The Leader Board

Into the Great Unknown: A Look at Artificial Intelligence (A.I.)

Kathleen Derillo - Supervisor of Special Services

Fall 2023

New technology and buzzwords seem to swirl around us every minute of every day. They can make us feel a bit unsettled, overwhelmed, confused, or frustrated.  One may wonder, “What does this mean for me?” Or, more importantly, “What does it mean for my child?” Much of the fear and anxiety around modern technology comes from the unknown.   

Technology can stir even more suspicion when it emerges quickly, as did the artificial intelligence (AI) tool known as ChatGPT. The instant popularity of this language model that generates human-like text prompted extensive discussion in the education community. Some school districts decided to avoid the conversation altogether and blocked the popular chatbot on their district networks and devices. However, other districts decided this revolutionary tool required a more nuanced and thoughtful approach -- Kenilworth is one of these school districts. Instead of focusing on the potential challenges of chatbot use in schools, we focus on the opportunities. 

Opportunities abound 

As a leader in the Student Personnel Services Department, it is my responsibility to research ways that ChatGPT can benefit our learners with special needs and the overall school community. I am energized by the idea that teachers can use this tool to assist them in developing high-quality lessons and individualized material. Routine tasks that took a considerable amount of time, such as changing a text's reading level, can now be done in minutes. I realized we must give our dynamic educators instructions on accessing this revolutionary tool. To accomplish this, we utilized one of our early-release professional development days in March to introduce ChatGPT to special education teachers and related service providers at Harding Elementary School.   

Throughout the professional development session, I discovered teachers and related service providers heard about ChatGPT but did not yet know how it could support their essential work in the classroom. Participants learned about the background, national discussion, and, most importantly, the possibilities this technology can provide. I also demonstrated how Chat GPT could be used in the development of a task analysis. 

A task analysis is a teaching strategy used in special education in which a skill is broken down step by step and taught in a systematic way. For example, a skill such as handwashing can be broken down into at least 10 steps. Instead of documenting each action of the task, a teacher can now type the prompt “handwashing task analysis” into ChatGPT and will be provided with a comprehensive handwashing plan in a matter of seconds.  The teacher then can review the output and refine the ChatGPT prompt as needed by requesting more details. By using AI for this task, the teacher gains valuable time to plan, connect with parents, and collaborate with colleagues. 

Confronting concerns 

While the positive elements of AI tools are substantial and expansive, there are some concerns, such as the reliability of information. AI can never replace teacher planning and curating of materials for a class. Information gathered from AI still needs to be reviewed and modified to meet individual learners’ needs. 

Another concern, especially for those at the secondary level, is students’ use of AI to complete assignments, which is considered plagiarism. We discussed the implications for students at our professional development session, aware that students will engage with ChatGPT soon if they are not already. Banning or ignoring these tools will not benefit students in their present or future learning. For now, teachers should openly discuss their expectations around ChatGPT with their students.  

Our teachers and staff at Kenilworth Public Schools continue to innovate education. We are dedicated to building our professional knowledge so we can provide our students with a personalized and engaging learning experience. As we prepare students for their next steps, we must keep in mind that many careers of the future will be infused with technological skills – including skills that involve artificial intelligence.  

For more reading like this, check out our blog series, The Leader Board.