Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1497353
FIND CREATIVE WAYS TO USE TECH Your students will find ways to use all the tools out there, and some will succeed in cheating the sys- tem. Those few won't be moved by speeches on integrity, no matter how good yours is. How- ever, for most students, finding creative, honest ways to help them use technology will get you cool points: • Use ChatGPT like Google. • Have students put their essays in ChatGPT and ask it for a rewrite; then have them explain why the changes are better. • Have ChatGPT summarize a text that students are read- ing and allow them to discuss and debate the validity of the given answer, supported by evidence from the text. • Use WolframAlpha like an encyclopedia. • Allow two students to use a math app to solve two problems but have them each write down only half of the work and then switch papers. Each student finishes their partner 's problem before discussing the solutions and processes together. Asking students how these tools can augment the learning experience is another effective way to use any new tool. Allow exploration, but as with Google, an app answers all kinds of questions, and you can guess what your students will ask it. Take necessary precautions, and know that with or without these tools, students have access to unlimited information, so having a conversation that lets students know that it's OK not to go down every rabbit hole is also a great way to teach kids digi- tal responsibility and integrity. Thirty years ago, we couldn't yet imagine how much infor- mation would be at every student's fingertips. Our phone bans, our whitelists, and even our book bans can no longer prevent our young people from exploring the world in their own time, whether we're ready for it or not. This can be a bit scary, but it's also exciting. Get to know the tools that are out there so that you can use them to become a better practitioner. If we lean in, our classrooms will be the places that influence learning in digi- tal spaces so that our students will be better prepared for an increasingly digital world. This story originally appeared in Edutopia. "If we lean in, our classrooms will be the places that influence learning in digital spaces so that students will be better prepared for an increasingly digital world." 47 A P R I L / M AY 2 0 2 3