With our evolving technology, the use of AI has become more popular as it is easily accessible on almost any device. The most common AI apps are: ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity AI, Suno AI, copilot and many more.
Teachers have to adjust to the growing prevelance of AI a school setting.
Social studies teacher David Preslicka has strong negative feelings about the use of AI. He said, “It provides another opportunity to not do well and cheat and find a way around instead of embracing what they are asked to do.”
He added, “I don’t think students are mature enough to use it.”
Preslicka provides an example from a couple years ago when there were issues in his class after COVID with his LEQ tests. He said, “it was very obvious that almost everyone went to the site and copied and pasted.”
Chemistry teacher Jodi Kyllonen shared similar fears about cheating. She said, “My concern is that AI is a way for students to get answers from a source that is not their own brain.”
English teacher Bret Hemmerlin worries that AI could keep people from thinking critically and independently. He said, “people are being seduced by not having to think anymore for themselves, it depresses me that the people around me don’t wanna think.”
Mr Hemmerlin wanted to add an extra level of urgency regarding the environment impacts of AI. He said, “One thing that is not talked about enough is the serious environmental burdens of AI, I don’t know if it’s worth it so that people don’t have to think anymore.” He urges people to think twice about using AI if you want to preserve our planet.
Social studies teacher Dani Larson sees both the upsides and downsides of AI. As a benefit, they said, “it’s helpful for generating ideas, but it’s only a starting point.”
They added that AI educators should teach more about so that students can better navigate how to get the best answer out of the programs. They said, “It should be taught how to be used properly in middle school so that it would help them understand.”
Social studies and AVID teacher Greg Ueland agrees that we should teach students how to use it responsibly. He also said, “People are using it too much though which is cheating, but I’m also a big believer in the fact that you should use the tools you have available.”
Media Specialist Gregg Martinson sees a lot of possibilities for the future of the world with AI. He said, “I think it could possibly take over our future workforce. It [offers] a great opportunity to be more productive.”
Additionally he acknowledged AI’s power to improve on our written communication. He said, “it’s pretty amazing, when I write something and put it through AI I sound a lot better.”
Math teacher Bob Anderson, “I like that it gives students a resource for help, I don’t like that it makes students think less for themselves.”
However Anderson lamented the accuracy of AI to accurately solve for some math problems. He said, “Currently AI sucks at math, but it is getting better.”
Christina Owen, CTE teacher, has mixed views about AI in the arts fields. She said, “when it comes to AI taking artists jobs, that is gross. But AI as a tool is helpful.”
Social Studies and AVID teacher, Marlee Mfalingundi, also expresses that AI art is not right. She said, “it uses other peoples art to make art, and how deep fakes look so real.”
Woodshop teacher Jeff Davies has embraced AI more than most teachers. He said, “I love AI, it’s my new favorite thing” Additionally, he adds that he uses AI for letters of recommendation.
Preslicka argued that AI interferes with teaching because some students use it to write their papers and complete coursework. He said, “You have to be very careful about whether or not students actually write stuff.”
Mfalingundi agrees; she sees students use it to enhance their answer which makes it not their answer anymore. She said, “writing skills are really important and you can’t always rely on AI.”
Hemmerlin shared that AI does not impact his teaching yet. He said, “we are at an inflection point, it very well could.”
Mfalingundi reported that she has used AI to aid in her teaching. She said, “Teacher AI excited me because it makes making worksheets so much easier, using it for lesson planning is really helpful.”
Kyllonen also reports that it helps out her teachings in some ways. She said, “I have used ChatGPT to write articles and readings used for Earth and Space Science and it has done a very good job.”
Overall teachers have very different opinions about the use of AI. The overall message is that we should keep our individuality by thinking for ourselves and using AI less to take care of our planet.
