As the written work of humans is becoming less necessary, many have made the argument that learning to write an essay properly isn’t correlated with being a successful adult. However, some teachers and administration at Parker don’t agree with this.
When asked about the practice of writing and its main benefits, Susan Elliott, Upper School history teacher, said that writing, “Helps students to find a way to express their ideas clearly.”
In and of itself, putting pen to paper or fingers to keyboard helps people clarify their thoughts. This can be compared to the Protegé Effect, or the act of teaching someone else with intentions of understanding the topic better yourself. Being forced to lay out an argument coherently evokes a depth of understanding that can’t be achieved by solely thinking in your head. Aside from learning to express opinions with clarity, writing an essay requires some analytical skills. Elliott said, “We need to do analysis just to be good citizens of the world.”
Elliott, when describing one of the benefits of using AI, gave the example of when a teacher has, “ to write a note home.” Often, teachers have to both, “tell the parents and students a hard truth,” while balancing an email with positive aspects of a student. She explained that a solution to this is putting the letter, “through AI and say, ‘can you make this warmer,’ and it makes it seem less harsh.” This implies that one must not rely on AI too heavily. “There is a time and a place.” Ty Donath, Student Body President said.
From a student perspective, many believe that the creation of AI has been more of a hindrance than a helpful tool. A Parker high school sophomore said that, “People have different writing styles for different essays,” meaning that today, one has to both balance trying on different styles while also avoiding accusations of academic dishonesty.
Everyone in the educational system today is feeling a new tug and pull with AI coming onto the scene. Teachers are simultaneously trying to give students the room to grow while also monitoring the possibility of plagiarism. , “How can a teacher assess where a student is if [students] are not handing in work that reflects their ability?” Upper School Dean of Student Life Joe Bruno said.
Bruno has made it one of his missions, “to prepare students to leave Parker having developed really good educational habits.” But, with newfound AI technology, this goal is becoming less easily attainable. Bruno, by enforcing the rules in the handbook regarding academic dishonesty, is trying to instill the mindset into Parker students that they must not, “cut corners.” Considering the capabilities of the students at Parker, his advice:, “Don’t be cheap in your ability. You are quite capable, and you have to develop good habits.”
With this being said, the student body at Parker is currently dissatisfied with the course of action for accusations of misuse of Artificial Intelligence. Dozens have been forced to face false claims of academic dishonesty, and at a certain point, the burden of proof being on students has impeded students from freely growing as writers and exploring different techniques. “The system is extremely flawed because oftentimes I feel like teachers have no grounds or evidence to base [the accusation] off of and it’s on their personal account,” a Parker sophomore said. “I feel like it stunts my growth in writing because now people have accused me even when I didn’t [use AI]. I’m scared to improve my writing to another level.”
On the other end of the spectrum, a Parker senior said, “One of my big worries is that students at Parker who write more sophisticated, who know more about the English language and have a higher reading level, are going to get accused of using AI.”
Although this is less of a concern at the moment because these students have already established advanced abilities, it leaves room for those that have a certain reputation to cut corners themselves.
Overall, the student body is hoping that there is a change made that will minimize the distress caused by false accusations of academic dishonesty. This new obstacle is not only one more thing for students around the globe to navigate, but also can cause pain if not brought up delicately enough. When speaking on how hurtful some accusations might be, a Parker sophomore said, “Especially if you did write [a piece yourself], it would be horrible to have the teacher who’s been teaching you all year say to you, ‘You’re not good enough to write this. This writing is too good for you.”
