A former English teacher's raw and unfiltered farewell video has gone viral, sparking a conversation about the impact of technology, particularly AI, on students. The teacher, Hannah, shares her concerns about students' reliance on AI and its potential effects on their critical thinking and learning abilities.
Hannah's Experience and Concerns
Hannah, who taught for three years after working in digital marketing, highlights the challenges technology poses in the classroom. She notes that the accessibility of AI has made it difficult for students to comprehend concepts and think critically for themselves. This prompted her to post the video, hoping to raise awareness about the impact of AI and technology on children.
Examples of Student Behavior
Hannah provides specific examples of student behavior that illustrate her concerns. She observed that many students struggled to provide complete and thoughtful responses, even to simple prompts.
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Students would often provide short, incomplete answers, claiming they couldn't think of anything else to say.
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They would question the need to write in complete sentences.
Furthermore, she noticed discrepancies between handwritten assignments at the beginning of the year and longer essays submitted later. Upon checking, she found that many of the essays were generated by AI, such as ChatGPT. When confronted, students were more concerned about the grade penalty for redoing the assignment than the act of using AI.
The Issue of Laziness
The interviewer suggests that the use of AI may be promoting laziness among students, a sentiment Hannah echoes. Many students seem to believe they no longer need to do the work themselves, as AI can do it for them.
Potential Solutions and Future Plans
Hannah believes that AI can be used effectively in the classroom if students in older grades are taught how to use it properly. However, she expresses concern that unrestricted access to AI will prevent students from engaging in the necessary work and critical thinking themselves. Having left teaching, Hannah is now working in donor relations development within digital marketing at a non-profit organization.