Setting the Context
The reality of the possibility of student use of A.I. Chatbots to write high school essays hit me a few weeks ago after a department chair meeting. After the meeting, our school’s English department chair opened his computer while asking me to verbalize a hypothetical student essay topic. As I said, “write about class structure, the American Dream, and The Great Gatsby,” the English department chair typed my prompt into an A.I. Chatbot program on his computer - and together we watched as the essay was quickly written. Shift happens. My immediate response was awe, followed by pragmatic reflection and some consolation. Even though high school English composition and writing is a complex, individual process, it can be effectively taught and practiced in the context of our classrooms – to ward off student temptations to use A.I. Here are a few suggestions for getting started: Set & Communicate Expectations When it comes to teaching and learning about writing, be clear in setting and communicating expectations and reference A.I. in the class plagiarism statement. Tackle the topic head-on. Talk about it with students by showing them the capabilities of Chatbots – including why they are not effective tools to help with critical thinking. Invite the class to reflect on its uses. Just as our English department chair did with me - make A.I. Chatbots real for students in class. Tools & Frameworks Provide students writing tools and essay frameworks. Help students practice in class. My syllabus has the specific parameters of the recursive writing process (that includes prewriting, writing, and revision) and essay frameworks and parameters (that include how to compose introductions, body paragraphs, and concluding techniques). I expect students to learn, practice, and adhere to these tools and frameworks throughout the year. During the first two weeks of class I spend time taking students though the tools and frameworks: the recursive writing process and a general essay paradigm. I also spend time reviewing specific expectations. The Values of Skills Teach the value of critically reading & thinking, annotating, and organization; then, practice these skills in the context of class. In the world in which we live and to honor the gifts students already possess, it is important to critically think and develop clear arguments. I expect to see student writing results as students practice during class. For example, when we talk about how closed thesis statements are important because they govern a paper, we write a closed thesis statement together during class. Then, students individually compose thesis statements, and we critique them in class. I am consoled that the work is theirs and ours. This foundational work is intended to help students frame logical arguments – an important skill. Connections Help students make connections during class. Content we critically read and annotate during class and at home should be reflected in essays students write. Students should see connections. For example, the specific quotes we identify in The Scarlet Letter or in The Great Gatsby - the quotes we underline and that we talk about – should be integrated into future papers. It’s our job to show that class is not a guessing game; rather, it’s a logical puzzle where all the parts fit together to create a beautiful, cohesive whole. Everything we do has a purpose and is connected. This requires that students are meaningfully engaged. They cannot “prefer not to,” by ceding control to passivity and perhaps the indifferent act of using A.I. Essay Handout How we set the parameters for writing assignments is important. Here are a few strategies I keep in mind when creating writing assignments. Clarity, Choice, Interaction Create a clear handout with assignment choices and parameters. While we review the essay handout in class, students interact with it by annotating it and choosing an essay topic. They engage with the handout. Prompt Parameters
Practicing a Process After students understand the parameters of the assignment, we practice prewriting in class. During one full class, we brainstorm and group, map, and free write – together as a class. We talk and interview one another. From our work, we begin to understand the value of generating ideas from our thoughts - a challenging task. Students leave class having a treasure trove of information relative to the essay assignment. Students earn homework and participation points during this step of the process – for their work in class and their continued work at home. After generating a wide variety of ideas, we narrow our focus and “group like items.” We revisit the essay assignment and write open and closed thesis statements. We examine thesis exemplars - from students and from me. We even grade thesis statement exemplars and talk about why we assign specific grades. This narrowing of focus and thesis writing takes about 30-40 minutes during a class. Students leave with (a) a specific list of their own reflections that serve as the foundations for their papers and (b) drafts of their thesis statements. Students earn homework and participation points for these steps. Based on our pre-writing, we complete outlines using frameworks I provide. I usually assign outlining as homework and invite students to use their previous pre-writing work and closed thesis statements to govern their outlines. Students earn homework and participation points for these steps. They also understand that everything we do comes from previous work we have done. Finally, we begin writing our essay drafts by using class to talk about our writing and to get started. During these steps, I ask students to provide their draft paragraphs, and I write draft paragraphs. We share them during class, critique them, and revise them. I expect that the work we start during class is finished at home – to be turned in during the next class. Students earn homework and participation points for this work. Here is what we do with each essay part:
Rough Draft Workshop Finally, students earn points for completing a draft of their essay one week prior to its due date. They realize that a draft consists of putting all the pieces they worked on together in essay form. Once they submit their rough drafts on the day of the rough draft workshop, they earn points for participating in an in-class rough draft workshop, where they exchange hard copies of their rough drafts with one another (assigned editors) and reflect on prompts that lead editors through the editing process. Below are some general expectations editors review on their peers’ papers:
Perhaps setting class time aside for working with students during the writing process, to help them with their essays, can alleviate pressure they feel to seek help from A.I. bots. For more information, contact me at [email protected].
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Pete MussoAssistant Principal, Curriculum & Instruction Archives
May 2022
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