What does it mean to “put pen to paper” as artificial intelligence tools are used to brainstorm ideas, draft paragraphs, and polish essays, ask article in Chalkbeat Philadelphia. AI raises questions about authorship, skill development and fair assessment.
With new, tempting writing shortcuts how are students and teachers in Philadelphia navigating?
“It’s up to the individual instructor how they want to take up AI in any particular way,” says Amy Stornaiuolo, a professor of education at the University of Pennsylvania. “There are not (many) school-wide guidelines or mandates or rules or approaches.”
AI tech is developing so fast it’s hard to keep up.
“I work a lot with young people and how they might be using it in their everyday lives, both in and out of school. I hear the same story, which is that they don’t get a lot of guidance,” Stornaiuolo says.
A 2023, Common Sense Media study showed that half of students between 12 and 18 years old used ChatGPT for schoolwork, 38% did so without permission from their teacher and 56% knew a friend or classmate who had used the technology.
Some early data indicates that using AI for writing and communication probably will displace key skills that allow students to do increasingly difficult tasks, says Kris Perry, the executive director of Children and Screens.
And if students are using AI to generate their work, they may feel less satisfaction and sense of ownership.
Says one student: “I feel like there’s a way that you can use AI responsibly and keep your own thoughts.”
What does responsible AI use look like?
“Boundary-making practices that [students] engage in are things like, ‘I only upload small parts of it and not the whole thing to get specific kinds of feedback, or ‘I keep it in a separate window so I can keep it separate from my real writing,” Stornaiuolo says
Some teens she has spoken with are so concerned about getting accused of cheating that they don’t use AI tools at all.
Research shows that allowing students to shape their use of AI may be the best way to achieve responsible AI use. Students feel more engaged in their studies when they are given some freedom and input in their curriculums and projects, according to a study from the Brookings Institute.
“We recommend that educators — including state, districts, and school leaders, alongside teachers and other education personnel — find ways to maximize students’ opportunity to explore,” the study said.
Perry seconds this recommendation.
“Children’s safety was not top of mind when they developed these products,” she says. “This is a great opportunity for the youth to step up and lead and support each other in slow-walking (AI) while they work out some of the safety issues that have already cropped up with the products.”
“We have to teach people across all ages,” says one researcher. “This is a new thing that we’re being introduced to. If people are taught about it, if they’re more aware about how it can change your writerly identity, or impact this and that, then they may be more mindful of how they use it.”
Chalkbeat Philadelphia
