Generative AI is here to stay. Students are using it; teachers are using it; administrators are using it. At this point, we cannot unring the bell, but we can find ways to pull everyone back in and engage in conversation about HOW, WHY, and WHEN AI should be used.
I will admit that I simply avoided the topic of AI for a long time. I knew that most teachers were concerned about the ways students would use AI to cheat. Personally, as a creative, I was concerned about people using AI to make things like photos, artwork, music, or pieces of writing. I didn't want to learn about how it could be used for good. However...it is literally my job to stay on the forefront of technology and to share that information with teachers. So last year, I took a deep breath and dove in head first. I have learned a TON in the last year, and although I am still fearful of AI's potential to destroy the careers and lives of creative professionals...I strongly believe that there are some real benefits to what it can do and how it can engage students in new ways or make teachers' lives easier.
That said, it is absolutely our responsibility as educators to first teach ourselves how, why, and when to use AI, and then share that information with our students. To help this process, the Londonderry School District AI Taskforce developed this infographic based on the one created by Matt Miller of Ditch That Textbook:
This infographic is designed for both teachers and students to think about how they are using AI. There is no "right" or "wrong" side of the spectrum. It is just about recognizing your position and confidently supporting your choices on AI usage.
Teacher Reflection
As a teacher, there may be times that I might find myself on the left side of the spectrum. For example, we just did a lesson with students on writing emails effectively. We did an activity where we gave each student a random scenario that they would need to email their teacher about (you want to apologize for being late to class, you want to compliment your teacher for a cool project, etc.) Instead of taking the time to come up with 30 unique scenarios, we entered a prompt into AI asking for the 30 scenarios. We then reviewed them and determined that they all worked for our purposes, so we did not change any. In that case, we were on the left side of the spectrum. But I stand behind that decision and do not believe our lesson was any less effective because of it. The remainder of our lesson was created entirely on the right side of the spectrum with NO help from AI.
I ask that if you as a teacher are using AI in your practice, you review the spectrum and ensure that you feel confident in supporting that usage.
Student Reflection
Then, the next step is working to teach your students how to do the same. Maybe as a teacher, you say that students can ONLY be on the right side of the spectrum in your class. Or maybe you say that on one particular project, students can use AI to coach them through creating the work (middle of the spectrum). Maybe you even want to do a project where students are judging the content that AI generates, so you allow them to be on the left side of the spectrum to start. And then if you find yourself questioning whether a student has used AI improperly, use the infographic as a conversation starter and ask the student to tell you where they landed on the spectrum.
As teachers, we all want our students to demonstrate academic integrity. We want to hold students accountable if they are found to be cheating or plagiarizing. Trust me, I strongly believe students should face harsh consequences for academic dishonesty...but with AI, it is our responsibility to teach students where to draw the line. Eventually, they will be out of our hands and into a world where they have to figure it out on their own. Let's help them develop a sense of personal responsibility and ethical judgement.
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