Under the fluorescent lights of a fifth grade classroom in Lexington, Kentucky, Donnie Piercey instructed his 23 students to try and outwit the 害羞草研究所渞obot害羞草研究所� that was churning out writing assignments.
The robot was the new artificial intelligence tool ChatGPT, which can generate everything from essays and haikus to term papers within seconds. The technology has panicked teachers and prompted school districts to block access to the site. But Piercey has taken another approach by embracing it as a teaching tool, saying his job is to prepare students for a world where knowledge of AI will be required.
害羞草研究所淭his is the future,害羞草研究所� said Piercey, who describes ChatGPT as just the latest technology in his 17 years of teaching that prompted concerns about the potential for cheating. The calculator, spellcheck, Google, Wikipedia, YouTube. Now all his students have Chromebooks on their desks. 害羞草研究所淎s educators, we haven害羞草研究所檛 figured out the best way to use artificial intelligence yet. But it害羞草研究所檚 coming, whether we want it to or not.害羞草研究所�
One exercise in his class pitted students against the machine in a lively, interactive writing game. Piercey asked students to 害羞草研究所淔ind the Bot:害羞草研究所� Each student summarized a text about boxing champion and Kentucky icon Muhammad Ali, then tried to figure out which was written by the chatbot.
At the elementary school level, Piercey is less worried about cheating and plagiarism than high school teachers. His district has blocked students from ChatGPT while allowing teacher access. Many educators around the country say districts need time to evaluate and figure out the chatbot but also acknowledge the futility of a ban that today害羞草研究所檚 tech-savvy students can work around.
害羞草研究所淭o be perfectly honest, do I wish it could be uninvented? Yes. But it happened,害羞草研究所� said Steve Darlow, the technology trainer at Florida害羞草研究所檚 Santa Rosa County District Schools, which has blocked the application on school-issued devices and networks.
He sees the advent of AI platforms as both 害羞草研究所渞evolutionary and disruptive害羞草研究所� to education. He envisions teachers asking ChatGPT to make 害羞草研究所渁mazing lesson plans for a substitute害羞草研究所� or even for help grading papers. 害羞草研究所淚 know it害羞草研究所檚 lofty talk, but this is a real game changer. You are going to have an advantage in life and business and education from using it.害羞草研究所�
ChatGPT quickly became a global phenomenon after its November launch, and rival companies including Google are racing to release their own versions of AI-powered chatbots.
The topic of AI platforms and how schools should respond drew hundreds of educators to conference rooms at the Future of Education Technology Conference in New Orleans last month, where Texas math teacher Heather Brantley gave an enthusiastic talk on the 害羞草研究所淢agic of Writing with AI for all Subjects.害羞草研究所�
Brantley said she was amazed at ChatGPT害羞草研究所檚 ability to make her sixth grade math lessons more creative and applicable to everyday life.
害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 using ChatGPT to enhance all my lessons,害羞草研究所� she said in an interview. The platform is blocked for students but open to teachers at her school, White Oak Intermediate. 害羞草研究所淭ake any lesson you害羞草研究所檙e doing and say, `Give me a real-world example,害羞草研究所� and you害羞草研究所檒l get examples from today 害羞草研究所� not 20 years ago when the textbooks we害羞草研究所檙e using were written.害羞草研究所�
For a lesson about slope, the chatbot suggested students build ramps out of cardboard and other items found in a classroom, then measure the slope. For teaching about surface area, the chatbot noted that sixth graders would see how the concept applies to real life when wrapping gifts or building a cardboard box, said Brantley.
She is urging districts to train staff to use the AI platform to stimulate student creativity and problem solving skills. 害羞草研究所淲e have an opportunity to guide our students with the next big thing that will be part of their entire lives. Let害羞草研究所檚 not block it and shut them out.害羞草研究所�
Students in Piercey害羞草研究所檚 class said the novelty of working with a chatbot makes learning fun.
After a few rounds of 害羞草研究所淔ind the Bot,害羞草研究所� Piercey asked his class what skills it helped them hone. Hands shot up. 害羞草研究所淗ow to properly summarize and correctly capitalize words and use commas,害羞草研究所� said one student. A lively discussion ensued on the importance of developing a writing voice and how some of the chatbot害羞草研究所檚 sentences lacked flair or sounded stilted.
Trevor James Medley, 11, felt that sentences written by students 害羞草研究所渉ave a little more feeling. More backbone. More flavor.害羞草研究所�
Next, the class turned to playwriting, or as the worksheet handed out by Piercey called it: 害羞草研究所淧l-ai Writing.害羞草研究所� The students broke into groups and wrote down (using pencils and paper) the characters of a short play with three scenes to unfold in a plot that included a problem that needs to get solved.
Piercey fed details from worksheets into the ChatGPT site, along with instructions to set the scenes inside a fifth grade classroom and to add a surprise ending. Line by line, it generated fully formed scripts, which the students edited, briefly rehearsed and then performed.
One was about a class computer that escapes, with students going on a hunt to find it. The play害羞草研究所檚 creators giggled over unexpected plot twists that the chatbot introduced, including sending the students on a time travel adventure.
害羞草研究所淔irst of all, I was impressed,害羞草研究所� said Olivia Laksi, 10, one of the protagonists. She liked how the chatbot came up with creative ideas. But she also liked how Piercey urged them to revise any phrases or stage directions they didn害羞草研究所檛 like. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 helpful in the sense that it gives you a starting point. It害羞草研究所檚 a good idea generator.害羞草研究所�
She and classmate Katherine McCormick, 10, said they can see the pros and cons of working with chatbots. They can help students navigate writer害羞草研究所檚 block and help those who have trouble articulating their thoughts on paper. And there is no limit to the creativity it can add to classwork.
The fifth graders seemed unaware of the hype or controversy surrounding ChatGPT. For these children, who will grow up as the world害羞草研究所檚 first native AI users, their approach is simple: Use it for suggestions, but do your own work.
害羞草研究所淵ou shouldn害羞草研究所檛 take advantage of it,害羞草研究所� McCormick says. 害羞草研究所淵ou害羞草研究所檙e not learning anything if you type in what you want, and then it gives you the answer.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所斺赌斺赌�
By Jocelyn Gecker
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
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