How do teachers at KW feel about AI?

I have to admit that before this year, artificial intelligence was not on my radar. I knew of it, but I did not fully understand its limitations or lack thereof. I would like to thank Mrs. Aszkler and Mr. Rigney for fostering conversations in their classrooms that sparked ideas in the students involved. Without their positive insight and contrast of perspectives, I would not have been able to learn so much from this experience.

With new advancements coming our way every day, it is hard to decipher what is beneficial to students in the long run. As teachers debate over the use of artificial intelligence in their classes, some feel like they are stuck in a weird middle ground. 

If you do not know what artificial intelligence is, it is the “simulation of human intelligence processes by machines."  It gives a machine human-like capabilities to perform cognitive functions that we associate with human life including rationalizing, learning, perceiving, interacting, etc. You may have seen this technology becoming more prominent on the internet and even in other apps on your phone. On February 27, Snapchat released an AI chatbot to all users. Snapchat users can interact with their own personal chatbot which is customizable in all aspects. People can talk to this chatbot as if it were a real person. Other forms of AI are found all across the internet and are becoming a debate across the globe. Artificial intelligence falls in a gray area when it comes to conversations about ethics and privacy. 

In a school environment, most are concerned with students using AI as a replacement for their thought processes. Fundamental skills learned in high school are the stepping stone for all forms of higher education. Some teachers believe that if students use AI to cheat, they will lack the fundamental skills needed for a higher education. This is where teachers come to a disagreement. While some see the use of artificial intelligence in schools as a threat to our consciousness and support a full ban on its usage, others believe that it could be used to benefit a student's learning experience and support the use of it in school. My fascination with this debate led me to where we are right now. 

Two weeks ago, I sent a survey to all the staff and administrators at our school. 32 replied. This survey asked questions about the use of AI in schools. Thank you to all the teachers who took the time to fill out the form. 

Below are the results

Out of 32 teachers who were surveyed

7 supports AI-powered technologies in the classroom

8 do not support AI-powered technologies in the classroom

17 are undecided (cannot choose a side)

Out of 32 teachers who were surveyed

12 believe that AI-powered technologies can be used to improve student learning outcomes

9 believe that AI-powered technologies cannot be used to improve student learning outcomes

11 are unsure

Do you have any ethical concerns about AI-powered technologies being used in everyday life?

“Absolutely. It diminishes creativity, imagination, and could potentially put people out of work.” -Mr. Bedard (English)

“Yes. There is always an ethical component when dealing with new technologies. The probable uses of AI are mind-blowing, and if it is not regulated appropriately it can be used to harm others. Similar to CRISPR gene editing, (although not as readily available to everyone) it can be used to cure diseases, but can also be used to create superorganisms that can be used in biological warfare. Scary thoughts, but facing reality is necessary.” 

-Ms. LaBue (Biology)

“Yes, because I've seen The Terminator. ;-) More realistically, I am greatly concerned about it being used for propaganda, particularly online. Dictators, both real and wannabes, could use it to control people and cause harm.”

-Ms. Reidell (Social Studies)

What do you think should be done in schools to ensure that AI-powered technologies are used responsibly?

“At this moment, school is not the place for electronic devices, and only limited use of Chromebooks is appropriate. An abundance of evidence shows that electronic devices contribute to students' mental disorders and they perform significantly worse academically, even when their phone is next to them in a backpack. AI could be very useful for developing materials, but at this point, schools should not incorporate it into the classroom. AI makes available a wealth of knowledge, but schools need to focus on developing students' ability to think creatively, work cooperatively, and socialize positively.” 

-Mr. Bevier (English)

“Drop cash on excellent, reliable detection software and have it set to be used on EVERY piece of work electronically submitted.”

-Mr. Scarisbrick (English 12)

“That would seem virtually impossible”

-Mr. Davies (Social Studies 8)

“Have a sanctioned AI tool that students and teachers can use, but then have a system to show that it was used and to ‘turn off’ AI for certain tasks or assignments.”

-Mr. Sreniawski (Social Studies)

 Is it acceptable for students to use AI on some assignments but not others?

“Possibly, it should not be used to write an English paper, but it could be used to explain how to solve a math problem if a student is stuck, or can explain a process like chemical bonding of molecules if a student doesn't understand. No matter how it is used, students should be taught that blind copying off of any internet source is unacceptable, but using the internet to help your understanding and then answering questions in your own words is encouraged.”

-Ms. Grosskopf (Chemistry and Physics)

“As with any technology, there will always be gray areas. Nothing is black and white. Using AI to write an original story in ELA and claim it is your own? Not great. Using AI to verify robotic programming code to do a task? As long as the student can demonstrate their understanding of the code and be able to speak to its effectiveness, then the use of AI can be justified.”

-Mr. Derrick (Technology)

“If they are not simply generating the answers to assignments to submit as their own original thinking, maybe.”

-Ms. LaManna (English)

How do you feel a student should be punished if they use AI-powered technologies to cheat on written exams?

“This would be a non-issue if exams remain on paper, and lockdown browsers used during digital assessments; punishment should reflect current rules for cheating/forgery/plagiarism.”

-Ms. LaBue (Biology)

“They should have to retake a different version of the test in a separate location.”

-Ms. Rodriguez (Math)

“Well first, how are we going to know for sure/prove that they used it....”

-Mrs. Serio (Counselor)

“Fail. Period.”

-Mr. Davies (Social Studies 8)

Where do you think AI-powered technological advancements will go from here?

“They will be able to streamline work, but can also put people like writers out of jobs. I worry it will destroy critical thought.”

-Ms. Altman (Living Environment)

“They will be used with increased frequency until humans are minimally needed for most things.”

-Mr. Mendola (Business)

“I fully expect to own a personal robot in the next 5 years.”

-Mr. Gabel (German)

What are your general opinions on the use of AI-powered technologies?

“I think AI is great! I have used it so many times for inspiration when I am having trouble coming up with ideas for letters of recommendation, writing practice questions, planning parties, making themed costumes/foods for events, etc. It is important not to pass the work as your own, but in my opinion, it is a fantastic resource.”

-Ms. Grosskopf (Chemistry and Physics)

“I think the overreliance on technology, social media to now Generative AI is stealing human consciousness leaving us empty-depressed, sad, angry, uncreative, and devoid of any real meaning in our life.”

-Ms. Aszkler (Librarian)

“I am concerned not only with the academic implications but how this can change the face of authorship across genres (Literature, movies, etc...).”

-Ms. Gruninger (Theatre)

“I believe AI has its place, but I hope people use it responsibly making sure that we maintain our abilities as humans to think and reason and create our own ideas.”

-Ms. Dwyer (English)

Any other thoughts?

“Our world is ever-changing rapidly! No one talks anymore. No one is conscious of how they make others feel and mental illness and drug and alcohol addiction is off the charts. I really love the Big Picture program down the street. A few things we need to implement here in high school right away are having the same mentors or advisors for the whole 4 years. Letting our students work on and flourish in a subject or topic they like, attend school a few days and work the other few days. I think we need to ask ourselves what it is we really want out of our students and what we have to offer them. I know we have tons of Love, guidance, and direction but are we able to give that freely? I think our curriculums are lacking in grabbing the students' attention. We teach them on computers and in a lot of classes students are on everything but what is being taught? I make it my mission to shine my light in this building. Walk down the halls, really look at our students, our workers. People are just doing the motions, getting through the day! What are we doing for the morale of the building, our Staff, and our students? …Artificial intelligence would be a step back, not a step forward in my opinion.”

-Ms. LaFalce (Building Substitute)

“I don't know a lot yet about AI but I am currently on a professional learning team on how to utilize AI in the classroom if anyone wants to chat with me or have me elaborate on any of my answers :)”

-Ms. Gazdovich (Physics)

“‘Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past.’ -George Orwell, 1984.”

-Ms. Phillips (Government)

In conclusion, it is obvious that all teachers agree using AI to replace complete student thought will not be tolerated. However, I thought it was very interesting to see multiple different teachers' opinions because although they all teach at Kenmore West, each staff member has a different perspective on our rapidly evolving world and the technology within it. But the thing that is most apparent to me is that AI is here to stay. How will it grow? We don’t know, but we will find out soon for better or for worse.

COMING SOON: How do students at Kenmore West feel about the use of AI in our school? Read the December issue to find out!