Kendall Boninti is the Instructional Technology Specialist at Cambridge Rindge & Latin School in Cambridge, MA
In my last tech column, “Copyright for Creators,” we explored the ethical and legal implications around student use of copyrighted material and broke down the ways in which educators can help students understand the role of copyright and fair use to support innovation. Since then, the discussion around Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) and copyright has exploded. I particularly enjoyed the recently published NY Times article “Who Owns a Song Created by A.I.?”
A.I. is everywhere! And there are so many layers to the A.I conversation. Too many to discuss in this short tech column, so today we’re keeping it simple and focusing on the practical ways that A.I. can be used to teach and learn.
A.I. is everywhere! And there are so many layers to the A.I conversation. Too many to discuss in this short tech column, so today we’re keeping it simple and focusing on the practical ways that A.I. can be used to teach and learn.
Artificial intelligence or AI has been automating and simplifying tasks since the 1980s. We have relied on AI for speech recognition, fraud detection, and even medical diagnoses. So why have AI tools such as Chat GPT and DALL E taken over the public discourse? These language and visual art tools use AI to produce works that closely mimic human creations where previous AI tools were mostly working behind the scenes.
As tools such as these become increasingly powerful, some fear that students will no longer need to think through and complete their own work. As the Internet became increasingly available, some of the same concerns were raised.
What would lessons, units, and assessments look like in your classroom that may allow for this type of transparency? What aspects of some larger projects could AI help students complete, while still demonstrating their content knowledge. Similar to Wikipedia, ChatGPT can be a great jumping off point to exploring a topic, generating and refining keywords/search queries, and formulating research questions. It can also assist students with executive functioning tasks as they engage in inquiry-based projects. For example, creating a task list for a project, developing an outline for a project or paper, and assigning roles for different group members.
Not sure where to start with AI in the classroom? Visit MIT’s Day of AI website. Once there, you will find a full school day’s worth of free hands-on curriculum and activities designed to introduce K-12 students to AI. No technology background is required to utilize the resources.You will need to register for the website in order to access the curriculum.
What is A.I.? A.I. is already having powerful impacts on teaching and learning. As we move forward, it is essential for educators to consider how they can partner with AI to assist with their own daily tasks and support students’ understanding of the benefits and limitations of the technology.
How can YOU use A.I in the classroom? A few resources to get you thinking:
This article was written in collaboration between the two humans below (not generated by A.I.).
Abby Lindstone - CRLS Instructional Technology Specialist
Kendall Boninti - CRLS Instructional Technology Specialist
As tools such as these become increasingly powerful, some fear that students will no longer need to think through and complete their own work. As the Internet became increasingly available, some of the same concerns were raised.
- What will students need to do for themselves if they can just Google everything?
- Now, with the Internet students can complete complex projects without spending as much time with more repetitive, simple tasks that don't require students to use higher level thinking skills
- Project-based and other hands-on learning opportunities
- Students show their learning in multiple ways
- Have students document their planning process, drafts, and artifacts into a portfolio
What would lessons, units, and assessments look like in your classroom that may allow for this type of transparency? What aspects of some larger projects could AI help students complete, while still demonstrating their content knowledge. Similar to Wikipedia, ChatGPT can be a great jumping off point to exploring a topic, generating and refining keywords/search queries, and formulating research questions. It can also assist students with executive functioning tasks as they engage in inquiry-based projects. For example, creating a task list for a project, developing an outline for a project or paper, and assigning roles for different group members.
Not sure where to start with AI in the classroom? Visit MIT’s Day of AI website. Once there, you will find a full school day’s worth of free hands-on curriculum and activities designed to introduce K-12 students to AI. No technology background is required to utilize the resources.You will need to register for the website in order to access the curriculum.
What is A.I.? A.I. is already having powerful impacts on teaching and learning. As we move forward, it is essential for educators to consider how they can partner with AI to assist with their own daily tasks and support students’ understanding of the benefits and limitations of the technology.
How can YOU use A.I in the classroom? A few resources to get you thinking:
- “Everything you wanted to know about AI - but were afraid to ask” by Alex Hern and Dan Milmo for The Guardian
- “Practical A.I. For the Classroom” - Podcast Episode 798 by Viki Davis (aka Cool Cat Teacher)
- “Don’t Ban Chat GPT in Schools, Teach With It” by Kevin Roose for the NY Times
This article was written in collaboration between the two humans below (not generated by A.I.).
Abby Lindstone - CRLS Instructional Technology Specialist
Kendall Boninti - CRLS Instructional Technology Specialist
