Who’s Afraid of Big Bad AI?
It’s scary to think that students are now able to turn in essays and term papers that a machine wrote for them.
And that’s just the beginning of a new world where the written word can now be manufactured and de-personalized.
Educators are supposed to be assessing student achievement, not congratulating artificial intelligence for turning in well-written paragraphs.
But does that mean that AI is the big bad wolf?
Let’s think around the “AI problem” and acknowledge that reading great writing is also a way to teach writing. Nothing wrong with students having access to good writing 24/7. We just have to remember to adapt our lesson.
“Students! Go ahead and use artificial intelligence to draft your next assignment.”
With one caveat…
“You are going to be expected to present your essay in front of class, and explain why your personal experiences support or contradict what you are saying.”
Ouch!!!!
Nothing in AI comes close to capturing the memory and personal experiences that students have – especially the ones who have never had a voice. The authenticity of a student’s written word may be suspect, but listening, critical thinking and conversational development are skills that can’t be faked.
Nothing to be afraid of here.
