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Almost all new technology instantly sparks a debate amongst teachers. Can you use this in the classroom? Should you? Or should you instantly beg the district admin to block this new thing? The newest thrill on the market, ChatGPT, is no exception. ChatGPT is a chatbot designed to answer any question it gets asked. Some teachers are using it as a tool in the classroom while others are raising concerns about cheating in the classroom. Personally, I am firmly on the tool side.
Here is the reality: if students want to cheat, they will. The same thing happened with cell phones, tablets, touchscreen music players, and even pieces of paper. You can’t stop them from trying to cheat, but teachers are smart. We know when the kids cheat. If your 6th grader turns in a college-level paper, that’s a pretty good warning sign. If they were taking an online test and suddenly improved their average score by 30%, it might be worth asking them a few follow-up questions one-to-one. But these have always been standard practices. Good teachers notice when a student’s work suddenly takes a sharp turn in either direction.
Knowing we can detect its misuse, let us embrace ChatGPT as a tool and do what we always do: come up with creative and ethical ways to use it for students’ benefit. I have spent much of the past few weeks discussing and debating this with teachers, admin, and peers.
Below are some ways to use ChatGPT in your classroom and train students about its ethical use.
Ways to use Chat GPT in the classroom
1. Test prep
Provide a brief outline of an upcoming test or quiz on the board. Tell students to use ChatGPT to learn more about the topics and quiz them on it. They can tell it things like, “Write me true / false questions about the unit circle,” and then check on each answer. It will also write short answer questions, long answer questions, practice math problems, and multiple choice.
Remember we are talking about ethical use, so don’t you go and make it write the whole test for you!
2. Writing essays
After students prepare an essay for you, have them paste it into ChatGPT and ask it to point out spelling and grammar issues, as well as anything that doesn’t make sense.
3. Unit review
To review a unit, assign each group a topic. For example, noble gases, metals, etc. Have them talk in their group to ChatGPT about the topic using their notes. For example, “My notes say that noble gases don’t bond with other elements. Tell me why.” Then, instruct them to create a presentation using their notes from class and their learnings from ChatGPT.
4. Dig in to History
In social studies, use ChatGPT to learn more about people and events. Ask questions like, “Who is someone we don’t talk about often during Black History month?”
5. Practice computer science
Computer science is no exception. If a student is struggling with a piece of their code, tell them to plug in the code they have so far, what they are trying to do, and ask ChatGPT to find where the mistake is.
Now, like all things, each of these tools can also be abused. It is important to not only teach them this skill, but also to teach them the boundaries of it. Have a class discussion about inappropriate uses of the technology. They shouldn’t use it to answer tests or quizzes, to write essays for them, to give them all of the information for their presentation, or to write their code. Talk about integrity and about the benefits of learning these things themselves so that they can be well-informed people who use tools to problem solve.
No, it won’t work for everyone. Someone will cheat. But here’s the thing: some people are already using it to cheat. Some people are also writing notes on their water bottles, paying essay writers, and having their friends in the first block text them the answers. That does not mean you should demonize the tool. Instead, do what you always do: be creative and teach them how to use it well.
This article was submitted by Alyssa Christy, a former educator of seven years. She most recently taught 5th-grade math before returning to school. She is currently studying public policy at the University of Chicago and hopes to make a difference in education spaces surrounding equity and improving student outcomes. She has spoken at several schools and conferences on topics such as project-based learning, multidisciplinary STEM integration, COVID-19 learning loss, and use of green spaces in schools.
