AI in the Classroom

When ChatGPT was first released on November 30th, 2022, a wide variety of reactions followed. It was thrilling, scary, and questions about how this would impact our daily lives flooded society. One big inquiry remains to be answered: How will these new technologies impact schools and education? Many schools across the country are already incorporating AI into the school curriculum. The predicted outcomes for whether students will perform better or worse, however, are unclear. 

Let’s face it: AI has only been in our hands for three years. We are currently in the “guinea pig era,” as Shumita Basu, a host for Apple News calls it. Data currently shows that while some students are benefiting from using AI effectively, others are experiencing destructive effects. Another question is whether AI itself or the change in teaching styles as a response to AI are what is impacting student learning. Putting the rapid rise of AI use into perspective can even be scary to consider. Are we entrusting the education of the next generation to the hands of robots? It seems we are a long way off from the robot apocalypses humans have mused on for decades, but it is evident that AI is a part of the reality we are living in now. 

As a new school year at Ridgewood High School rolls in, the subject of artificial intelligence remains at the tip of everyone’s tongues. Students are constantly reminded of both the benefits and consequences that come with AI, and how to handle this tool responsibly. I interviewed a few teachers and classmates at RHS to learn more about how students can work with AI in a responsible and effective manner. With busy lives of their own, I am so thankful they took the time to speak with me on this topic. 

Mrs. Gigante, a Latin teacher at RHS, says “AI is a helpful tool to use for quiz and test review, and can be like a personal tutor. However, the brain is a muscle that needs to be strengthened, so AI should not be an easy way out and used to replace thinking on your own”. Pasting a specific prompt into a chatbox can inform the AI of exactly what new grammar concept or translation exercise you want to focus on. The AI can give you practice problems, examples, and explanations. When AI is used in a way that inhibits a student from digesting new content by themselves, it becomes an issue. 

Ensuring you are improving and learning as a student is important when it comes to using AI. Mrs. Mason, a Latin teacher at RHS, says “AI is great for creating images and generating random vocabulary for practicing a new language concept, but should only be used to augment what the student would have already done on their own. It should not become a shortcut.” This way, students can save time that can be used for something productive while still improving their own abilities. If students become too reliant on AI, intellectual growth can be stunted. 

It is best if students strike a balance between assistance from AI and dependency on AI. Jamie Yang, a sophomore, says AI is good for “refining your own work and providing helpful resources.” While this is the case, “students will not learn unless they are doing the work themselves, and should check what AI generates for accuracy.”

In English class, writing is a process that requires layers of ideas and thoughtful insights, all of which takes time. Often, students will realize that their “own sentences flow better than ones generated by a computer,” Mrs. Aromando says. “Teachers are always here to help you work out any details in your writing.” While AI can provide different perspectives and ideas, recognizing the limits of these tools is an important part of understanding how to use them responsibly. 

For example, using AI to teach a math concept can be risky, as it can often be incorrect. Isha Vitale, a sophomore at RHS says she likes how AI is like a personal tutor that is available 24 hours a day. However, she is aware that “AI often gives incorrect answers, which makes it unreliable.”  Fact-checking what AI outputs is a good practice. Ella Chou, a sophomore at RHS, says “AI can be used as an extra study guide” but she suggests “asking a teacher or going to resources you know are reliable” as ways to ensure you are getting accurate information. In fact, AI always writes in a confident, authoritative tone, even when giving wrong answers. Being vigilant when using AI will help students spot careless mistakes AI makes, and prevent them from carrying these mistakes over to their own work. 

AI is spreading everywhere, including the workforce. Many jobs may require skills relating to AI and machine learning in the future. Does that mean it is important for students to be exposed to these tools and develop AI literacy early on? A school in Texas, named Alpha School, is having artificial intelligent chatbots teach the students for a two-hour learning period, followed by six hours of working on individual pursuits. Ironically, most of these individual pursuits also involve working with AI, but this method of schooling may limit student interactions with one another. Others say there is data showing AI in the workforce has been negatively impacting industries, so they have already pulled back on implementing AI in certain jobs. Then how will AI end up shaping the future? Only time will tell.