Opinion Blog

Classroom Q&A

With Larry Ferlazzo

In this EdWeek blog, an experiment in knowledge-gathering, Ferlazzo will address readers’ questions on classroom management, ELL instruction, lesson planning, and other issues facing teachers. Send your questions to lferlazzo@epe.org. Read more from this blog.

Artificial Intelligence Opinion

What Teachers Should Know About AI: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

By Larry Ferlazzo — July 28, 2023 1 min read
opinion classroom q&a ai
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

ChatGPT and other artificial intelligence tools are on the minds of many teachers, and, if it isn’t, it will be once school begins in the fall. Though I don’t believe the pronouncements of those who say this technology will revolutionize education (most of the people using these kinds of superlatives have never taught in a classroom), it can have a not insignificant impact on how we teach.

As I’ve said in some of these posts, though I don’t think AI will generally make schooling hugely better (except, perhaps, for second-language instruction), it does have the potential of making it a lot worse if we teachers don’t adapt to it.

The commentaries in these posts—all from educators and students who have actually used AI in class—may provide some practical insights about what those adaptations might look like.

weregoingtohavetogina

1. 19 Ways to Use ChatGPT in Your Classroom

The AI tool doesn’t need to send you into a panic. It can be leveraged to help you and your students. Read more.

2. ChatGPT: Teachers Weigh In on How to Manage the New AI Chatbot

Sure, the program can lead to cheating, but it can also free up teachers’ time for important instruction. Read more.

3. Educators Need to Get With the AI Program. ChatGPT, More Specifically

AI tools offer teachers a great opportunity to prepare students for all the good—and the not so good—that they can do. Read more.

4. How Teachers Are Using Artificial Intelligence in Classes Today

Sure, ChatGPT can be misused, but when used correctly, the AI tool can help teachers and students alike in multiple subjects. Read more.

5. How Teachers Are Using ChatGPT in Class

Used smartly, AI tools can be valuable allies for teachers and students alike in the learning process. Read more.

6. AI Is Helping Us With Our Instructional Practice. Here’s How

Artificial intelligence can be a timesaver for teachers and an eye-opener for students. Read more.

7. Here’s What Students Think About Using AI in the Classroom

As much as teens are wed to technology, these high schoolers recognize its limitations. Read more.


Similar topics from Classroom Q&A:

Related Tags:

The opinions expressed in Classroom Q&A With Larry Ferlazzo are strictly those of the author(s) and do not reflect the opinions or endorsement of Editorial Projects in Education, or any of its publications.

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Recruitment & Retention Webinar
Hiring, Retention, and Fill Rates: A Data-Driven Sub Strategy
Explore what keeps substitutes coming back and hear how one district rebuilt its substitute hiring process and improved its fill rate.
Content provided by Frontline Education
Early Childhood K-12 Essentials Forum Early Childhood Education: Building Essential Skills for Success
Join this free virtual event to examine the biggest challenges in supporting young children, from preschool through elementary school. 
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Student Absenteeism Webinar
Attendance Isn't an Attendance Problem
Boost attendance by strengthening relationships, belonging, and support with practical strategies from Doug Fisher & Nancy Frey.
Content provided by Corwin

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Artificial Intelligence LAUSD Adopts Moratorium on Student AI Use, Another Move to Limit Classroom Tech
The nation's second-largest district is pausing student use of generative artificial intelligence.
Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times
3 min read
A student uses Ed, a new district-developed Artificial Intelligence-assisted "learning acceleration web-based platform that will boost student success and revolutionize how K-12 education is tailored to meet individual needs," during the official launch event at Edward R. Roybal Learning Center in Los Angeles on March 20, 2024 .
A student uses Ed, the Los Angeles Unified School District's custom AI platform that later failed, during a launch event at Edward R. Roybal Learning Center in Los Angeles on March 20, 2024. LAUSD has now adopted a moratorium on student AI use. New York City schools have banned AI-powered tools for elementary and middle school students, meaning the nation's two largest districts have adopted major restrictions on student AI use.
Christina House/Los Angeles Times/TNS
Artificial Intelligence New York, Los Angeles Restrict Student AI Use. Will Other Districts Follow?
The restrictions come amid rising concerns about overreliance on technology in schools.
7 min read
Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and Schools Chancellor Kamar H. Samuels today announced a moratorium on student-facing generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) use in schools, alongside a new screen time policy, a decision that will impact nearly 600,000 public school students, or two-thirds of the system's total enrollment at The Brooklyn Steam Center in New York City on Sept. 2, 2026.
Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and Schools Chancellor Kamar H. Samuels announced a moratorium on student-facing generative artificial intelligence use in schools and a new screen-time policy during a press conference at The Brooklyn Steam Center in New York City on Sept. 2, 2026. The moratorium is part of a growing nationwide movement to ban or limit the use of AI and decrease screen time in schools.
Katie Godowski/MediaPunch /IPX via AP
Artificial Intelligence Spotlight Spotlight on Using AI with Purpose: Building Responsible Practices for Schools
Learn how to implement AI responsibly with practical guidance for school leaders, teachers, and district decisionmakers.
Artificial Intelligence Schools Caught Flat-Footed After Google Makes Gemini Chatbot Available to All Students
Schools wrestle with the question of whether to permit or prohibit access to the AI chatbot.
5 min read
Social Studies teacher Simon Sharick supervises students at the Plymouth High School in Ohio on how to properly prompt the Gemini Ai App to get their desired information. Students were using the Gemini App for the first time on Friday, Aug. 28, 2026.
Students in a social studies class on Aug. 28, 2026, at Plymouth High School in Plymouth, Ohio, learn how to properly prompt Google's Gemini chatbot to generate useful and accurate information. In August, Google made Gemini available to K-12 students of all ages. <br/>
Ruddy Roye for Education Week