Post #3 | Do My Students Know About A.I. and ChatGPT?

Wait... Should I even tell them yet? What would that mean for my classroom? Will that make my job harder?

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This past week, I thought: I should ask my students about A.I., specifically ChatGPT. Interviewing them about it would be an interesting addition to share on my blog....

Then I thought: does my school board have anything in place yet to support me with navigating this new program once I talk about it? Should I "wake the giant"? They haven't mentioned anything about it yet, so maybe I should let it be.

This tells me that I am somewhat fearful of how my students react to ChatGPT . What will parents think? Once we discuss it, it's out of my control! To be honest, I don't even know if it's a blocked website at my school which is something I will check next week. As a staff, we have not yet discussed the program, and nothing has been sent out to teacher from our school board. This makes me feel like I'm somewhat on my own so navigate this new A.I. that is taking over. Literally. But why does it have to be that way?

I began by investigating the different perspectives and The Big Picture around artificial intelligence and online programs (like ChatGPT) in the classroom. There is so much hesitation making the news about AI in education. I think the concerns are fair, but I need to examine the other side of the argument here before I dive into specific pros and cons.

One study I came across from 2020 simply explored perspectives on artificial intelligence within elementary schools. A good point was raised about educator experiences with COVID-19. Many of the perspectives seemed to be impacted by teacher's experiences implementing online learning during the pandemic (Chong, 2020). Of course teaching online was a reactive measure, however a teacher's ability to navigate online programs and adapt learning to incorporate technology would certainly impact their view on A.I.

Another article noted that the use of AI or AI educational programs (AIed) will depend on how learning, competence and skills and the shifts required in education to ensure students are prepared (Tuomi, 2020). In other words, AI in schools should be used to transform learning for the future. Of course, no one holds a crystal ball and this may rely on the school board taking a chance based on predictions. They shared that it is difficult to accurately assess AI impact on learning due to the vast differences in how it is implemented in learning.

The last article outlined 6 things early childhood teachers need to know about AI (Kazi, 2021):

1. Learn to monitor the use of machine learning in early childhood education- teachers will need to learn and understand AI and its data, monitor its decisions and comment on appropriate use of it (Kazi, 2021).

2. Act as advisors to programmers - teachers will need to advocate for developmentally appropriate design of AI. The experts are still the educators and deserve to be consulted (Kazi, 2021).

3. Understand the dark side of neural networks - teachers need to closely monitor student engagement on AI programs, understand their algorithms (goals) and act as the moral and ethical compass of AI use in education (Kazi, 2021).

4. Collaborate in advocating for responsible and ethical use of AI in education - educators need to advocate for open dialogue around AI in schools and not just let computer scientists dictate this. Teachers should have a part in the AI metrics and hidden objectives of these programs when it involves learning (maybe a specific ChatGPT for schools?) (Kazi, 2021).

5. Ensure that any AI that is used follows acceptable standards - We need to focus on student safety. Schools and associations need to take collaborative action to devise ethical standards and guidelines around use, data ownership, etc. (Kazi, 2021).

6. Remember our priorities as early childhood educators - don't forget we are human! Human skills such as emotional intelligence, persuasion, social understanding, ethics will be crucial with the mergence of AI. These are important learning to focus on teaching our students (Kazi, 2021).

Educators need to jump on this new advancement in technology and help steer the ship when it comes to learning. We need to be proactive with new technology and help our students and policy makers make the best choices with student safety and security at the forefront. If we can be proactive about it, we don't need to be reactive when it is working against us and our learners.

The author of the article, Samia Kazi (2021), has a 3 minute follow-up video worth watching here on the importance of teachers fostering AI in education, and at least building awareness and understanding.

Samia AI Follow-Up, Kazi, S. (2021)

Okay - I have decided. This week is the week I discuss ChatGPT with my students.

I am all for knowledge, and sharing news items that could possibly support my students (and families). Along with discussing all of the benefits to artificial intelligence, I will be discussing appropriate use, being critical fact-checkers, and having the "time-and-place" talk to supplementing our learning. If anyone has any books or read aloud novel ideas that could incorporate the idea of A.I. in our world, I would love to hear about them!

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References

Chong, J. V. V. (2020). Perspectives on artificial intelligence in education: A study of public elementary school teachers (Order No. 28313985). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (2479730471). Retrieved from https://proxy.queensu.ca/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/perspectives-on-artificial-intelligence-education/docview/2479730471/se-2

Kazi, S. (2021). AI in Early Childhood -- Six Things Teachers Need to Know. Childhood Education International. 13, 15-19. https://ceinternational1892.org/article/insights-into-how-educators-should-prepare-for-artificial-intelligence-in-early-childhood-education/

Kazi, S. (2021). Samia AI follow-up [Video]. Vimeo. https://vimeo.com/530808993?embedded=true&source=vimeo_logo&owner=108213940

Tuomi, I. (2020). The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in education. Research4Committees. https://bit.ly/3lCMotK