I’ll let my students use A.I., but I won’t let them cheat.

Before passing judgment, hear me out. As an ELA teacher, I understand the unintended consequences of using A.I. in the classroom. My question is this: why not?

Why shouldn’t students learn to use this tool in school? A.I. is likely to be a part of their lives for the foreseeable future, so why not prepare them to use it responsibly and effectively? Am I suggesting that students operate without any guardrails? Of course not. But we should consider integrating this technology into our teaching practices.

Let’s revisit my opening point. While I fully support A.I. as a learning tool, I do not support students using it as a shortcut or a crutch. Students should first understand how to complete tasks independently. But after they’ve become proficient, they should be taught how to use A.I. productively.

“With AI, The commodity is being destructed but you still need to come up with ideas”(GaryVee).

The most important skill to learn in school is critical thinking. The most important skill to learn to fully engage with A.I., is also critical thinking. Case in point: if I give my students a writing prompt and they simply copy and paste that prompt into an A.I. tool, the answer generated might not fully respond to the prompt. If the student doesn’t know or understand what they’re looking for, they can’t determine if the answer is correct or even relevant. Additionally, if they don’t understand the nuances of writing (or understand their voice), they might submit a response that misses the mark entirely. Both scenarios indicate a skills gap that needs to be addressed in the classroom. But these are the cases where I’m not in favor of using A.I., as it should never be used as a substitute for foundational understanding.

However, for tasks like outlining, proofreading, and conducting preliminary research, why not let students use A.I.? The key is not to hide it from them, the key is teaching them how to use it thoughtfully and responsibly.

At some point in their lives, they will encounter A.I. tools in their profession. They need to know what to do when they are presented with the opportunity to use it. What we don’t and shouldn’t want is for them to become adults and say, “I wish they’d taught us how to use A.I. in school.”

Written by me, proofread by A.I., finalized by me.

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