PHOENIX — The Arizona Department of Education is drafting a memo for K-12 public schools regarding the challenges and opportunities posed by generative artificial intelligence.
“Superintendent (Tom) Horne believes AI is a serious issue for educators, and he is knowledgeable on the topic and the challenges it presents,” said Rick Medina of ADE. Medina did not say when the memo would be released or what it will entail.
On Thursday, 12 News demonstrated how AI websites like ChatGPT produce detailed responses to requests for essays and research papers, though imperfectly.
AI generation poses new questions for K-12 educators. Should they ban the technology from the classroom? Should they embrace it for the learning opportunities it provides? How can they demonstrate to students its pitfalls and advantages? How does AI impact the writing process?
“It’s both a dilemma and an opportunity,” said Chad Gestson, Founder of the Arizona Institute for Education and the Economy. “I think we have to be optimistic about what it (AI) can do.”
Some districts and charter schools already use AI platforms to tailor student curriculums.
Julia Meyerson of Vista College Prep runs several elementary charter schools. Meyerson implemented an avatar tutoring program to help students read. Students verbally read text wearing headphones. The program prompts the student if they mispronounce a word.
“We’re getting extra bang for our buck in terms of how that student is getting additional support,” Meyerson said.
Meyerson also envisions AI tools providing better “data samples” to teachers to personalize each student's learning experience.
Gestson said he challenges educators to immerse themselves in AI and learn how it can help them. He also recommends parents contact their schools to determine what policies and guardrails are in place for students.
“I think you’re going to start to see school systems here and across the country hold parent AI training,” Gestson said.
As the former Superintendent of Phoenix Union High School District, Gestson said he believes teenagers are becoming familiar with the technology much sooner than teachers because teachers don’t have time to experiment with AI tools.
His organization is creating policies and platforms for educators that will capitalize on AI capabilities.
“How do we make sure educators, when they use an AI tool, are using tools that are research-based that will actually lead to better outcomes in classrooms,” Gestson said. “I think, like a lot of educators and even just humans, the first reaction is a little bit of fear. Where is this going? What does this mean? Not just for education but for society.”
During Thursday’s newscast, 12 News requested ChatGPT to produce a poem about how teachers can prevent students from cheating using AI.
Here is how the website responded:
In a world of knowledge vast and wide,
Where AI's wings reach far and high,
Teachers stand as beacons of light,
Guiding students towards truth's pure sight.
As bits and codes, machines evolve,
Their powers grow, problems they solve,
But teachers hold a sacred role,
To nurture hearts, minds, and souls.
To prevent cheating, they must impart,
Not just facts, but values from the heart,
Integrity, honesty, and trust,
In the quest for learning, a must.
In classrooms where AI might reside,
Teachers craft an environment with pride,
Where curiosity blooms, questions arise,
And cheating's allure simply dies.
First, they build connections, bonds that bind,
To understand the struggles in each young mind,
With empathy, they sense the weight,
That tempts a student to cheat, to take the bait.
Next, they fuel passion for each subject's core,
With interactive lessons, they explore,
In sparking interest, students find,
The drive to learn with a hungry mind.
They teach critical thinking, the art to discern,
Fact from fiction, truth from concern,
In a sea of information, they learn to sail,
Through waves of deceit, they never fail.
But AI's tools can also aid the quest,
To prevent cheating, teachers invest,
In software that tracks suspicious trends,
To catch dishonest acts, make amends.
Yet, amid the tech, a human touch,
A guiding hand that means so much,
Teachers listen, they communicate,
Help students face challenges, eradicate self-hate.
For in a world of ever-changing AI,
Teachers hold the key, they amplify,
The values that make us truly wise,
In knowledge's embrace, we rise.
So let teachers stand as guardians true,
Shaping hearts and minds, a lifelong view,
In a world where AI and humans unite,
Integrity shines, cheating takes flight.
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