ChatGPT in the classroom: Four students' perspectives
Neenah Joint School District is one of the schools that are handling the use of ChatGPT. Not only the experts and I.T. directors but also students have their opinions about it. Four students from Neenah High School shared their thoughts on the use of ChatGPT in the classroom.
Elaina Plankey thinks that ChatGPT has great use, and if it is going to be available technology in the future, we don't need to draw the line yet. Carson Verhagen thinks it's a useful learning tool. Ava Yoblonski feels like there should be a version of ChatGPT made especially for schools. Timothy Keberlein thinks it would be useful to teach in schools because there are many things that a student can do with it.
The members of the Student Technology Team at Neenah High School had varying opinions about ChatGPT. Verhagen shared his experience where one of the teams used ChatGPT to write a haiku during their robotics competition. The haiku was the one that won the votes, and he thought that it was fun. Although he didn't think it was fair, Carson expressed his enjoyment of the experience.
All four students are part of the student technology team for the school's technology help desk. They take a course called [the] student help desk, and they are the frontline for students. Amanda Devries, the Instructional Technology Coach, calls this group of students the student technology team. Their goal is to create authentic and genuine learning experiences using technology.
One of the concerns that were brought up is cheating. Devries hopes that we can move away from that conversation and focus on leveraging ChatGPT to expand our world of education. In part one, the expert compared the introduction of ChatGPT to calculators decades ago. They shared this comparison with the students, and they gave their opinions about it.
Yoblonski thinks that people were initially against calculators because they didn't know enough about it. She believes that if they talk about ChatGPT a little more, they will be able to advance further. Although blocked for NJSD student use now, these students see a world where ChatGPT could be used in the classroom one day.
Since technology advances faster than one can write an article, the day that ChatGPT will be used in the classroom might come before graduation day.
