Post and discuss your responses to the reflection question - What ways are you NOT thinking of using Generative AI in your classroom? In what ways might your students use it that you’re concerned about?
I’d like to start by using AI to help with lesson planning. Especially since I’m the only CS teacher at my school. I don’t want to use it to automate grading. I’m not even sure how to do that.
I am hesitant to allow students to use AI in the classroom for generating images. I think anything I would do in the classroom would be extremely guided so students don’t have an opportunity to generate inappropriate images involving weapons, drugs or their classmates’ images. I worry that once I show them the technology they will use it at home for the wrong reasons. I am worried that students will cheat on assignments and/or copy/paste content. However, I would rather that than a student making a inappropriate picture of their classmate and having that spread online. I think that would have more long term damage on other people.
I’m concerned most that my students might bypass critical thinking by taking the easy route—copying and pasting questions to generate answers rather than engaging with the material themselves. My goal is to challenge them and encourage collaboration, but I worry that relying too heavily on AI could undermine these efforts, leading them to give their brains a break instead of actively participating in the learning process.
I’m most worried that students will use AI to complete their writing assignments without learning how to write on their own. We can’t always depend on computers, and students need to be able to write without assistance. I also don’t feel comfortable using AI to grade student writing. One of our curriculum programs is called Writable, and there is a functionality in there to provide feedback for student writing. I had a colleague use it on one of the top students in our school, and the AI ripped him apart like he wasn’t a great writer. So I just don’t trust AI to provide feedback like that.
I used generatice AI to give me a list of facts about a topic for a report. I want students to still learn how to find facts on their own and not just ask AI to provide all the answers. Although, this is probably what teachers said when the internet came out! I think we’ll have to change what we’re asking students to do with the information that is literally at their fingertips. I also asked AI to give me some ideas to practice my multiplication facts. I do like the idea of students using it in this way. To assist them with learning instead of doing the work for them.
I won’t use it grade student work. If I don’t want students using it to do the work, then I feel it’s wrong to use it to grade the work. Plus, one way I get to know my students is by reviewing their work, and this would deprive me of that. I
I know that students use it to do writing tasks, and this hurts them in the long run. Other teachers and I now require more on-demand writing, and students need to build the skills to be able to write without assistance. I support using it AFTER writing, however, to give feedback, especially grammatical.
I worry that students will use AI to help them describe their thinking process when working through math problems. We ask students to find errors or describe how to solve problems instead of just solving them. With so many AI programs out there, it is easy for students to enter the prompt into the AI tool and have a response given to them. I don’t discourage this when students are learning how to work through problems, but I want to ensure that they are able to form their own thinking about math problems and not just relying on the thinking of a bot or program.
If my elementary students were assigned a writing assignment I would not want them to use AI because I want them to work on their critical thinking skills and their practice of constructing a composition. I think that if the students were allowed to use AI for their writing that they might just copy the generated AI writing.
At this point in time, I do not feel comfortable with and would not use generative AI in my classroom to create summative assessments. I’m worried that my students will use generative AI/LLMs as a means to critically think and problem-solve instead of doing it for themselves or compiling/generating their own research to make informed decisions, claims, hypotheses, solutions, etc.
I’m doing an experiment where I let them use it for research for a class called “Evolution of Everyday Objects”. I’m allowing them to use it to gather facts, learn the history of their object, create outlines and even a presentation. However, their assessment will be screen-free. There will be a verbal and a written portion – I’ll interview them, and then give them a blank piece of paper and explain their learning once the unit is over. I’d love any feedback.
I wouldn’t use generative AI for my actual acting on stage for the kids. Because my field is performance-based, it’s something AI can’t just come in and make easier for my students or me. It’s in a realm where technology doesn’t come into play as much. I also wouldn’t allow it to be used on essays, since I feel like my kids would more or less attempt to use generated essays without doing the work, despite me warning them to not do that. I feel like the ethical side of generative AI use isn’t quite pervasive among students quite yet.
I don’t know what I wouldn’t use. There are so many cool AI tools. The problem is that when I tried to have my daughter use the MagicSchool AI tool on her school issued computer she couldn’t get on. It was blocked. This is going to be an issue in trying to use some AI tools in education. However, I would like to start using AI to help create come content for my classroom and help differentiate learning for my students.
One area where I would be cautious about using generative AI is in assessing student understanding, grading, and feedback. While AI can help grade multiple-choice questions or provide feedback on certain types of assignments, I think it may struggle to accurately assess higher-order thinking skills like critical analysis, creativity, or problem-solving.
I would be concerned about students using generative AI to cheat or plagiarize. If students use AI to generate essays, stories, or other creative work, it can undermine the purpose of assignments designed to assess their own original thought and creativity. It becomes difficult to assess true student learning if they are not producing their own assignments. It is important to teach students the importance of academic integrity and provide students with guidance on how to use AI ethically and responsibly. I think AI would be a great thought partner for students supporting them in the creative process.
I don’t think there is a way that I wouldn’t use generative AI in my classroom. I find it very helpful for lessons. The only concern I have regarding my students is using it to help them on summative quizzes or with their writing.
I will not use it in my classroom to grade student work. I worry my students will not put much effort into written assignments, so I do my best to compromise and I tell them if the verbiage used is not how they normally speak, then I will run it through the AI checker. If it’s more than 60 percent AI generated then they will lose points. I encourage them to use it as a tool but to make adjustments to words they normally use in conversation.
I’ll admit it: I teach K-5 students how to generate AI text and images. It is important to teach the management of these skills as well as the objective process about how AI works and learns. However, I would never use AI to generate lesson plans, slides, or teaching materials. All of my experience with generative AI is that it cannot do anything better than a human (only superficial outputs quicker), so it would be ironic if I taught in a way that makes it seem allowable to students to submit generative work without scrunity for a grade. Same way as spell-check works, it’s important students are equipped to use but not rely on it. If students are never exposed or taught, they will never learn. We have to teach AI.