Previously published on www.corp.smartbrief.com
I used to think the internet was the worst thing to happen to schools.
Cyberbullying. Fake primary sources. Misinformation. The death of the card catalog. Texting under the desk. I failed to see how it added anything positive for teachers and school leaders, not to mention students. I’ll take some good old-fashioned note-passing any day!
Websites selling dubious classroom materials intensified my internal internet combustion. When I started reading all the concerned posts about ChatGPT in schools, I got it. And when my 12-year-old tried to pass off an essay written by ChatGPT as his own, I double got it.
I’ve now spent a fair amount of time using ChatGPT, and it’s different.
ChatGPT can revolutionize our lives as educators.
A gift to overworked teachers
I talked to Mary Howard, a New York State Master Teacher of Science and the author of “Artificial Intelligence To Streamline Your Teacher Life: The ChatGPT Guide for Educators.” She told me that ChatGPT “is the best timesaver imaginable. I use it daily for a great variety of tasks.”
I was curious how a science teacher might use an artificial intelligence helper. She spelled out these four uses:
- Generating grading rubrics.
- Generating content-based reading passages and then altering the reading level to differentiate instruction.
- Generating real-life, relevant examples to use during lessons based on science content.
- Assisting in organizing data sets and generating data tables.
It’s not that Mary couldn’t do these tasks on her own. It’s that ChatGPT does them in mere seconds, returning literal hours to her day.
Managing parent communications
Consistent and positive communication with home adults is non-negotiable. It’s an integral facet of supporting students to succeed. Sending translatable school communications like weekly class updates keeps families informed. Informed parents support what’s happening in the classroom. Following up with a text or call is the difference between a student who comes to school and one who doesn’t.
Research shows that strong home-school communication leads to improved academic and behavioral outcomes. In an era of chronic absenteeism, it becomes all the more urgent. Especially when there’s a clear relationship between dropping out and becoming incarcerated.
ChatGPT can help reduce the burden of school-home communications.
There's more! Read the full article here.
