Embrace the power of AI with wisdom

AI and Chat GPT have burst into our lives so rapidly and made a crucial impact in various fields including educational sphere. As educators, we constantly searching for innovative tools and technologies to improve our teaching strategies and methods. At the same time, we strive to make the lessons engaging and catchy. AI alongside with Chat GPT are providing valuable resources, offering a range of benefits enabling our jobs as teachers easier and more effective. I have been using AI and Chat GPT for my studies and teaching practice for about half a year. At first, I searched for explanations for challenging terms and concepts. However, as I began to use AI-based tools to create activities for my lessons, I was surprised by the invaluable resources I had discovered. I regularly use the website https://twee.com/ where I can create a variety of activities and exercises targeting the necessary skills. In addition, while preparing to my IELTS exam, I used Chat GPT to check my essays and get feedback on each. It helped me greatly since I could see my mistakes whether it was grammatical or punctuational ones. Moreover, it suggested how to improve my writing skills. As I see, AI is a timesaving and adaptable instrument that can serve as a personal assistant offering a variety of games, activities, and exercises to facilitate my teaching as well as learning processes. Despite its positive sides it is essential to remember about the risks connected with the usage of AI based websites. I am convinced that the most serious problem is overreliance on the support and prompts of AI that can hinder the development of critical thinking and problem-solving abilities of students who systematically use it for their studies, especially in the areas that require creating something. There is a trap to get used to the ideas that Chat GPT generate and student’s ability to brainstorm can suffer in a long term. For instance, Jumphost (2023) claims that for writing essays one can spend less than a minute to get a coherent and well-structured essay written by AI tools. However, if we use it wisely and will not deceive ourselves, we can get benefits. To ensure the safety of the process, it can be used at the initial stages of writing projects to help lay the foundation before deeply delving into the process. Oppenheimer (2023) suggests to stop resisting Chat and other AI helpers and try to develop ethical training and minimizing the reasons to cheat by teaching how to use AI technologies in an appropriate way. On the contrary, there are many of those who believe that Chat GPT contributes critical thinking. For instance, according to the professor Gary Lupyan (Ph.D, a Professor of Psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison), this bot may function as a colleague or partner whom a person can talk and discuss subjects they already know. This dialogue gives opportunity to analyze suggested ideas critically (Abramson, 2023). We must admit that AI technologies have already integrated in many spheres of our lives, especially in education it has a valuable meaning. I believe that there is no need to fear but rather use it to our advantage. As progress goes forward by leaps and bounds, so educators should also be up to date and technologically literate in this increasingly tech-centric world to meet the needs and skills of today’s learners. 

References: 

Abramson, A. (2023). How to Use ChatGPT as a Learning Tool. [online] Apa.org. Available from: https://www.apa.org/monitor/2023/06/chatgpt-learning-tool. [Accessed 22 October 2023]. 

Jumphost (2023). ChatGPT can hinder students’ critical thinking skills. [online] The Queen’s Journal. Available from: https://www.queensjournal.ca/chatgpt-can-hinder-students-critical-thinking-skills/. [Accessed 13 October 2023]. 

Oppenheimer, D. (2023). ChatGPT has arrived – and nothing has changed. [online] THE Campus Learn, Share, Connect. Available from: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/campus/chatgpt-has-arrived-and-nothing-has-changed. [Accessed 22 October 2023].