For teachers: What should be considered legitimate use of generative AI?
Opinion: Students should not use AI on assignments at all. Early on, students are
not allowed to use calculators at all. I have yet to think of an assignment
where students can use AI as the “calculator.” I feel like AI is just thinking
for you in some cases. I can’t think of any assignment where AI would support
me rather than just thinking for me.
Opinion: I think the traditional way school and assignments are designed is not
built for AI, and we will have to change this around AI as it becomes bigger.
The idea of literacy is actually doing the thing not just knowing it. We talked
last class about if students would be able to transfer knowledge from one thing
to another. If you cannot do the thing, then that is not literacy, no matter
what knowledge you have in your head.
For students: Should cell phones be banned or restricted?
One teacher asked their students about their opinions on this issue last week.
In their context, the students rely on either their mobile phones or
laptops to get some translation related to their lessons. Most of
them welcomed the idea of banning mobile phones at school and
they said this decision increased their attention during the
lessons. However, since some of them still haven’t got a laptop
yet, they are struggling with translation.
I also think the problem is not with mobile phone as a device, it
is rather a social media issue. Most students use their phones and
spend time using social media apps. If the school is not banning
the mobile phone, teachers should at least be able to monitor and
observe what’s happening in their classrooms.
What if parents need something urgent? How will the students react
in an emergency? School districts should consider such issues when
deciding to ban mobile phones. But in general, banning mobile phones
is a good idea.
Cellphones being completely banned from being on your person in
school is safety concern, students should have access to a
communication device in an emergency.
Other questions of interest:
For students: Should schools regulate students' conduct on social media?
The big thing is social media. It has become more encapsulating of
people and their attention spans are down. Over the years, social
media has changed. TikTok is designed to addict you and keep your
attention. As technology becomes more addicting, it becomes a big
deal.
For students: Do you feel welcome at school? Do you feel like you can be
yourself, and like people know you? How do these digital technologies
help or get in the way?
For students: Do you feel like your school is democratic? Which parts
of the school do you feel like you have a say in? How could digital
technologies affect this? How could journalism affect this?
For parents: How does the school use cell phones, social media, and/or
AI to communicate with you? Have these technologies helped you feel
more included in the school community?