As a student, you may have faced questions such as:
- What are the similarities and differences between capitalism and communism?
- If x2−y2=33 and x−y=3, what is the value of x2+y2?
- How do cells divide?
Just reading this book will make you feel glad that your school days are over.
However, as a student, I learned how to understand complex topics, use critical thinking skills, and carefully structure my answers to be able to answer these types of questions.
Today's students can use technologies like ChatGPT and AI to write papers, solve problems, and answer questions in seconds. And while their solutions may get them promoted past their teachers, if they rely on AI for answers, they need to learn how to think critically and build the skills they need to succeed in their careers. It doesn't mean that it's working.
Teachers certainly have concerns about AI. But we also embrace AI tools to help students succeed.
Noel Candelaria is the National Education Association's executive treasurer and works with the NEA's AI Task Force. “There's a sense of excitement about AI and its possibilities, but there's also fear,” he tells his TODAY.
Here's what parents need to know:
1. Plagiarism isn't the only thing teachers worry about
AI is a permanent tool, and students need guidance on how to use it ethically and morally.
“As technology advances and misinformation is just a click away, we continually strive to help our students distinguish fact from fiction,” American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten said today. told.
AFT has partnered with NewsGuard and GPTZero to help educators ensure online sources are trustworthy and help students identify signs of AI use in assignments. “These are magnifying glasses that help teachers see more behind the scenes of documents,” Weingarten says.
“Showing students how to properly use AI is very important. How are we using AI to prompt and assist users, rather than as the end goal of a job?” Candelaria says. “We need to teach students how to analyze data and where that data comes from so that AI can lead us down the right path.”
2. AI isn’t the future – it’s in many classrooms now
“71% of educators use educational technology in the classroom every day, and student use of AI is increasing every day,” Weingarten said.
These teachers are finding creative ways to use AI to handle daily tasks so they can focus on what only humans can do, like teaching.
“AI has taken away a lot of the heavy lifting, freeing up teachers to collaborate more with students and better prepare for their lessons,” Candelaria said. Teachers can use her AI to review student performance for tasks such as drafting emails to parents, developing lesson plans, and analyzing grades. This way, you will have more time to spend with your students.
3. AI helps teachers work with diverse student groups
Candelaria is referring to an elementary school teacher in California who has nine students in her classroom. None of them have been in the United States for more than a year, and they speak nine languages.
“Being able to use translation AI tools in the classroom has completely changed the way I communicate with my students. It has made a huge difference in helping them as English learners,” he says.
In another classroom, Candelaria said, a fifth-grade teacher said some students were reading at a third-grade level and others were reading at an 11th-grade level. The teacher uses her AI to raise or lower the level of assignments, freeing up time for students to work one-on-one with her.
4. AI can make classrooms and lessons more inclusive for children with disabilities
AI tools make it easier for students with disabilities to participate in school. For example, AI text-to-speech and voice-to-speech technologies make it easier for students with speech, visual, learning, and motor disabilities to communicate.
Students with mobility challenges can use AI tools to overcome physical barriers. For example, a geometry student may need to stand up in class and measure a specific angle. Using AI, you can instead get the data you need from your photos.
AI tools can also directly support learning. Candelaria shares the example of a high school student with severe attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder who struggles with punctuation, which is common in people with ADHD. With an AI grammar checker like Grammarly, you can correct your punctuation and learn how to use it properly.
5. AI is already changing the way teachers teach
Before AI, teachers had to create lots of content such as study guides, flashcards, and quizzes. Now, you can delegate many of those tasks to AI and focus on helping your students learn.
“This will require a deeper understanding of how students learn individually and the ability to use AI to adapt to their learning styles. It provides an opportunity to differentiate instruction like never before and helps students reach their full potential,” said Candelaria.
6. Creativity and critical thinking become even more important with AI
AI’s strength lies in facts and data, so students need to learn how to develop complementary skills.
Teachers, especially at the high school level, are exploring how AI can help students generate ideas in ways that don't inhibit their own creative thinking. “We try to maximize the creativity that students bring, not replace it,” Candelaria says.
Weingarten emphasizes the importance of developing critical thinking skills through writing. By doing so, she says, “children learn to express their ideas honestly and consistently, and are better prepared for opportunities when they enter the workforce.”
7. AI will never replace human connection
Remember your favorite teacher. What is it about that person that holds a special place in your heart? Perhaps at their core you'll find qualities such as compassion, empathy, encouragement, and support.
The AI won't high-five students who are working hard, spot when the energy level in the class is ready for a change, or build personal relationships with students and their families. “The learning and connecting aspects of being human never go away,” Weingarten said. “This is going to be a very important role, and one that will only increase as AI continues to evolve.”