ChatGPT, the easy-to-use bot that went live less than two years ago, quickly became a favorite among students eager to cheat. Not only could it list off facts with surprising accuracy (most of the time), but with just a few prompts, it easily created rational analysis of complex subjects.
That goes far beyond students' old trick of just using "Cliffs Notes" for a report on a book they never fully read. When it became clear that some were not doing their own work, teachers immediately recognized a serious threat to the learning model. Since then, online teacher aids (like listing telltale signs of an AI essay) have helped lessen the ability of students to pull a fast one.
The students' push and pull of "easy path vs. hard path" with teachers will continue until the end of time, but at least the adults in the room now understand the limits of faked work.
With all that as backdrop, it was a particularly pleasant surprise to see recent coverage of AI helping Marin school districts with advances in efficiencies, communication and learning.
Apparently, AI is capable of helping Larkspur-Corte Madera School District Superintendent Brett Geithman produce his welcome video to families in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Korean and Chinese. That's fantastic. Communicating important information in the native languages of parents and students helps members of our community feel included.
Thankfully, Marin educators at both the county and the college level are rapidly getting up to speed on AI issues such as legal disclaimers, parental permissions, policies, precautions and potential uses. There's a lot to learn and a healthy dose of skepticism, so the more sensible restrictions, the better.
Laura Trahan, assistant superintendent at the Marin County Office of Education, understands the value.
"For the most part, we have been focusing on AI as a tool for educators to support their academic content as well as the legal and ethical aspects of this," Trahan told the IJ.
Marin's push is in line with guidance expressed by a familiar face with a Marin address: California Gov. Gavin Newsom. The recent IJ report mentioned Newsom's announcement about a state partnership with the Santa Clara AI software company Nvidia to work with California colleges in advancing artificial intelligence in the schools.
It's good news to hear that the initial fear of AI in schools is becoming a thing of the past. Clearly, the best and brightest in the coming generation will feel comfortable engaging with artificial-intelligence software in ways we can't yet imagine.
Making sure Marin students, teachers and administrations are at the forefront of the movement is a good step toward embracing an exciting future.
©2024 The Marin Independent Journal (Novato, Calif.). Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
