Several teachers from Sierra Canyon's AI/ChatGPT Task Force delivered an informative presentation to students in Grades 9–12 during Community Time on Wednesday, October 29.
Mr. Noah Salamon, English Department Chair and leader of the Task Force, opened by emphasizing that the presentation's purpose was not to "scold" students about AI. Instead, he noted, Sierra Canyon recognizes that AI can play a meaningful role in education. As teachers explore ways to integrate these tools in a process Mr. Salamon described as "slow and cautious," the goal is to help students use AI productively: "to benefit from its positives and [avoid] fall[ing] victim to its downsides."
Mr. Tom Keller provided an overview of how AI works, describing it as a sophisticated pattern-recognition system rather than true human intelligence. Dr. Danielle Domzalski discussed "AI hallucinations," such as fabricated quotes from classroom texts, which can pose challenges for students and other users alike. Mr. Dan O'Reilly Rowe addressed additional considerations, including the "averaging" effect of AI, bias within its systems, and the environmental impact of large-scale computing.
Finally, Mr. Gabe Bitto cautioned that overreliance on AI may allow students to circumvent building the foundations and "habits of mind" that serve as the basis for true learning. As he explained, having ChatGPT write an essay for you is like sending a robot to the gym to lift weights on your behalf—the weight may get lifted, but there's no benefit from the struggle, and the muscles don't grow.
In the months ahead, the Task Force will share practical, classroom-ready ways to use AI productively so it supports learning rather than replaces it. For more information, please contact Mr. Salamon at [email protected].
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