Have you ever thought about the role of artificial intelligence in education? It’s a topic that’s been gaining traction in recent years, with AI technology being used in various aspects of the curriculum. But with its increasing use, there are growing concerns about the potential dangers it poses, particularly in the English classroom. From automated essay grading to personalized learning programs, AI is transforming the way we teach and learn English. However, as we delve deeper into this topic, we must also consider the potential risks and drawbacks that come with relying on machines to guide our language learning. In this article, we’ll explore the potential dangers of artificial intelligence in the English classroom and discuss how we can navigate this technological landscape in a responsible and effective way.
STOP. Have another look at that paragraph. Did it sound like me? BECAUSE IT’S NOT. I used AI to write an opening paragraph on this topic. And while it is relevant and on topic, it doesn’t sound like me. Regular readers of this blog (hopefully) noticed a difference in my writing voice, an element that is often lacking in artificially-generated content.
Now, on to the original content…
This week I typed up this letter to include in any resources that require composition. Since AI is changing so frequently, this seemed like the best way to address the ever-growing presence of AI in education. Rather than synthesize the information in a blog post, I thought it better to simply post the letter to my blog.
Here it is:
To my buyers and followers:
As I write this letter, AI is growing. It is learning, evolving. Recently, word-processing programs like Word have integrated AI into their composition features. Students can write an entire essay, based on fact-based research, and simply press a button to make their writing more “formal.” This feature will rewrite the entire essay. This has students (and teachers) asking, is this cheating?
I could make a document explaining what is acceptable in the ELA classroom when it comes to AI, but there is no longer a black and white line dividing acceptable use and plagiarism. What is called cheating in your classroom may be fully acceptable just next door. This makes us wonder, what can we do?
Rather than answer that, it is important to create an action plan in your classroom and in your school. Here are suggestions that I can offer to beat the AI problem:
With your school & administrator:
- Review your school’s handbook policy on plagiarism and cheating. If AI is not addressed in that policy, move to have it added immediately. If it is not defined, it can’t be properly monitored.
- Ask for support in catching and stopping plagiarism and AI tools that write for students (such as ChatGPT). Turnitin.com has a strong AI feature and tools like Draftback can show students’ drafts in progress.
With your students:
- Clearly define what is acceptable and what is not.
- For example, the following is acceptable in my classroom: Using AI to edit, such as with Grammarly, or to format a document, such as a template for an outline. When AI is used to replace the composition, research, or to bypass the citation process, it is punishable.
- Explain, with kindness, why AI is a problem in composition. AI replaces a students’ unique writing voice with that of a mindless bot.
- Reward your students for sounding like themselves with reflective and responsive writing tasks. These could include a self-reflection, a personalized position paper, or a career assessment based on their own gifts and personalities.
On your own:
- Be prepared to fight the fight. Even the nicest kids are using artificial intelligence to simplify the process. If you say you’re going to look for it, use the above-mentioned tools to catch AI use before it gets too late.
- Inform your students’ parents on what is acceptable and what is not. Many parents are not aware of AI’s capabilities and, while some will permit cheating, most will not.
- Get to know your students’ writing voice. Work in small practice assignments early in the year to get a feel for how they sound.
- If time and resources are limited, there is no shame in moving to a simplified method: pencil, paper, and writing in class. No danger of AI use there!
I’m sorry I can’t offer a more definitive statement on AI in the ELA classroom, but the technology will only grow and outpace my efforts. My best advice is to be vigilant against inauthenticity, rather than trying to “catch” students in an effort to punish them.
Best regards,
Gina Kortuem
Lit & More
What would you add?
I’d love to hear what you’d add for fellow educators adapting to teaching in the age of AI. Please drop a comment below if you have any advice!
Thank you for sharing this! So many good things to think about and act on. I do think there will be a role for AI in every step of the writing process as we learn more about and experiment with it. It’s uncomfortable to talk about, but I wonder how much opportunity we can open up and explore with students if, in the controlled environment of the classroom, we investigate how AI might help us even during prewriting and drafting without usurping the growth of purely human thought that’s so valuable and desirable for our students. I’m playing with this now, with some intriguing results and reflections from my students.
I agree. My knee-jerk react last year was to condemn it entirely, but that doesn’t make it go away or help prepare 21st century learners. But there are still limits, many enforced strongly in college, so we need to teach them how to respect their authentic voice most of all.
Thanks for your thoughts! I do not think turnitin.com’s AI detection is helpful. If students use Grammarly or any kind of translation tools—our school has international students—it flags them. Plus, they are charging use way too much for it.
I agree that it has a ways to go; it was only released last summer. But if you consider it, translation services and Grammarly are types of AI too, so I don’t mind that it’s flagged. I don’t have many international students though, so that would make it trickier.