Some Ankeny teachers are bringing AI into classrooms
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AI tools like ChatGPT are creating challenges for educators as they tackle plagiarism and misinformation, but local teachers are also finding ways to embrace the technology.
Why it matters: While some schools label ChatGPT as a "cheating tool," local educators are leveraging it to improve student learning and tailor instruction.
State of play: At Parkview Middle School in Ankeny, teachers are using ChatGPT and the education-specific Magic School AI to help in two different ways.
Zoom in: For ESOL teacher Alexa Long, Magic School AI bridges language gaps with her students and their families, especially for less common languages not covered by Google Translate, like those used in some African villages, she tells Axios.
Plus: Jennifer Janes, a reading interventionist, says ChatGPT helps her create more tailored reading passages for skills she's trying to teach.
- For example: A group of her students were interested in Taylor Swift, and she was trying to work with them on reading skills.
- She asked ChatGPT to generate a 300-word biography on Swift at their reading level that included more complex sentences and at least five words that used the prefix "con-."
- It created more engaging and relevant materials without all the legwork, she says.
Reality check: Both teachers say their students are not using AI programs by themselves in class.
- "I think we all want to know more before we put it in the hands of students and encourage use," Long says.
The big picture: AI programs can be helpful tools, but it's important to have parameters and proceed with caution, Hyesun You, assistant professor at the University of Iowa's College of Education, tells Axios.
- They can provide inaccurate information, she warns. She asked ChatGPT to answer 10 specific science questions and it only answered 50% correctly.
- Assignments like writing essays shouldn't involve ChatGPT, since that process requires students to use important skills like brainstorming, reflection and theorizing, You says.
Zoom out: In Colorado, multiple districts are embracing AI and using it to help create homework assignments, sharpen writing skills and even improve bus routes, Axios Denver reports.
Yes, but: AI-driven student learning has a long way to go. A study by Wharton School in Philadelphia found that students who used AI tools performed worse on exams because they were used to using it for copying and pasting answers.
The bottom line: The key for educators, and the rest of us, is making sure to use AI judiciously, You says.