Recently, I decided to integrate AI into our memoir writing unit. Because this was so new to me, I didn’t begin with a full-proof plan, rather I let each lesson set the tone for the next one. I know that sounds scary to those of you who need a specific plan, but it was actually pretty fun. The kids and I were genuinely learning together and letting our questions and curiosity guide what came next. Over the next few weeks, I’m going to share that journey with you. Today, I’m going to talk about how we prepared for this unit. Next week, I’ll share what this looked like during the writing process. And my final post will be my reflection on this experience.
Before I start, I know that the idea of using AI to write for kids is going to make a lot of people uncomfortable. I was uncomfortable! However, I couldn’t deny how much my students were using it anyway. And I needed to accept that regardless of my feelings about it, AI is the undeniable future. Kids need to learn how to use it and use it well. So, I ripped off the bandaid and we jumped in! Here is how it went down…
Preparing My Students for AI-Assisted Writing
As a teacher-influencer, I believe in harnessing technology to enhance students’ learning experiences. Recently, I introduced my 7th graders to the concept of using AI to aid their writing, particularly in crafting personal narrative essays. The journey began with a comprehensive exploration of AI’s origins, applications, and ethical considerations.
Over two days, we delved into educational resources like those provided by aiedu.org, unraveling the intricacies of artificial intelligence. We discussed how AI has evolved, from its inception to its current role in various fields. We also examined its potential applications, from chatbots to content generation tools, sparking curiosity among the students.
Next, we went into the ethical concerns surrounding AI, emphasizing the importance of responsible usage. By addressing issues such as data privacy, bias, and job displacement, we encouraged critical thinking and ethical awareness among the students.
Then, we started playing around with some AI generators, likeChatGPT. Through interactive sessions, students learned to input prompts and refine them to achieve desired outcomes. We observed that breaking down the writing process into smaller, manageable chunks yielded better results. By requesting ChatGPT to generate paragraphs instead of entire essays at once, students honed their narrative skills and learned to guide the AI effectively.
We paid a lot of attention to the vocabulary generated by ChatGPT, stressing the significance of understanding every word in their essays. This exercise highlighted the importance of linguistic precision and expanded students’ vocabulary repertoire.
Then, we were ready to write! Come back next week for Part Two: My Students’ AI-Assisted Writing Journey.
I’m moving to middle school this year and love how you are incorporating AI into your students’ knowledge. It can be a scary thing to utilize (especially for teachers), but as most things evolve, it’s a necessary component and something that’s not going away, so we might as well embrace the technology and use it to our advantage. I enjoyed reading your trials and look forward to reading more.
Yup! I know it’s scary embracing such a controversial tool, but I think our kids will be at a distinct disadvantage if we don’t teach them how to use it!