All Right, Fine: Let’s Talk About It

Dear colleague,

The most notable through line in my professional journey this year has been wrestling with the AI boogeyman. Every school year is a journey, no matter what. But this year my journey has been more intense and existential than any I can remember.

Suffice it to say, I've come a long way since January 2023 when I wrote “ChatGPT: No Thing But a Chicken Wing.” It turns out it is, in fact, more than a chicken wing. And the rate of change (in my thinking, in my emotional response, in the technology, in my practice) has been too fast to write about it here on the blog this year.

Now that we're in the final days of school, I'm ready to share my thinking. On May 30, I'm offering a pay-what-you-want, Zoom-based workshop in which I'll work through the items listed below. I invite you to come and learn with like-minded colleagues as we separate the wheat of good thinking from the chaff of reactionary hot takes on this tumultuous topic.

What I'll unpack:

• My personal and professional take on the ethics of using these technologies. Are there ethical use cases of a technology trained on the creative output of millions of people (including me)? What about student use? Am I okay with people asking an AI to pretend it's me and give DSJ advice on a classroom dilemma?
• My personal experiments with teacher use cases. Which use cases are good vs. bad? How do I discern between the two?
• My observations of student use cases. Good vs. bad and why and how I finally gave in to teaching toward AI literacy this year. (This'll include a treatment on what I think was the best lesson I taught students this year related to AI. And don't worry: it was centered around the reading/writing/knowledge-building practices I describe in These 6 Things. Those aren't going away!)
• What is AI literacy? Is it necessary? Should we teach it? How? Do I have to mindlessly embrace AI to ensure students become AI literate? (Spoiler: NO!!!!!)
• And, most importantly: How do we focus our efforts on “the work that matters most” in light of this technology and the implications of its rapid improvements? (Long-time DSJ readers will be especially encouraged by this section.) What kinds of PD experiences do teachers need to do this work well? (Not what you think, probably.)

To register, click here and pay what you think is fair.

Much love, colleague,

DSJR

P.S. Next Tuesday, I'll send you a summary of the thought pieces that have helped me feel clearer about what to do regarding AI.

P.P.S. Last Friday, I hosted an AMA regarding teaching/writing/publishing/speaking as a teacher. The questions asked and recording link are here.

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