Under the fluorescent lights of a fifth grade classroom in Lexington, Kentucky, Donnie Piercey instructed his 23 students to try and outwit the B次元官网网址渞obotB次元官网网址� 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.
B次元官网网址淭his is the future,B次元官网网址� 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. B次元官网网址淎s educators, we havenB次元官网网址檛 figured out the best way to use artificial intelligence yet. But itB次元官网网址檚 coming, whether we want it to or not.B次元官网网址�
One exercise in his class pitted students against the machine in a lively, interactive writing game. Piercey asked students to B次元官网网址淔ind the Bot:B次元官网网址� 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 todayB次元官网网址檚 tech-savvy students can work around.
B次元官网网址淭o be perfectly honest, do I wish it could be uninvented? Yes. But it happened,B次元官网网址� said Steve Darlow, the technology trainer at FloridaB次元官网网址檚 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 B次元官网网址渞evolutionary and disruptiveB次元官网网址� to education. He envisions teachers asking ChatGPT to make B次元官网网址渁mazing lesson plans for a substituteB次元官网网址� or even for help grading papers. B次元官网网址淚 know itB次元官网网址檚 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.B次元官网网址�
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 B次元官网网址淢agic of Writing with AI for all Subjects.B次元官网网址�
Brantley said she was amazed at ChatGPTB次元官网网址檚 ability to make her sixth grade math lessons more creative and applicable to everyday life.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 using ChatGPT to enhance all my lessons,B次元官网网址� she said in an interview. The platform is blocked for students but open to teachers at her school, White Oak Intermediate. B次元官网网址淭ake any lesson youB次元官网网址檙e doing and say, `Give me a real-world example,B次元官网网址� and youB次元官网网址檒l get examples from today B次元官网网址� not 20 years ago when the textbooks weB次元官网网址檙e using were written.B次元官网网址�
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. B次元官网网址淲e have an opportunity to guide our students with the next big thing that will be part of their entire lives. LetB次元官网网址檚 not block it and shut them out.B次元官网网址�
Students in PierceyB次元官网网址檚 class said the novelty of working with a chatbot makes learning fun.
After a few rounds of B次元官网网址淔ind the Bot,B次元官网网址� Piercey asked his class what skills it helped them hone. Hands shot up. B次元官网网址淗ow to properly summarize and correctly capitalize words and use commas,B次元官网网址� said one student. A lively discussion ensued on the importance of developing a writing voice and how some of the chatbotB次元官网网址檚 sentences lacked flair or sounded stilted.
Trevor James Medley, 11, felt that sentences written by students B次元官网网址渉ave a little more feeling. More backbone. More flavor.B次元官网网址�
Next, the class turned to playwriting, or as the worksheet handed out by Piercey called it: B次元官网网址淧l-ai Writing.B次元官网网址� 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 playB次元官网网址檚 creators giggled over unexpected plot twists that the chatbot introduced, including sending the students on a time travel adventure.
B次元官网网址淔irst of all, I was impressed,B次元官网网址� 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 didnB次元官网网址檛 like. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 helpful in the sense that it gives you a starting point. ItB次元官网网址檚 a good idea generator.B次元官网网址�
She and classmate Katherine McCormick, 10, said they can see the pros and cons of working with chatbots. They can help students navigate writerB次元官网网址檚 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 worldB次元官网网址檚 first native AI users, their approach is simple: Use it for suggestions, but do your own work.
B次元官网网址淵ou shouldnB次元官网网址檛 take advantage of it,B次元官网网址� McCormick says. B次元官网网址淵ouB次元官网网址檙e not learning anything if you type in what you want, and then it gives you the answer.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址斺赌斺赌�
By Jocelyn Gecker
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Like us on and follow us on .
