One good reason to utilize AI is for efficiency. At times, efficiency is necessary. Unfortunately I think that we place too much emphasis on efficiency in todays world. But there is no mistaking it, AI offers us a great way to quickly access information and to get the overview of a subject, topic or issue.

A second reason students should use AI in the classroom is to learn about it and familiarize themselves with it. Let's be real, AI isn't going anywhere and our job as educators is to teach kids how to function in the world and provide them with the skills to be a productive member of society. And if they come out of school with no experience with AI in a formal setting and do not have a grasp on its applications in the real world, we are doing them a disservice. So simply put, students should be using AI in the classroom because it is a life skill they will need.

A big concern that I have over AI in the classroom is losing the ability to critically think and discussions. If a student has the option of plugging a problem or a topic into AI and then getting either an overview or an outright answer, it removes the need for critical thinking. There is no problem solving present in a world where we rely on AI to perform for us.

My last concern for AI in the classroom is an increased focus on efficiency and therefore increasing anxiety. AI is born out of the idea of "why not make it easier/efficient"? I have personally ran myself into anxiety and depression in a pursuit for efficiency. The point of living is not necessarily to accomplish as much as possible. And I am afraid that by implementing technology to get us to the solution faster will only mean a more anxious society that has lost what it means to enjoy the journey to get there.

My concern is always with personal relationships; I don't want AI to replace that. I grew up going online to research symptoms, or how you are feeling, but you still need to see a doctor or talk to someone about how you are feeling. My other concern is that I don't want to it to take away from too much creativity. I think of creativity as a muscle in our mind and soul, when we don't exercise it, it can become weak. I don't want our students to use AI for creativity purposes and weaken that muscle.

Things I've noticed in my experience with AI:

-It can and will spout incorrect knowledge as "facts" with confidence.

-The average person believes AI is a credible source. If you are ever on twitter/X, everyone uses Grok to "verify" information.

-AI images/videos are getting better. You used to be able to tell they weren't human made because of small details (like hands). Now, the only way I can tell something is AI is that it gives me the "Uncanny Valley" feeling.

But how do we apply this information to the classroom?

The controversy of Chat GPT and other AI in the classroom is cheating, of course. And students using it to do ALL of their thinking. Obviously, they shouldn't be using it to write their whole essay, or do their project, or generate an image for their art class. I do think it can be used to brainstorm, and summarize information (like how Wikipedia does). It could also be used to break down complex math problems into steps for students that are having trouble understanding. As long as the student is still thinking and/or constructing knowledge, then the use of AI is not bad.

However, I know everyone does not see it that way, so I think every teacher should have their own AI policy and potentially have some sort of activity to show students how AI is not perfect, (such as having them proofread/factcheck the AI and compare that to if they'd done the assignment themselves). This could potentially discourage them from using it to cheat, or at least give them some insight into what AI "knows" and that it's not the end-all-be-all of technology.

1. Helpful Simplification: One of the strengths of ChatGPT is its ability to streamline a task or even break down a complicated piece of writing. By this I mean, you can prompt ChatGPT to explain a topic to you in more accessible terms, and that has real implications for the field of education. E.g., “Explain photosynthesis to a six year old in two sentences.” Just like the high school student in the TODAY video about AI and cheating, students can use ChatGPT to make study guides and to assist in their learning—rather than to replace it. 

2. Real-Life Ethics: Because ChatGPT use in schools is so relevant and fresh, discussing and evaluating it seems like a chance to pique student interest while also addressing the problem of over-reliance on Generative AI. It can be an opportunity to ask students to reflect on what practices are best when it comes to ChatGPT and present their arguments for the limitations that will enrich their own learning most. 

Concerns with AI Tools in Class

1. Errors & Biases: It is a major concern that ChatGPT delivers so very many incorrect answers. It does this so often in fact that this Purdue study found that 52 percent of programming answers generated by ChatGPT were incorrect during their research. Generative AI, like we learned in the previous module, is also trained based off of data that can include biases. Students would need to be able to spot both factually incorrect material as well as biased material—a potentially tall order—before being able to adeptly use it in schoolwork.

2. Missed Benefit from Learning Process: Because ChatGPT is a language processing tool, many students, especially older students, are using it for essay writing. The extent to which they are using it varies of course. But writing, especially extended writing, is an exercise that not only displays learning but produces it. The act and struggle of writing promotes deep thinking and clarifies thought. Allowing students to sub in Generative AI to take on the bulk of this would be a grave mistake. It would equally call up questions of fairness for students who are relying primarily on their own brains, writing skills, time, and effort for their essays.

Pros:

1. AI can help students clarify their ideas and give them more to think about. There have been many times that I have had an idea or thought that I am having trouble expressing in a clear and professional sounding way. I think AI can be a great way to "bounce ideas" around and come out with something that makes more sense.

2. AI can explain complex topics in easy to understand ways. Just like with Youtube videos, I think having students use AI tools to help get explanations that make sense to them could be a good way to reinforce knowledge and clarify confusing concepts for students in a more individual way.

Cons:

1. Using AI in a helpful way requires practice and experience. Getting what you want out of ChatGPT requires and understanding of how it works. The quality and descriptiveness of the question determines the result. I think many students believe ChatGPT will spit out exactly what they want, which is usually and "exact" answer, without realizing that isn't the point of using it at all.

2. Because students believe that ChatGPT will give them the "right answer." They are over reliant on it and other AI tools. Teaching students that ChatGPT is a TOOL, and not an answer is probably one of the biggest battles we will face in the coming years.

1. Learning tool: Students can use AI like ChatGPT to create study guides and other learning tools to help understand a concept. They can also use it to help clarify their ideas when they are struggling to come up with the right words when writing essays.

2. Students can use AI to help understand complicated concepts. For example, I’ve used it to help clarify what medical terms mean and what procedures doctors are doing. When a student comes across something in a text that they have a hard time understanding they can ask AI to help simplify the idea without having to ask a teacher. 

Concerns:

1. Students can rely too heavily on what AI says and not realize that it makes mistakes too. I’ve always been told to use the 80/20 rule with AI. It's right 80% of the time and wrong 20% of the time, so we need to tread carefully when trusting it. 

2. Students who use AI extensively to do their homework are missing out on part of the learning process. If we are consistently given the right answers then we don’t learn. There’s a lot of learning that goes on when we struggle. In teaching math, we learn a lot from our mistakes and in learning to check our work. I fear that students will miss out on learning these critical skills if they use AI too much. 

In general, I think it would be good for students to use AI tools in the classroom for a few reasons. One of our responsibilities is to prepare students for the future and AI is only to get more popular and advanced. Many industries are using AI daily and the want will only increase its use and continuous development. In addition, students can enhance their critical thinking skills and will benefit from using the solution as well as creating an individualized learning plan.

What are some concerns about kids using AI tools? Give two points for each question.

The first concern is academic integrity and plagiarism. AI can easily and quickly provide answers, narratives, etc. for students to submit and decreases the students’ ability to learn and comprehend the material. As AI continues to improve, it may be difficult or impossible to determine a student’s answer compared to AI. The absence of an AI policy could lead to open access to using without any repercussions and policy enforcement. As students rely on AI, their subject knowledge may decrease as they become solely dependent on it. This will lead to lower grades, learning, and test scores. Lastly, not being a good digital citizen with the use of AI.

Pros:

An argument in favor of AI tools in the classroom could be an increase of scaffolding and inclusion materials to help students engage with and understand materials better. Tools like text-to-speech, google translate, and other assistive technology can be beyond helpful in a classroom to students with disabilities and English Language Learners.

Another reason AI could be used in the classroom positively is by helping students brainstorm. This will allow them to get automatic feedback. It can also help them in the same way to get a more personalized approach to learning.

Cons:

As I was saying before, students can become reliant on AI instead of actually doing it themself. This can lead to academic dishonesty and loss of integrity. If a student see how ChatGPT or whatever else does their essay for them, then they can just think that they will not have to actually do one. They then would lose the skills needed to learn and grow as a writer if they are relying on AI. It is just important to emphasize AI as a tool not a crutch. It will become a problem when teachers will no longer be able to do certain types of assignments or assessments because the rampant use of AI. Ultimately it is the student who suffers because they are missing out on the learning by just getting the answers done for them.

Another issue is accuracy. AI is not always accurate when you are looking for specific answers. At this point in time there is only so much that you can get from it. I understand that it is changing rapidly, but as of right now it is not 100% trust worthy. Students would still have to do their do diligence when crafting assignments. Many things that you encounter online that are AI are falsified, so I think that issue would transfer to the classroom as well in the form of inaccurate information and unreliable sources.

Pros: AI gets the ball rolling, mentally speaking. 

I’ll admit, I often use googles’ AI overview and I think it’s a great way of gathering quick bullet points of information. AI can help get the brain moving and recall something a students has learned in the past. 

AI is the way of the future?

Since technology and new methods of gathering and retaining information are growing, maybe AI is just another way to assist teachers in the classroom. And the Today video made a great point about how “the kids” or younger generations will be the ones to determine how AI tools will be used. Although people will have their opinions about AI tools, it might just be normal in the years to come. To remain open minded, it’s possible we haven't given it the chance to have a positive light? 

Cons: Dependency. 

There will always be the concern for students (and everyone else to be honest) constantly depending on AI to help them think and practically do every assignment for them. I think AI will hinder students from experiencing brainstorming or proper time management skills because they are used to instant gratification with AI tools. 

Lack of motivation. 

A concern I have is that students will grow almost numb to new information or lessons. They might not be as engaged or motivated to learn or continue to deeply think of learning because AI can “do it for them” when they need to work on an assignment. 

Pros:

1. It can be a support for the kids. AI can adapt to students pace and style that they learn at. Students could also use it to AI to help catch up if they are struggling and could challenge faster learning students.

2. Ai can improve students effiency and their engagement. It can help students fix grammar mistakes or steps in math equations. It can also help students develop higher level thinking skills.

Cons:

1. I think that students can be over reliant on AI and that could hurt them in the real world. If the rely on the use of AI to much that might not develop the essential skills that they will need.

2. AI is not always correct or it could be biased. If the students are to young they might not be able to figure out what is true and what is not.

AI Can Be Used to Enhance Learning through the creation of learning tools.

As mentioned in this news clip from this module, one high school student began using AI tools to create study guides. By using AI to create guides, graphic organizers, or note-taking templates, this enhances student learning through empowering the students to easily create materials that support their unique ways of learning. Furthermore, AI-powered search engines can assist students in quickly establishing background knowledge on a word, question, idea, or concept they're unfamiliar with. While it wouldn't be correct to use AI to construct a student's ENTIRE understanding of an idea, it can serve as a starting point for building further knowledge.

Cons: AI can enable cheating, leading to decreased learning.

While AI can serve as a great resource for building learning, when students rely heavily on AI, this can lead to cheating, and "cutting corners" on assignments. For example, AI is emerging in schools as a tool for completing assignments for students- often, even writing entire essays or projects. This not only limits students' academic integrity, but it hinders their academic and vocational development. Furthermore, AI tools aren't always 100% reliable and accurate. Often, AI can provide insight that is inaccurate and/or irrelevant to the purpose it's looking to serve for students. This can lead to misconceptions on certain ideas, as well as failed assignments, in some cases.

Continuous learning. It can assist and support students outside of school hours and help in continuous learning.

Cons: Not as much social interaction. It can reduce the amount of that really meaningful teacher-student relationship and even student to student relationships. Peer collaboration is important for learning in the classroom setting, but also social and emotional learning. Being on the computer can take away from those because students will ask AI instead of their peer or teacher if they are stuck or need help with something.

Being too dependent on AI and technology can take away the use of critical thinking skills, problem-solving, or creativity. If students rely too much on knowing the computer will tell them what to do or give them answers, it can act as a replacement rather supports that deeper learning of those important skills.

Arguments for AI:

1. As one of the videos stated, the student used AI to create a study guide. This tool provided a personalized resource, which enhances his learning.

2. It can be used for research, allowing students to explore a topic and quickly gather information. It saves time and allows students to deepen their understanding.

Concerns about AI:

1. From the video, the student expressed a concern about cheating, and I agree with him. With AI, it's easy to create content that is not your own work. When students do this, they are missing out on valuable learning.

2. Information provided isn't always accurate. Students tend to automatically trust whatever information is given to them. This can lead to misunderstandings and confusion about topics.

• I would worry that students will indeed use it for cheating, however I always say this is a natural consequence. I did play around with KidsGPT and it was very interesting. I tried to look up words like war and sadness, and the AI directed me back to more pleasant topics. I think this could be a great tool for younger students to write stories.

On the flip side, there are challenges when using AI in the classroom. First, AI algorithms are created by their "builders." As such, the algorithms reflect the values and beliefs of the latter. This puts the "builder" in a position of power to, intentionally or not, promote bias or agendas. Teachers and students must be aware of this when using AI and understand that algorithms are subjective and not perfect. Lastly, monitoring how students use AI in the classroom is a challenge. Schools and universities now have to invest time and resources to ensure AI is used as a tool to inspire, grow and create and not as a crutch.

The concerns over AI's implementation in our student's lives are justified and necessary. I personally believe that a majority of students will over-rely on this tool if changes don't occur. The reality is that the more commonplace its application becomes in their lives, and the better the technology gets, the more they will rely on it to do their work for them. Adults need to teach children how to use AI effectively and moderately. Leaving it "up to them" to make the most out of it does not take into account their developmental maturity and the reality that children are still developing responsible decision making abilities. The motivation to use AI ethically (in a way that does not jeopardize their development) needs to be modeled by parents and educators with the reasons why—the development of critical thinking skills, autonomy, and the skill to learn—being values shared and upheld in their communities.

We will also need to change the way we assess student learning in schools. I believe it will require a concerted balance of technology-dependent classes that incorporate digital citizenship and ethics lessons, and more traditional forms of learning with assessments taking place solely in the classroom so that technology use can be monitored, limited or prohibited. These changes would hopefully hold students accountable for their learning while giving them opportunities to learn and practice the skills needed to think independently in order to guarantee their general ability to learn and grow.

There is no doubt that A.I. (or some version of it) is here to stay. With that in mind, let’s look at some potential benefits and drawbacks of this powerful technology.

The case for A.I. for students:

All technology eveolves. What the internet was 20 years ago is not what it is today. With this in mind, it could benefit students to learn about the technology in a controlled environment safely. The school setting can potentially become a place for students to safely witness how the technology operates and fill in the gaps that finding the information through other avenues could provide. Secondly if A.I. really does become more prevalent in our lives, students will benefit from not being blindsided by it if they had no other opportunity outside of school to learn about it. The digital divide has to potential to become even more vast if all students are not allowed the chance to learn about it the topic.

The case against A.I. for students:

As an art teacher, I will admit that my bias lies within this state of mind most of the time. There are legitimate concerns about students (and all humans) relying on A.I. too much already, and we can only assume that this technology will become more powerful and spin-off new technologies in the coming years. It has been said in art and other fields that there are no original ideas left. However, concerning the subjects that deal with the humanities, we must not forget that if we lose touch of those things which make our human experience what it is, we start to lose sight of some important core principles. A.I. is very impressive and has the chance to be used for many great things. We need to give students the opportunity to make discoveries (mistakes included) and experience opportunities from their own perspective to enrich their own story as well.

I can see AI being a good tool for students who are stuck or need a starting point. If used correctly, they could search a topic or read an example of an answer to help get them started or point them in the right direction. I also think that it is so similar to using Google to find answers, which so many students have done through the years. I used ChatGPT last night to help me draft an email to introduce myself as students' special education case manager. I made very little edits to it and it was quite helpful, but it also wasn't for a grade.

What worries me is when students won't use it as a guide but use it for their work. I especially see students who are smart enough to create the right question/prompt but with poor work ethic using it to their advantage. Luckily, so many teachers have tools now to show the use of AI, but that does not always help in every class. In my math class, we see students who have used AI to answer their math problems (photomath for example) but then fail their math tests because they are not learning HOW to do the work, only writing down the answers.

I feel like AI is a great tool for students to be able to learn from. AI allows for students to get instant feedback, and AI even learners the students for personalized needs and support. I like how students can get customized resources within schools lead AI. The filtrations of information do allow students to be more productive and gain quick results for varies subjects, which minimizes the students time on useless information or articles. Some of the main drawbacks can instantly that students can be heavily relying on Ai to solve problems, write their papers, and do the research. They can use AI to write their papers, and finish math assignments, students can use AI to complete tasks that should be done by the student minimizes the need for effort and the process of time management. AI can replace the need to grab a book and search resources in the library or other areas online. Within everything digital and accessible online, AI being able to source every website so quickly to find the exact information has it to where students do not need to “utilize” their libraries, teachers, or fellow classmates in research and solutions.

Thank you!

One argument for using it in the classroom is the various ways it can be used. For example, it can be used to create a study guide, answer questions, and help with research. Another argument is that all technology evolves. For example, phones and computers.

Cons:

One argument against is that it is not always right. For example, you may try and research something and figure out that what ChatGPT gave you was just someone's opinion it found. So you have to be careful. Another argument against is that students could become lazy or lack motivation to pay attention if they can just put questions into AI.