Tag: ChatGPT

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The Ethical Implications of AI in Education

As the use of technology in education increases, so do the questions of ethics and fairness. ChatGPT and other AI technologies, while potentially useful in providing students with more answers to tests and writing essays, can also be seen as a form of cheating. This is especially concerning in light of the already existing issue of cheating in high schools and universities.

The larger problem here is not the use of technology, but our society’s obsession with testing. Education should not be about passing tests, but rather about learning and exploring new ideas. Too often, our educational system is driven by politics, leaving teachers and students feeling as though they are only being evaluated on the basis of their results on standardized tests.

Rather than relying solely on tests, we should be focusing on teaching students how to think critically and apply the knowledge they have learned. ChatGPT and other AI technologies could provide students with the knowledge they need to operate in the world, but it must be done in a fair and ethical manner. We need to shift our focus away from assessment and towards learning, in order to ensure that students are getting the best possible education.

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Will ChatGPT replace journalists?

I asked ChatGPT if it would replace journalists. I think the answer is instructive.

“It is unlikely that ChatGPT or any other language model will completely replace journalists in the near future. While ChatGPT and other language models are capable of generating text that can be used for a wide range of applications, such as news articles, they are not currently able to fully replicate the research, analysis, and critical thinking skills that journalists bring to their work.

Journalists are trained professionals who have developed the ability to gather, verify and present information in an accurate and unbiased manner. They also have the ability to provide context, analysis and in-depth reporting on a subject, which is something that a language model like ChatGPT can’t do.

Additionally, ChatGPT and other language models rely on data to learn and generate text, so their understanding of the world is limited by the data they have been trained on. Therefore, they may not be able to provide accurate information or report on certain topics, especially when it comes to complex and nuanced issues.

That being said, ChatGPT and other language models can be used to assist journalists in their work, by helping them generate text quickly and efficiently. They can also be used to generate news articles, summaries, and other types of content in areas where there is a shortage of human journalists, such as rural or remote areas.

In summary, ChatGPT is a powerful tool, but it does not replace the expertise, critical thinking and analysis skills that journalists bring to their work.”

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Reimagining Education: How Technology Is Transforming the Way We Learn

A quarter of a century ago, when we presented interactive distance learning in the public education system of Western New York State, we encountered a lot of resistance from those who had a vested interest in the status quo. Even I, as a member of the teachers union, expressed apprehension that this would result in job losses. Our initial distance learning classrooms were limited to a maximum of twelve students, when the typical class size for secondary education was twice that number.

There will always be naysayers and alarmists who forecast doom and gloom when new technologies emerge in education. I remember when an uproar arose over children carry cell phones in schools. They could call their parents without coming to the office and asking permission. Students were using video conferencing apps to communicate with each other. They were texting in class and the presumption among many was that they were cheating. Cell phones were confiscated and held in school district offices.

I thought all of this over-reaction was nonsensical and regularly lobbied school administrators to rethink their reticense and instead teach children how to use these new devices for their benefit. Eventually I was given the opportunity to do just that and in 2009 designed and implemented one of the first digital citizenship classes in New York State. Our classroom even got visited by Deputy New York State Education Commissioner John King. It was one of the high points of my career.

Here we are again at a inflection point in education with the introduction of ChatGPT and similar technologies which are deemed equally disruptive by the naysayers. “Students will cheat” they say! That’s nothing new. Students have been cheating since Christ was a corporal. Maybe it’s time to rethink how we educate and more importantly how we assess education. If your tests are multiple choice, true false and essays maybe artificial intelligence agents threaten your methods.

Maybe you ought to be testing your students at a higher level. I am licensed to drive a car. I read a book, took driver education classes and had to pass a written examination and then demonstrate that I could actually drive. I learned how to drive a 1965 Volkswagen Beetle. The dimmer switch was on the floor. Later they put those controls on the steering column. My vehicle today can steer itself and has collision avoidance (artificial intelligence agent) built into the car. When I learned to drive we used written direction and maps to navigate. Now Siri and Waze aid my navigation and I don’t want to go back. My headlights automatically dim at night.

In short we’re living in a new world and our students need to know how to navigate in that new environment. We have technologies today that translate web pages. We have intelligent devices and programs that allow visually impaired folks to read books, periodicals and newspapers. I wear digital hearing aids that make it possible for me to hear better.

ChatGPT and technologies like it are going to revolutionize our education and our environment. Our students need all the opportunities we can give them to succeed. We cannot know at this stage how these developments will impact our culture but we can be certain that they will. Are we depriving students and teachers of opportunities to learn in new and different ways?

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Unlocking the Potential of ChatGPT in Education

A few weeks ago our daughter shared an interesting and insightful story about our grandson. Our grandson is in kindergarten and despite his age he is a very good reader. He reads and writes quite well. He’s also a young man who has grown up in a home that has an Amazon Alexa which he is very familiar with. He uses it often to get weather information that determines whether he can go outside after school and even what kind of clothing he can wear. He is so proficient with the technology that he ordered a movie without his parents permission a couple of years ago. He regularly listens to music and frequently sings along with what is playing.

Like most emerging readers he still has problems decoding unfamiliar words. Our daughter told us that she heard him spelling out words for Alexa and asking “her” what those words were. We have other grandchildren who are familiar with this kind of technology and use it to gather information and play music as well. These children have never known a time when there wasn’t an Alexa or Siri to answer questions. Before Google, Amazon, Apple and others put information at our fingertips we relied on encylopedias, library card catalogs and information in books, magazines and newspapers.

Yesterday New York City decided to ban ChatGPT in its public schools. This is a technology that’s just an extension of smart devices which many school children carry in their pockets. Are these folks so naive that they think that the children in their school system are not going to use these technologies despite their Luddite like approach to educational governance.

Just today I read that Microsoft is partnering with OpenAI (the founders of ChatGPT) to build a better search engine that uses this technology. Wouldn’t it make more sense to talk to students about the ethics of artificial intelligence?

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Imaginative uses of AI in the classroom and beyond

Recently a friend of mine suggested I use ChatGPT to write a breaking news story about a leaf falling from a tree. I followed his suggestion and the result was hilarious. We read and hear lots of breaking news stories but rarely ever think about how they are written and how they might sound featuring mundane topics as leaves falling from trees. Writing prompts are great way to inspire creativity and that is one of the many things I love about ChatGPT and the future of artificial intelligence and machine learning in education.

Following the same line of thought I thought of using ChatGPT to generate an conversation between two imaginary characters with the intent of having them discuss their life in the forest. My writing prompt for ChatGPT was “Write an exciting dialogue between Herbert the squirrel and Leslie the deer.” Here is the result of some of the dialog that was generated.

Herbert the squirrel was running through the forest, darting from tree to tree and chattering away to himself. Suddenly, he spotted Leslie the deer standing on the path ahead.

“Hello there, Leslie!” Herbert called out. “What brings you out to the forest today?”

Leslie turned to Herbert and smiled. “Oh, just out for a leisurely stroll. The weather is so beautiful today, I couldn’t resist the opportunity to enjoy it.”

“Absolutely!” Herbert agreed. “This is the perfect day to be outside and explore. I’ve been chasing after acorns all morning.”

Try it yourself at ChatGPT

Imagine your class completing the dialogue and or incorporating it in some other way into their own writing. I see a bright future for this technology in the classroom.

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Using ChatGPT

Earlier today I decided to begin using ChatGPT. Curiosity got the best of me. I asked ChatGPT to draw a square with Python. I’m very familiar with the ‘turtle’ module in Python and regularly use it in classes I teach for middle school students. The solution offered by ChatGPT was not one I had ever seen nor demonstrated for students. I was impressed and shared this on Fosstodon.org . Later I asked ChatGPT to draw and ‘isosceles’ triangle. I expected that it might use the ‘turtle’ module again but instead this time it used ‘matplotlib.’ Another unique solution. A response to my post on Fosstodon stated that the AI powered solution was merely repeating information that could be found with a ‘Google search.’ I liked the response and didn’t disagree. Fast forward six hours and I used ChatGPT to draw a circle with ‘C++.’ The code appeared once again. This time AI provided two possible solutions. I asked it to give me a Python program that would write haiku. Once again the answer was a code snippet I would not have thought of. 

import random

haiku = [
    "Autumn leaves fall gently",
    "As the cool breeze blows softly",
    "Nature's symphony"
]

print(random.choice(haiku))

I ‘Googled’ the same request and yes the answers were there but I had to sift through a couple of blog posts to find the code examples. I think AI is going to significantly change how we interact with knowledge from the internet and other databases that are connected to these learning engines. What are your thoughts?