A robot that can write all school essays with just one prompt, so convenient! For those who don’t know, ChatGPT is an AI developed by Open AI that is a chatbot that can respond to questions, and compose written content. This content includes social media posts, articles, emails, code, and even essays. Since it’s free to use for all, it’s very tempting to create an account and let the AI do the writing.
Schools across the globe are divided on what to actually do about the use of this AI in the classroom. Soon after its launch in November of 2022 some of the biggest school districts in the U.S. had it banned and blocked from the school network. Although, colleges and universities can’t be as quick to follow because in a study conducted by College Rover said that 4 in 10 students said they weren’t interested in attending a university that bans chatbots like ChatGPT.
At Joliet West, however, a policy statement is yet to be released, so it’s up to each individual teacher to decide how severe the consequences will be for students who are found to be using it. Multiple teachers were asked for their stance on the subject and here’s what they had to say.
Ms. Harris is an AP Lang teacher, and she states that she sees both sides of the argument but for her class, “Anyway, I haven’t had too many encounters with it in class. My policy is that it’s totally forbidden. Someone else can teach students to use it in a business class. I teach people reading, writing, and critical thinking and it isn’t aligned with my students’ needs or their growth.“
Although rhetoric teacher Mr. Newman has more open views on the subject, he states that, “I think it can be useful to brainstorm ideas if students then really consider what the ideas mean to them personally, not what the AI tells them the ideas mean to them. I want students to use the available tools to help them develop good ideas.” He then continues to say that, “I guess what I’m saying is this: rather than hoping for a ban on AI/ChatGPT, I’m interested in continuing to learn more about its potential for being a resource for both students and teachers.”
Most teachers have said that they haven’t had any encounters with AI writing as of yet but it’s expected later in the year. Students should be mindful and reach out to their teachers to figure out what the policies are for their classes this year.