A year ago, ChatGPT didn’t exist. Today it is a close friend for many.
But for students and teachers in Maricopa schools, the problem is: “How close should friendships be?”
For better or worse, ChatGPT and other artificial intelligence programs available for free online have hit the walls of a Maricopa school.
Educators, administrators, and students are harnessing the power of AI and shouldering its risks while living in harmony with the permanence of this new technology.
Students and teachers can also leverage the new paradigm to adjust instruction, create lesson plans, and complete assignments.
Forget-me-not bot
Talitha Martin, a 12th grade English teacher at Maricopa High School, worries that relying on AI will undermine her students’ critical thinking skills.
Not surprisingly, she believes that language is an important means of expression and exploration. Being able to create, rewrite, and edit documents in ChatGPT takes away from the learning experience for students.
“Adults may have more knowledge about their written voice, but students are still exploring their understanding and operation of language,” Martin said.
Introducing something so extreme at a stage characterized by learning from failure is a tough pill to swallow.
“This is a time when children’s brains need to focus on their own thoughts and expressions, rather than just putting pre-formed chunks of words onto a page,” Martin said of her students.
Exploiting chatbot output as a substitute for the original idea also raises ethical issues such as plagiarism and fraud.
Martin said she wants to teach students to evaluate and understand concepts in their own heads, rather than testing their “copy-and-paste” skills.
However, just because a student can do something doesn’t mean they can do it.
Nicholas Jedrzewski, a senior at Maricopa High School, pointed out that there are other ways to cheat when doing assignments on your home computer, far from district restrictions. This is nothing new, but that doesn’t mean all students are likely to cheat.
“It’s a completely different playing field at home,” Jedrzejski said. “But I don’t use it at school because I know it will be frowned upon. I want to use my own name and do my own work.”
Although he avoids chatbots in the classroom, he said they are “fun to play around with” in his free time.
unknown waters
Maricopa Unified School District doesn’t have a way to detect AI, but some teachers are already aware of its presence.
Martin believes it’s easy to differentiate between original work and content written by bots, which are characterized by flowery language and long, boring sentences.
“If you’ve had time to get to know the students and their speaking and writing voices, it’s very obvious when something comes in that isn’t their own,” Martin said. “I think it’s callous and somewhat insensitive to pass on something that you didn’t actually write.”
Josefina Nichols, a math teacher at Desert Sunrise High School, agrees.
In a curriculum that revolves around complex equations and problem solving, Ms. Nichols must encourage her students to show off their work.
“If students choose AI for their jobs, they will be doing themselves a disservice,” Nichols said.
If you can’t beat them, join them.
Nichols said he understands the dangers of artificial intelligence, but also recognizes its dichotomy.
“AI can be used as a tool,” she acknowledged. “But it shouldn’t replace your lessons and activities. AI doesn’t help students develop conceptual understanding or application skills.”
However, some administrators argue that AI can assist with useful applications such as prompt creation and brainstorming.
Christine Dickinson, MUSD’s technology director, said she sees AI as a tool to enhance understanding and believes it can be used as a “starting point for students to build a foundation.”
“There’s a case for everything,” Dickinson said. “AI is no exception.”
The possibilities are endless and constantly multiplying. And if used ethically, Dickinson believes it can help. It’s no different than the early days of calculators and Internet search engines.
Jedrzewski thinks the same way.
“We’re already bouncing ideas off each other,” he said. “And AI can do it faster and with deeper understanding.”
However, despite the benefits, most teachers seem to strictly prohibit the use of generative AI in the classroom. Especially if it is conveyed as if it were original and authentic.
“I’m scared of the idea of a world where expertise, personal voice, and credibility become obsolete,” Martin said. “And I think AI will get us there quickly.”
Lesson plan B
Since it is free online, students have almost unlimited access to AI. The concept of AI in the classroom may conjure up images of students filling out prompt boxes.
But what about teachers?
Educators with packed and hectic schedules may find some relief by using AI to streamline lesson plans and grade tests.
“Think of AI as a partner in collaborative sessions,” says Dickinson. “This partner has access to a wide range of resources and information you may need, and can offer suggestions and different perspectives.”
Rather than spending time and their own money putting together a curriculum, teachers have a new option.
Martin agrees with the idea, but that doesn’t change her opinion.
“If anything, I wish teachers had more time and creative space to turn their knowledge into effective lessons and materials,” she said.
What is the future of education?
Much like the introduction of computers and calculators into classrooms over the past few decades, AI may simply supplement existing infrastructure.
Educators say it’s unlikely that AI will completely revolutionize education, but they are still confused about when to use it and when to reject it.
Chatbots can provide data-driven insights, accessibility, and increased efficiency.
“AI gives students access to free tutoring almost all the time,” Dickinson said. “The rapid advancement of these tools will bring breakthroughs for learners.”
On the other hand, artificial intelligence can make children dependent on technology, weaken their critical thinking, and distort their sense of ethics.
Martin said he prefers a world where humans exchange ideas and inquiries with each other to generate new ideas. She and other teachers agree with her on one point: AI should be approached with caution.
“I’m not going to lean back any time soon,” Martin said. “My plate is already full.”
Artificial intelligence has immense potential. But one thing is certain: As technology continues to metastasize, educators and students alike will be among the first to feel its impact.
Alexa, what is artificial intelligence?
Artificial intelligence is seamlessly integrated into virtually every aspect of modern life. This is revolutionizing the way we interact with technology in a way that many consider more important than the birth of the Internet.
Whether it’s your Amazon Alexa device turning on the lights in your kitchen or Siri making calls on your iPhone, AI is everywhere.
It feels familiar because it simulates human intelligence. Computers can now make decisions, recognize patterns, solve problems, and understand natural language.
Consider ChatGPT as an example. Chatbots have exploded into the mainstream since their launch just 10 months ago.
Unlike traditional AI systems that are designed for specific tasks, such as Alexa telling you when chicken is done, generative AI creates entirely new text, images, and even music and videos.
ChatGPT lets you compose emails, write essays, and answer complex questions within seconds.
Artificial intelligence feels like something new, but it’s been lurking behind the scenes for years.
Streaming services like Netflix and Hulu use AI predictions to recommend shows and movies, and social platforms like Facebook and YouTube use AI to suggest and organize posts in your feed.
In 1958, early computer scientists H.A. Simon and Allen Newell predicted that within 10 years, “digital computers will become world chess champions” and that “digital computers will discover and prove important new mathematical theorems.” I predicted.
After 65 years, I finally got it right.
“Transition to the 21st Century”
A+ Charter Schools takes a different approach and tackles nascent technology head-on. The school is incorporating artificial intelligence into its curriculum.
This year, the school introduced the Archer Intelligence Project, a high school elective class designed to help students take full advantage of the burgeoning predictive text generation tools.
Nate Wong, dean of academic services, said AI literacy is critical in the modern world.
“We felt it was really important to start talking about AI now so we can get live feedback from kids,” Wong said.
Mr Wong said AI is a catalyst for critical thinking. It’s like having access to a 24-hour tutor.
New courses sharpen students’ skills with rapid selection and language model training.
“If we don’t show them something like this, they will be swallowed up,” Wong said. “We really want to move our kids into the 21st century.”
And that concept applies to everyone in the classroom, he said. AI chatbots are also new to teachers and provide an opportunity for students to observe the learning process.
“If we don’t learn with our children, we will be doing them a disservice in our eyes,” Wong said. “We’re not trying to teach them one way or another. We’re trying to learn right with them.”
Before new technology inevitably advances, students and teachers alike will accept the mistakes of the Archer Intelligence Program. With a focus on ChatGPT, the school is moving from a traditional, rigorous learning model to a more personalized, standards-based approach.
Students in the class can simulate conversations with Abraham Lincoln or debate in mock court. In today’s technology-driven world, students learn differently and teachers teach differently, Wong said.
Wong recommends using artificial assistants if students understand a goal but can’t seem to express it in writing. It also helps explain complex ideas using familiar references like Harry Potter, Mario, and Pokémon.
“In five minutes, they can get five different perspectives that are relevant to things for their age group,” Wong said. “And that leads to engagement, communication, and listening to your peers.”
So while AI is a non-human assistant, Wong says, AI is a bridge to the future of human intelligence. He encourages staff and students to rely on artificial intelligence, knowing that it’s not going away anytime soon.
And the Archer Intelligence Program is a step forward in that regard. Mr. Wong has no intention of leaving his students behind.
“Technology advances exponentially all the time,” he said. “This is going to develop into something else.”
This article first appeared in the October issue of InMaricopa Magazine.