AI in education

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My DD school has “embraced” AI and will be encouraging children to use it in the “right way”. An example they gave was to train children to write an essay but then ask the AI to critique it so they can improve on it.

This does not sit well with me at all. My DD should check her essay herself and attempt to critique it herself, are these not opportunities for her to enhance her critical thinking?!
Humans should be smarter than AI, and I fear schools are sacrificing the next generation to be less so, instead encourage them to be dependent on chatGPT and it’s likes.

In teenage years, I don’t think schools should be encouraging anything with reduced human interaction, there is a lot of research done in human empathy development during these years, reading queues from someone’s face, etc etc. Schools want to strip this away?!

The school said they are preparing children for future employment. It is not their job to do this, it is their job to educate.

any opposing thoughts?

My dh with two masters degrees is pleased with grammerly and his online thesaurus. In some ways those are both primary forms of AI. I’d be in big trouble without spellcheck.
i have friends and family who really enjoy the dictating aspect of messaging/writing.
My point is these are all the gradual infiltration of new technology and useful.
It really will level the playing field in some ways, as it will enhance the performance of those who struggle more so than those who are able.
It’s here to stay, better to adapt.

I wonder if AI will mean the end of online open book exams?
DD did open book exams at the end of years 1 and 2 at university, and her finals were half in person and half open book.

I think people had the same thoughts when calculators were introduced into the classroom. All it means is that society will advance a lot quicker when they don’t have to waste their time on basic things. I think we should embrace it.

Numeracy skills have declined since it’s introduction, massively.

Correlation does not equal causation

OP, it’s possible to enhance your DD’s critical thinking and use AI. These are not mutually exclusive aims. AI currently cannot cope with criticality- it cannot produce nor recognise critical thinking. As such, the feedback it provides is limited. That may be part of the teaching point. It’s such a new tool that teachers are still learning about what it can do and possible ways of integrating it into teaching. They are learning alongside their students. To me it would be positive that a teacher is bringing this tech into the learning space.

I don't disagree with exercising caution with the introduction of new technologies into learning. But- I feel that critical thinking was NOT something that was taught /learnt when I was at school in the 90s, particularly. It would have been a really useful skill to learn.

On that note, I think it is even more important tool now, as there is so much information out there to access.

Calculators are used in maths and science, numeracy is different.

Maths exams changed to take into account the use of a calculator. If you look at pre calculators O Level maths papers would tell you to assume pi was 22/7.

Now it is expected that you have an accurate pi key on your calculator.

I learned to use logs to multiply and divide larger numbers, you looked up the log of the numbers, you added or subtracted and then look up the antilog.

It's not a useful skill any more.

Dislike that phrase “here to stay”.
Nothing does.

Say that to the internet, social media, pc, and millions of other things. They will stay and will evolve into different forms but essentially, they will be here.

numeracy skills are overrated and I say that as an old school maths teacher. I still don’t understand why kids need to learn long division and long multiplication nowadays for example.

https://nepc.colorado.edu/publication/ai

We have no studies of the impact of AI in schools. That in itself is a risk.

There is a man who has looked at the impact of smartphones on children, I bet most people do not realise this:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yVq4ARIlNVg

I think it is good, if used correctly.
The AI online learning programs are tailored to the child’s strengths and weaknesses, for example.
I have recently researched Atom Learning on a trial for example. The programme will find a child’s eg maths weaknesses and then the child can watch the video and practise that specific element as much as they need to until they master it. The same applies to GCSE science programs.
I believe English essays will be harder but for practising languages, English inference questions, even history short form questions it is brilliant.
The AI is not quite there yet on the longer questions but getting better. A child still needs to self assess.

I would have thought that looking at what AI has to sa about an English essay is interesting and will teach the child the current weaknesses in AI itself, if used in connection with study guides.

This generation needs to use and understand technology and understand its limitations clearly to put it to best use. So I would be happy they are doing this.

I think what people are worried about is that Governments will take short cuts and try and save on staff and use AI instead. But I think that is an entirely different question to whether learning to use AI is important. Children need to have adults present AND learn to use AI and understand its limitations.

The school said they are preparing children for future employment. It is not their job to do this, it is their job to educate.

I would say these are the same thing. And your daughter needs to be informed, and familiar with AI.

You can absolutely explore the possibilities of AI in school and also teach lots of critical thinking. IMO a good school will increasingly do both. NB my daughter is currently sitting in her room using AI to generate lists of vocab and grammar for her to learn, and also to set her some GCSE history revision questions. She's still doing the learning and the writing - but she's using AI to save some time on the preparation and also to come up with some questions/angles that she might not have thought of.