During class this week, a group of us discussed the use of GenAI, its estimated potential impacts, and whether we can avoid using it. I appreciated these questions because they were grounding and realistic. Past conversations were focused on how we can use GenAI efficiently and how it can help students and teachers, but these discussion topics narrowed to our own ability to use GenAI and what our responsibilities may be. 

Firstly, I do not think we can avoid using GenAI. As educators, it is our responsibility to keep up to date with the world our students are learning in. We need to be aware of the tools and apps at their disposal which they are interacting with regularly. For most of our students (and everyone else for that matter), GenAI will be a tempting solution to solving problems (homework, social, informational, etc). As I’ve said before, I believe it is best practice for teachers to show students how GenAI can be used as a tool for learning. To do so, we need to be aware and educated on the tool itself. Listening to our colleagues and other people in the education space can help us stay informed; conversations, readings, and podcasts are all great places to start. 

Similar to the environmental impact of driving, wasting materials, or other types of energy consumption, I think it is somewhat inevitable to avoid using Gen AI, but there are ways to conserve our use. Like carpooling, composting, and turning off lights, one can avoid unnecessary GenAI use by using other sources for information and content. For lesson/unit plans, there are numerous blogs, social media accounts, or templates online that are free to use and adapt as needed (remember, GenAI’s output would need to be adapted too). Also, finding premade images, videos, or songs instead of generating through AI will reduce energy output as well as not steal from hard-working artists. 

All in all, GenAI is inevitably going to be part of our lives. Going forward we can only do what we can through conscious, informed decisions