AI and Essay Writing: Your Concerns are Valid

 One of the most commonly cited concerns with the introduction of AI into education is using AI to do writing for students. It's a well known "fact" that many students don't enjoy writing. There could be any number of reasons for this -- it could be that the kids just feel like they're not good writers, or maybe they're not motivated to write about the topic they have to write about, or it could just be a daunting task and they don't feel like doing it. Access to AI is going to be tempting to a good number of students -- some will want to bypass the writing assignment altogether and get AI to do the writing for them. This isn't new. Essay writing services and "paper mills" have been around for as long as there have been writing assignments. AI is just the newfangled way to get someone else to do an essay!

The best way to thwart using AI to do essay writing is to be up front about what AI CAN do and what students SHOULD do with it. Clear expectations and parameters are going to go along way. When you ask students to do a writing assignment, don't be afraid to bring up AI -- let the kids know what is and is not acceptable in terms of using AI for the assignment, and let them know which tools they can use if any AI use is allowed. Side note: this is important because any AI tools students use need to be age appropriate (meaning they're old enough to use the tool according to the TOS of the AI tool) AND it's either SOPPA compliant or it doesn't collect any student information or data. *The best way to know if an AI tool is okay for students to use is to check with your friendly Instructional Technology resource teacher -- she can tell you for sure either yay or nay.* Then be sure to teach your students how to use AI the way you want them to -- model it! Do a practice or sample in front of the class so they can easily see what they need to do. Finally, be sure to require the kids to include a disclosure -- if they used AI for any part of the writing process, they should share what they used AI for and which AI tool they used. And remember -- it is still completely and totally permissible and acceptable not to allow AI use in a writing assignment (or ANY assignment). Just like when we first introduced Chromebooks to the classroom, no one expected (or wanted) to use Chromebooks for everything. There are some times when a Chromebook just isn't the tool for the job. AI is exactly the same way. 

If you're looking for more information on ethically using AI in writing, here's the blog post that inspired MY blog post! Share your tips for incorporating AI into writing in the comments! It's best when we can all learn together!

Got Skills?

 In April 2024, Forbes Magazine published an article titled, "11 Essential Soft Skills in 2024 (With Examples." While our students here in CSD 17 might be many years away from having a job, that doesn't mean we can't see what soft skills are in demand and begin fostering them now!

Here's the list from the article:

• Communication
• Leadership
• Teamwork
• Creativity
• Time management
• Adaptability
• Problem-solving
• Work ethic
• Critical thinking
• Conflict management
• Emotional intelligence

The first thing that jumps out at me is the 4 C's -- communication, creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration (teamwork). Looks like those skills are still relevant and desirable! Since the focus of my job is educational technology, I like to look at these lists through that lens and figure out how the tech tools kids have can foster these skills. So here are few ideas off the top of my head:

• Kids can easily be taught email etiquette and practice communicating via email with their teacher and possible even their classmates.
• The entire Google Workspace suite of tools can be used for creativity, teamwork, and communication. The simple act of having a small group or class work on a collaborative slide deck is going to hit those three skills. 
• Using times when the internet is down or technology unexpectedly has glitches as teachable moments are great opportunities for having kids practice adaptability. 
• Giving kids the chance to be classroom tech support is also a fun way for kids to have the chance to work on communication, problem-solving, and leadership skills. Leverage those tech-savvy kids and let them be the ones who help their classmates navigate websites or troubleshoot their devices.
• Use features available in Google Docs or Google Keep to have kids create checklists for projects to help them with time management. Add added bonus is they can share those with you so you can check on their progress at a glance!
• Leverage GoGuardian Teacher at the start of the school year so kids know what is expected of them when they're working on their Chromebooks, but as the year progresses, try allowing students a little more freedom on their devices. This gives them the chance to hone their work ethic by demonstrating they understand the guidelines and rules for doing online work.
• Don't forget the power of BreakoutEDU! Practically every one of these soft skills gets used when solving one of these puzzles!

What other ideas do you have? How do you foster the development of these sift skills in your classroom? Share in the comments so we can all keep learning from each other!

Intro to AI Lesson -- Done for You!

 Interested in having your students explore AI? Good news -- I created a lesson for you! It can be used in grades K-8 and be as long or short, involved or simple as you want it to be!

Good news: the tools the students use is similar to ChatGPT in that it is a chatbot, but it meets other requirements:

1. It does NOT collect any data from students, so there is no need to have a SOPPA agreement in place.
2. It is okay for students to use, kindergarten and up.

Check out the completely done for you lesson plan here! Let me know if you're going to give it a try -- I would love to come to your classroom and see it in action!

Cool Tool Alert -- Scribe

 I am starting to lose track of what I have shared with you, so if I already shared this, my apologies! But one of the coolest things I've used recently is called Scribe -- and I credit Mary Jo and Jonathan for the discovery!

If you need to create step by step directions for someone on how to complete something online, Scribe is your new best friend! Simply install the Chrome extension, activate it when you're ready to demonstrate something, and go to work! When you're done, it will create  step-by-step, annotated and illustrated web  page/exportable document that you can share that shows your audience what to do! You can even edit the page before you share it or export it, deleting anything you don't need people to see or changing language. Here's an example of what a Scribe document looks like. 

Check out the Scribe website! And if you're ready to start using it but are feeling a little iffy, no worries! Just give me a ring and I'll come walk you through it! You'll be addicted to making really snazzy how-to guides!

Digital Media Literacy -- More Important Than Ever!

 Digital media literacy is a super hot topic in education because of the impact AI generated content can have on learning. It should be a hot topic for the general public as well because every last one of us could easily and unwittingly fall prey to the bad actors out there generating content that is incredibly realistic and incredibly believable -- and is all super duper fake! Let's just take a look at an analysis of how AI generated false content could impact our upcoming Presidential election. Without being incredibly discerning consumers of information, we all could easily be duped into believing something that is simply not true. One of the most important things we need to do is first, pay attention to our own common sense. If you see, watch, or hear something that makes you think, "Is this actually real?" that's your sign to do some investigating! And that may also mean finding the information in multiple locations because, sadly, far too many reputable sources of information have mistakenly shared false information. This really believable false content is so common it has a name -- deep fakes. And they are incredible sometimes! Just for fun, here's the first deep fake I fell for (if only for a moment). I saw the video and said to my husband, "Tom Cruise and Paris Hilton are a couple???" He looked at me like I had 3 heads, so I decided to check it out and discovered it was all fake. I felt pretty dumb!

But let's take a moment to look at something that kids might be vulnerable to. Here's an AI generated video that will completely appeal to kids: a video of amazing new animals like giraffe flamingoes, eel cats, and bunny armadillos among others -- creatures that will freak you out but may totally mesmerize kids who may then believe these are somehow real.

Our students are going to be exposed to more and more content like this as they get older and AI gets more sophisticated, so we need to reach them early to teach them how to think carefully about what they see. The acronym SIFT is mentioned in the first video I shared in this post, and it's a great one to teach kids and maybe even hang up in your classroom:

• S = STOP when you encounter content that makes you wonder about it.
• I - INVESTIGATE the information in the content.
• F = FIND alternate coverage of the same content.
• T = TRACE the origin by looking at other places where the content is found, looking for dates, authors, etc.

By using this acronym, we -- kids and adults alike -- can protect ourselves from being the victim of people out there who are trying to manipulate us and deceive us. Now, I would love to hear from you! Share in the comments -- what tips, tricks, or strategies do you have for teaching kids how to be critical thinkers and consumers of online content? We can't have too many tools in this toolbox.

Wade In, Don't Jump!

When it comes to getting your students to use AI, you definitely want to WADE into that pool, not JUMP right in!

If you were able to attend any of my PD sessions on using AI, then you know there was a lot of information about how to PREPARE to use AI with students. In fact, there was much more about preparing than actually using. And for good reason. AI is not like any other tool we have put in our students' hands before. It has so much potential and yet so many possible pitfalls that we need to be sure we've got our own brains around it before we let our kids try it out.

So here are some questions you need to not only think about but also ANSWER before having your students do anything with AI in the classroom (and a HUGE thanks to Eric Curts because he assembled so much info on this topic -- all I have had to do is cull the best pieces from his vast body of work). Here are questions to think about, not necessarily in any particular order because they all really do need to be addressed.

• What AI tools do you think you might want kids to use?
• What are your goals for having students use AI?
• How do you view the role of AI in education -- supplemental, teaching substitute, experiences, assistant, feedback, etc.?
• What concerns do you have about students using AI?
• What are your expectations for student use of AI in your classroom?
• How will you monitor student use of AI?
• How does using AI fit into your classroom rules and expectations, your school rules and expectations, and your district rules and expectations?
• How will you address problems when they arise as a result of AI use (note it's WHEN they arise, not IF -- because there WILL be problems)?
• How do you plan to teach students about safety and data privacy?
• How do you plan to teach students about problems with AI such as inaccuracies and bias?
• How will you teach students about academic integrity when it comes to using AI, including the topics of cheating, plagiarism, and transparency?
• How and what will you communicate to parents about eh way AI is used in your classroom by students?
• What does cheating with AI look like? What does it NOT look like?
• What will you do when you suspect a student has used AI in a way that was not considered appropriate? And what will you do if it is confirmed that a student has used AI inappropriately? And what will you do if you suspect it but cannot prove it?
• What will be the most appropriate way for students to disclose or cite their use of AI?

That list of questions might seem overwhelming -- so much so that you may not want to even address AI use in your classroom! Well, that may work for a bit, but AI is here to stay, so it's going to have to be addressed at some point.

And to make this all even more overwhelming, the answers to these questions might change from assignment to assignment, so you may have to answer them over and over again.

It will be helpful to develop some general guidelines for AI use in the classroom and then set out specific expectations for specific assignments, always allowing for a moment of time for students to ask questions specifically about the ways they can use AI for an assignment you give.

Does this sound too daunting to tackle on your own? I get it. It is. I highly recommend working with your grade level or subject area team to discuss these questions. You can also talk with your trust Instructional Technology Resource Teacher!

We Have an AI Policy in Place: Now What?

 If you attended any of the AI professional development sessions I led, you heard me say at each session, "Don't use any AI tools with students until we have a policy in place!"

Well, as of the February 2024 school board meeting, we have a policy in place! Now what?

First, let me offer some relevant highlights from the policy -- these are the tidbits that the classroom teacher will want to to know:

• The AI policy applies to all staff, students, visitors, and volunteers (think of subs and coaches who may not be CSD 17 employees).
• The policy will be updated on an as needed basis (because AI is going to change a lot and quickly).
• There are AI Ethics and Safety Officers who will help oversee all the AI happenings as well as keep abreast of current issues. AI questions can be directed to them. For teachers, the easiest person to reach out to is going to be the Instructional Technology Resource Teacher (ITRT) -- that's me for now :-)
• AI should be used by students responsibly only for education-related purposes, and the activities that involve student use of AI must be thoughtfully planned and well-managed by the teacher for the students.
• Teachers must provide guidance and support to students to help them use AI technology responsibly and safely.
• Staff and students should never input any personally identifiable information about themselves or others into any AI tools. This includes but is not limited to names, email addresses, birthdates, school information, or any other sensitive information.
• Any AI technologies used must be age appropriate and compliant with SOPPA.
• If a teacher learns of a data breach with an AI tool used by students, the teacher must notify admin immediately.
• Accidental or deliberate exposure to inappropriate material or unethical use of AI by students must be reported immediately to admin.

Not the most effective way
to keep kids from seeing
inappropriate material online!

Okay, now you've got the gist of it. This may all sound a bit scary, but really, isn't this what any responsible teacher would do when asking students to use any kind of inline tool? We never just turn kids loose on a website without thoughtful planning, preparation, and guidance for them. This is no different.

So how do you start using AI technology with students? Let me offer these general guidelines first:

• Get familiar with AI yourself first. You can't expect kids to use a tool if you don't understand it.
• Try out any tool you may ask your students to use BEFORE they use it. This will help you know if it will be appropriate and easy enough to use for your kids.
• Verify age requirements and SOPPA compliance if it will require students to log in to use it. There is a link in my email signature for you to easily see what we have SOPPA agreements for, or a simple email to me (or the ITRT) will get the job done.
• Give clear guidelines and expectations to students on what they are using the AI tool for and what they are NOT using it for.
• Supervise the kids while using the AI tools. They will need your guidance.

In the next few blog posts, I will go into more depth and detail about how to prepare to have students use AI safely and responsibly in your classroom. In the meantime, please reach out with questions! This is a topic that you can't feel shy about asking questions! Plus, I love learning new things and sharing them!