I looked at Chat GPT this week for a couple of reasons:
- I like the idea of AI as a tool, like a calculator or a thesaurus, instead of a way to “cheat”
- I only just became familiar with it (Fall semester) and it was not a part of my primary studies so maybe I view it differently as a student/future student
- According to my experience in the ELA classroom, it is the bane of teachers’ existence and their entire life focuses on trying to limit its use
- ELA teachers/pre-service teachers also claim it is not effective/inaccurate, but I have not seen that “pervasive” problem, albeit I’ve used it in a limited capacity like creating writing prompts, double checking themes or characters, generating ideas for lessons, etc. I find it accurate, but general at providing summaries or analysis similar to a student edition of a complex text–helpful, but you couldn’t base your dissertation on it or anything…
To start, I put in a prompt that, as a student and a teacher, I might use when checking my comprehension/ initial knowledge, preparing a lecture/assignment, or creating a prompt: what is the significance of rosebud in citizen kane
The results are a summary and a short 3 paragraph essay without sources or citations…it is general and unimaginative. The “writer” is not invested in their premise and really doesn’t assert anything they work to prove nor do they tease out an insight of their own. In my classroom, not only would this be easy to catch, but it would not meet any objective I would set forth. I do not want to read, for example, 40 summaries in passive voice of a text I already know. However, if Chat GPT was used substantively, I would only ask it be cited. Instead, if I wanted to know how the class interpreted Rosebud in the film, I’d have them discuss and share their thoughts. Let them duke it out over its meaning. Maybe even study how symbolism functions as a tool to employ in their own work.
Let’s see what Chat GPT says in response to how can I use symbolism like Rosebud in Citizen Kane in my own writing:
Example Steps to Implement a Symbol in Your Writing:
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Theme Identification: Your story might explore themes of memory and loss.
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Symbol Selection: Choose a locket that your protagonist’s mother used to wear.
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Natural Introduction: Introduce the locket early in the story, perhaps as something the protagonist finds in a drawer.
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Gradual Development: Show the protagonist holding the locket during moments of contemplation or stress.
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Subtlety: Do not overtly explain the locket’s significance; let it be a part of the protagonist’s actions and reflections.
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Character Connection: Tie the locket to key memories and turning points in the protagonist’s life.
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Layer of Mystery: Have other characters notice the locket and ask about it, adding layers to its backstory.
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Thematic Reflection: Use the locket to symbolize the protagonist’s connection to the past and unresolved emotions.
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Pivotal Moments: Reintroduce the locket during the climax when the protagonist faces a major decision or revelation.
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Resonant Ending: Conclude with the protagonist making peace with their past, perhaps by passing the locket on to a new generation or placing it in a meaningful location.
This is useful, but without prerequisite learning/writing, it would be difficult to effectively employ. Perhaps, I want students to respond to the symbolism in the film with a creative piece of writing… maybe they ask it to write a story in the symbolism of Citizen Kane:
Unsurprisingly, the result is a boring narrative with heavy exposition, no dialogue, and it is cliched. Symbolism is subtle, I thought? Again, I would never assign something like this. We don’t use symbolism for its own sake; we employ it for purpose in writing. Students would be encouraged to write a flash fiction piece where their peers might try to identify what Is symbolic and how and why it is operating in the flash.
To me, Chat GPT is not the death of the ELA classroom like I have heard. Instead, it is like a summary appendix in a book, reviewing abstracts of related articles, concordance, a wikipage, or just discussing ideas in a book club. All supplementary, and nowhere near acceptable secondary-level analysis, creativity, or critique that prepares students for engagement with content in the world or in post-secondary, which is my ultimate job.
It seems that Chat GPT should be embraced as a useful tool for students to explore their ideas. By setting the standard for writing in ELA so low, we feel we have to prevent AI’s use because we are ill-equipped to show that despite a coherent, accurate, polished piece of writing generated by AI, it is still insufficient for our aim: to foster writers who want to challenge, risk, and develop their own voice. If we shift the objective, AI is nothing to worry about. I don’t need polished, I need effective writing from students. No word count filler, no exposition or narrative voice, no conventions that hinder what students might actually want to say. And if that is the case, AI is a great tool to have students grow/check their understanding, brainstorm, review, quiz, and prompt their writing. I am all for it.