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The use of artificial intelligence is growing in classrooms, with national data showing more teachers and students using it. Those national trends are reflecting what’s happening in some Nebraska schools, prompting discussions and concerns among parents, educators, and students regarding its ethical use, potential for inaccuracies, and impact on fundamental learning skills.
The article highlights the increasing use of artificial intelligence in Nebraska classrooms, mirroring national trends where a significant majority of teachers (83%) and over half of teenagers utilize generative AI tools like ChatGPT for schoolwork. However, this growth is met with considerable apprehension from parents and teachers regarding its impact on student learning. For instance, Megan Wissing, a parent and sixth-grade teacher, raised concerns when she discovered her daughter’s school, Omaha Public Schools, used an AI tool called Amira for reading fluency practice. Wissing felt a computer couldn't accurately assess nuanced issues like speech impediments, leading her to amend her daughter's individualized education plan to ensure human grading. While an OPS spokesperson clarified that Amira is for practice, not grading, Wissing's unease reflects a broader sentiment. She, along with other educators like high school teacher Kimberly Ramirez, has observed that AI editing tools such as Grammarly can hinder students from developing fundamental writing skills, leading to a reliance on technology rather than independent thought. Ramirez emphasizes teaching appropriate AI use, cautioning against chatbots for emotional support, and sees potential for AI to aid teachers creatively, provided there's adequate training and it remains an optional tool. This initial segment establishes the dual reality of AI in education: its undeniable adoption and the immediate challenges concerning its proper integration and educational efficacy.
This section delves deeper into the ethical dilemmas and practical inaccuracies associated with AI in education. Jordan Martin, a high school business teacher, acknowledges AI's utility in generating teaching materials, like creating multiple-choice distractors for tests. However, he voices strong ethical reservations, particularly about teachers using AI to grade student essays, questioning if such practices breach professional boundaries. Martin stresses the importance of educators modeling ethical AI use and clearly defining acceptable and unacceptable applications for students, recognizing their tendency to seek shortcuts. The article also highlights a prevalent concern: AI's confident inaccuracies. National data indicates that 65% of college students and educators worry about AI providing confident but incorrect information. Andy Udby, a University of Nebraska-Lincoln undergraduate, shared his disappointing experiences, including an unhelpful machine learning workshop that failed to explain AI outputs, and a chemistry course where an AI tool (ALEKS) imposed inconvenient 15-minute timeouts after incorrect answers, which his professor couldn't override. Udby emphasizes the need for universities not just to adopt AI tools but also to train instructors in their empathetic and humanized application, advocating for a skeptical approach to a technology rapidly reshaping society.
The final section explores outright resistance to AI, particularly in creative fields and fundamental skill development. Scout Traxler, a fashion design student at Metropolitan Community College, vehemently opposes generative AI, deeming it 'horrendous' due to its potential to eliminate jobs and its perceived lack of authenticity in artistic creation. Traxler finds AI fundamentally incompatible with the personal and soulful act of art, citing an instance where a peer used AI to generate an entire final design collection, displaying a 'completely unashamed' attitude that Traxler views as undermining genuine creative effort. In response to these concerns and her observations about over-reliance on technology, Megan Wissing plans a 'tech-free' approach for her upcoming sixth-grade classroom, including requiring handwritten essays. She believes this return to traditional methods is crucial for students to develop essential skills like drafting, spelling, and critical thinking independently, rather than passively relying on AI to perform these tasks for them. Wissing hopes for more comprehensive training for both teachers and students to better understand and ethically navigate AI's capabilities as it continues to evolve.