Generative AI

You know when you hear something that immediately puts your hackles up? And because of that reaction, you stop for a second and ask yourself why something can set you off so quickly? (or maybe you didn’t, and you’re just running with the hackles up – our dog likes to do that, too)

When I was watching Generative AI in a Nutshell from this weeks list of readings, Henrik says, at not even 2 minutes in, that our prompt engineering skills are going to be just as important as reading and writing. Hackles up! As an ELA teacher, my immediate reaction was “not likely!”

But I’m also a teacher halfway through my career (and my M.Ed. program), so I sometimes employ some critical thinking skills and question whether or not there’s any truth to a statement like that.

And Henrik might have a point.

In early years, I don’t think there’s any comparison. Traditional reading and writing skills are still a necessary part of successful integration into mainstream society, and there aren’t many jobs you can get into whether you aren’t using reading and/or writing on at least a semi-regular basis. Now, could that change? Maybe? I never thought we’d see the day where something like ChatGPT existed, yet here we are.

But what about as students get older? Once they have the basics of reading and writing, once they’ve developed some critical thinking skills, are we going to be integrating prompt engineering skills into the curriculum? Is that going to be a part of English Language Arts? And this is where my conviction wavers. Because I can see the benefit. This technology isn’t going away. We couldn’t get rid of it now if we wanted to. Which means it’s going to become more and more integrated into all aspects of our lives and workplaces. So wouldn’t it benefit students most to learn how to use this wisely and well, as opposed to desperately trying to hold onto what was and refusing to help them learn these skills?

Mind, if I’m going to be teaching this at any point, that means that I, also, need to learn how to use generative AI efficiently and effectively. And I’m still a toddler playing with a shiny new toy at this point.

I just think of this class. When we, ourselves, are being told that it’s fine to use AI, so long as we are explaining our usage and not trying to claim credit for something that isn’t ours, doesn’t that say something about where the world is heading? If we can use, in our Masters program, these technologies that we are saying that students cannot, or should not, use, does that not make us the worst types of hypocrites? If we, as teachers, are using AI to help with assessment creation, lesson planning, report-card comments, suggestions for improvement on assignments, then why on Earth wouldn’t we also allow our students to use it to help them with planning, with outlining, with editing? And if we’re doing that, why not teach them to properly prompt and then edit what AI is giving them? Because we all know it’s got to be an all or nothing. As soon as you start dabbling, you want to push the boundary. How far can I go? What can I get away with? And I don’t think treating AI like a dirty secret is going to help anyone in the long run.