth between fear and excitement,” she says. “But please embrace change.”
ChatGPT: AI Conversation Partner
This sidebar and headline read: Entirely by ChatGPT
ChatGPT is an advanced language model for natural language conversation. Leverage deep learning to generate human-like responses to revolutionize customer service, virtual assistants and educational platforms. Unlike traditional chatbots, ChatGPT uses neural networks to understand context, provide relevant responses, and maintain conversation flow. Improve performance by continuously learning from new data. ChatGPT offers personalized interactions and an enhanced user experience, but it also has limitations. In some cases, it can generate inaccurate or nonsensical responses and be sensitive to the words entered. Ongoing research aims to address these challenges.
