Artificial intelligence has been a hot topic of debate over the past few years. Having only scratched the surface as a minor Chat GPT enthusiast, I did not know much about the history AI, nor was I aware of the current ramifications or even the possible opportunities that AI has provided educators and students as we continue to move forward in this digital world.
I learned about Chat GPT last year in EC&I 830, and boy was I surprised at its capabilities. However, I did not think too much about how I was already living in a world where AI was taking care of many of my tech tasks. I am certainly a “googler”, spending endless hours looking up how to do simple tasks, how to spell, how to teach, and the list goes on and on. Google was my one-stop shop for anything I needed support within my personal or professional life. Over the past year, however, AI generators have become more of a staple for me as they have helped me with personal tasks such as: creating grocery lists, preparing wedding speeches, and designing logos. Generative AI has provided me with endless amounts of entertainment. Surprisingly, it has been more helpful for me in my career than I anticipated. Some of the tasks I have used AI for include: crafting emails, developing rubrics, and even preparing for interviews. Microsoft CoPilot, for example, provides a secure and private AI generator for teachers to plan, assess, and problem-solve. I have tried it a few times and have found it to be quite valuable! It can make rubrics in seconds, provide up-to-date statistics and facts to update lessons, and provide teachers with creative ways to teach specific topics in their classrooms.
BENEFITS OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE:
As an educator who is usually looking to work smarter, I am intrigued by what AI technologies can do for me as I continue forward in administration. Based on the presentation from our classmates and the articles we read, here are some of the benefits I believe are important to provide:
1. Support with Teacher Planning: Teachers are constantly looking for new and innovative ways to teach a variety of subjects, topics, and grade levels. We also know that many teachers are not only teaching in their area of expertise. Many teachers in the school I work at are teaching outside of their major subject area, and are often forced to learn new curriculum and content, while also planning to teach this to students. AI technologies can help teachers plan units, lessons, and activities in a quick manner. I have used this over the past year and found lots of cool new ideas and teaching strategies that I probably could have found at some point, but would have taken me much longer. AI can streamline this process and ensure teachers are left with more time to complete the many other tasks they are expected to complete on a daily basis.
2. Personalized Learning for Students: Secondly, students can get a much more personalized learning experience when AI is introduced in the classroom. This sounds daunting for many, as it is quite a new concept. However, students can use AI to brainstorm ideas for assignments and projects, ask questions to gain new information, and even interview specific historical figures to make learning history more enjoyable.
The possibilities are endless for teachers to use AI in ways that can promote a more enjoyable educational experience and also help students find more success moving forward. I will need to keep up-to-date with my colleagues to learn the best strategies for how we can use AI in positive ways.
DRAWBACKS TO AI:
There are a few speed bumps that can challenge educators in providing students with a quality education while also ensuring fairness and equality, and providing AI-proof assessments that show what students can do and how they can do it. Here are a couple of the drawbacks:
1. Academic Misconduct /Cheating: It is quite simple for students to use AI generators to complete much of the work assigned in many of their classes. Unfortunately, there is a learning curve for teachers to mitigate these problems. What is going to need to happen moving forward is a change in teaching practices that use AI as more of a tool in supporting students rather than a tool that replaces student brains. Students are usually quite impressive at using technology. Therefore they will continue to adapt and find ways to shorten the amount of time and work required to complete assignments. Hopefully we can use AI to help students gain skills needed in our future world rather than continue to hope that they do not use it for the wrong reasons.
2. Lack of Human Connection: Although AI is proven to accelerate learning and personalize educational experiences, it lacks the human touch. Human interaction is crucial for social and emotional development, and an overreliance on AI will certainly reduce these essential connections in the classroom.
Due to the enhanced automation in the world, I have a feeling that AI will continue to become more and more impactful in all facets of life, including education. Do I think that AI can pump the brakes a little? Perhaps!… Speaking of pumping the brakes, I am not entirely sure I am comfortable nor interested in my car driving me rather than me driving my car. Maybe I am crazy, but it is one of those things I still enjoy doing! lol… Hopefully, this increase in AI does not lead to a replacement of educators and other professionals who require a human connection to help our future generations be good humans. AI generated programs can spread knowledge, help people problem-solve, plan, etc. However, certain professions require humans to ensure that all people build the skills to be active and engaged citizens in our communities. AI will continue to develop over time to revolutionize many facets of our world, including healthcare, education, transportation, and many others. As AI becomes more integrated, ethical dilemmas will challenge us to make decisions on what is right and wrong when it comes to using AI in our personal and professional lives. Luckily, there are people way smarter than me who will research and provide the skills necessary for me to navigate these challenges in the future!