I think it’s an amazing resource for gathering information, making plans, and learning unfamiliar procedures from a wide-variety of sources. I’m not anti Spark Notes either (aka Cliff’s Notes for the Gen X reader) because when used correctly, you at least have the ability to stay on track and recall where, when, and who appeared in the story. It’s a valuable tool especially when you’ve fallen behind and need a quick catch up or reference manual.
As an educator and English teacher, I’m anti anything that does the critical thinking work FOR the human mind. It’s not just lazy; it’s actually dangerous. You haven’t improved your ability to process information, write persuasively, discern truth from fiction, or apply accumulated knowledge and learning. You are literally letting a computer program think for you. (Skynet? Hello? Anyone? Anyone?)
That, Beautiful People, is terrifying.
I ask students for critical thinking and writing proofs for their opinions. Sometimes they are late or lazy or desperate or dependent, and they copy and paste the prompts into chat gpt, and it spits out the research drawn from all internet sources. (ALL meaning even wrong sources because any idiot can post stuff on the internet. See: this blog.)
It’s so, so easy to spot when AI is used to answer essays. A seventh grader doesn’t jump from five misspellings and manuscript form errors per paragraph to using “subsequently” and “Freudian characterizations” and “his ultimate redemption arc” in an essay.
So, now that you’ve submitted an essay far above your pay grade, I know several things for sure about you: 1) you’re lazy, 2) you don’t mind artificial intelligence forming opinions for you, and 3) you think I’m stupid. Students won’t even take the five minutes to ensure they know the vocabulary used in the plagiarized internet pap or try to change the verbiage to dumb it down a little for publication. They just copy and paste and hit submit.
I know, I know, life happens and we sometimes misuse technology to ‘get ‘er done’ but the worst part in all of this is that students are more concerned about the GRADE than about the LEARNING. It’s baking a cake for the photo op and tossing it in the trash without eating any. The purpose of baking a cake is THE CAKE. Grades are ancillary and will come when the learning is the main point.
I think imma have to take it old school on ‘em. Blue books and #2 pencils, here we come. (If you know, you know.)
You think it’s your kid I’m talking about? Maybe. Just ask him/her. Students will look me dead in the eye and say flat out of their little mouths (with great pride in their achievement of mediocrity as though remaining ignorant is gloat-worthy) that they haven’t touched the book one time and then email me in full confidence a collegiate-level essay.
They’ll probably tell you straight to your face too. (Confidence truly is a double-edged sword.)
I would far rather receive an essay of original thought that sort of sucks in execution than be given papers of gobbledygook. I can fix your ignorance, (it’s sort of my job) but laziness? That, My Friend, will destroy your entire life one neglected thing at a time—your marriage, friendships, job, reputation—these won’t recover from lazy, dialed in mediocrity.
You were not designed to settle. Stop doing it. Strive to learn, apply yourself diligently, and the rest will take care of itself. Oh, and do your own blasted work.”
~ Mrs. C Said So
