This may cause some controversy, which is okay. The world would be a pretty boring place if we all thought and acted the same.
Having grown up in the era of The Jepsons, R2-D2 and C-3P0, and Johnny 5, there was excitement or a cautionary tale when technology was discussed. A generation had jobs replaced by robots (the automotive industry)... People looked forward to meaningless jobs being done for them (mowing the lawn)… The older generation referenced the 1968 movie A Space Odyssey where HAL 9000 turned against the crew… so even though there were some positive ideas surrounding it, there was also a lot of apprehension and almost resentment towards it too.
The shop teachers at our school range in ages 40-60+ with myself being on that “younger” side. We have the same sort of mixed views of AI that I grew up with. A couple of instructors view it as cheating or losing independent thought while others view it as helpful and an assistance. Which is it?
I use AI as my assistant and that’s what I explain to my students but I let them decide for themselves if they want to use it or not. To me, AI is just as good as a calculator, Computer Aided Design (CAD), Building Information Modeling (BIM), and other technological resources that might make my life a little easier. I’m going to ask it to do things for me but I’m also going to check behind it and make sure that it’s giving me accurate information because I feel like it’s only as good as the user. And sometimes this user isn’t doing it correctly…
This is where students sometimes have trouble with technology. An example of this is that they’re introduced to Desmos, an online graphing calculator in math class. Students have success with it when it’s used correctly but sometimes they don’t understand the concept of the formula that they’re learning and instead, just punch in numbers hoping for it to be correct.
Another example is Google searching. Many times students just punch in some vague words or phrases into Google, hoping that something useful will pop up. They then complain when it doesn’t work and they can’t find the information that they’re being asked to locate.
When we gave students computers and technology, we thought that we were training this incredible generation that was going to do impressive and innovative things and give us flying cars. What we gave them was the world at their fingertips, which also includes wrong information. We gave them a resource to do calculations with but would also accept ANY number, including the wrong ones. With the good ol’ “copy and paste” shortcut we gave them a way to plagiarize and turn in other people’s words/thoughts as their own.
To help students become successful, it takes modeling and discussing with them how to use the resources efficiently to get the most out of it. This also includes AI. We can’t expect them to use something correctly if we don’t teach them about it first. Think of it as any tool in the shop. Are you going to give students a tool and expect them to use it correctly if you don’t demonstrate it to them?
How I use AI:
Checking grammar. Ummm… is it any surprise that I might need a little help in that department? I’ll copy and paste a paragraph, sentence, or thought and ask it to check for correct grammar.
Synonyms and a different voice. See above. Seriously, you can ask it to give you a list of synonyms or rewrite something for you along with checking your grammar. I know Google docs or Microsoft Word have spell checking and suggestions but AI can provide different ways of saying things that might improve getting your point across.
Creating Assignments. I give it a video (by using a Youtube link) and ask it to create a number of questions to ask the students about it. I ask for it to create math problems for me. I ask it to create discussion questions about various topics, especially our WorkPlace Readiness competencies (work ethic, time management,... ).
Creating visuals. I use AI programs like Canva to create posters, pamphlets, or other handouts for the program. I’m continually learning how to use this program for presentations and assignments.
I think of AI like that really smart friend of mine who is also very literal. Very much like Google search but even a bit smarter. I can’t expect it to read my mind if I give it vague perimeters. But then again, I can’t be too specific at times.
When I ask it to write math problems for me I tell it, “Create 10 addition problems with mixed fractions using ¼, ⅛, or ½.”
When I ask it to write discussion questions for me I tell it, “Give me four discussion questions that I can ask teenagers about the importance of having good work ethic.”
How I don’t use AI:
I don’t give it free range to write something for me. I write it out first and then have AI check or give me suggestions about it.
I don’t involve it in any shop stuff. Instead, I use textbooks and other reliable sources of information.
There are many different AI programs out there, including a couple for educators. I stick to the basic ones and really only ask it to do basic things. There are some educators who use it for a greater range of tasks like writing lesson plans, coming up with activities, and such. I might get to that level but I haven’t yet.
I believe that part of any job is looking at ways to improve. I feel that at least learning more about AI and what it could do for you is important as an educator. Just like any piece of technology, the instructor evaluates whether or not it fits in the program.
There was an uproar when the county decided to give each student a computer but I’ve found it to be useful in certain circumstances. I can have students look up information, research topics, or find examples of furniture types. I also have them draw, take notes by hand, and use textbooks as part of our program. I want students who are well-rounded and know when to use technology and when it’s unnecessary.
What this could mean for you in your shop, school or private? If you’re a school shop teacher, I’m sure that you’re already using it or at least know about it. I would be curious to know how you use it. For my private shops, I would use it if I needed help coming up with some topics of discussion, math problems, or checking my communication with others. Maybe use Canva for flyers or posters. You might not use it a lot or any but at least you’re aware of it.
To my grumpy shop teachers who believe that using AI means losing ‘their voice’ in emails and messages: I use AI as my assistant to ensure clear communication and correct grammar, just as I would use a thesaurus or spell check. In fact, it can do a slightly better job than those resources.
As always, let me know what you think or how I can help you in your classes.
** I used AI in some parts of this blog to check my work or help me come up with some different word choices. **
In another life, I was a lecturer in computer science. For my student's programming assignments, they were passed through a tool called MOSS (measure of software similarity) that would detect and flag if another student had attempted to pass work off as their own (detailed paper of the tool: http://theory.stanford.edu/~aiken/publications/papers/sigmod03.pdf). I empathize when I think of my former colleagues having to make judgement calls about AI generated submissions.
A recent trend I've noticed. I'm not an avid user of Facebook, having an account mostly for my business presence and the local woodworking associations buy/sell groups. I've noticed a number of number of groups have what I presume to be AI bots posting all sorts of AI generated nonsense to them with titles like: "dresser in cherry" where it is almost certainly mahogany or sapele, and other insane things shower enclosures supposedly craved from gigantic trees in a bathroom :(https://www.pinterest.com/pin/these-epic-showers-are-made-from-giant-slabs-of-live-edge-wood--439804719876352689/)
I've read a few discussions on reddit and other furniture maker sites, where customers have approached makers with these as inspiration! Probably both good (quickly prompt for ideas to show the customer about styles and sizes) and bad ( creating impractical unworldly items that can't be produced for less than the cost and associated complexity of a fighter jet).
It’s interesting that you bring up plagiarism, since that’s what generative AI is when you boil it down. I’m glad you talk about using it sparingly like you would a reference book, but I certainly see a lot of misuse of it out in the world and it could be a slippery slope that results in lost jobs (especially for creatives) if left unchecked.