I remember the first time I heard about ChatGPT. It was 2022, and my old roommate Cam, who’s always seems to be ahead of the tech game, walked out of his office casually mentioning that he had used it to write a work email. My other roommate chimed in, saying she had started using it too. I remember feeling embarrassed because I had no idea what they were talking about. They discussed how it was going to change the world and instead of outing myself, I waited until the conversation ended and did my own research.
That first interaction with ChatGPT was underwhelming. My initial thought? How could AI change the world? It was a concept I couldn’t quite wrap my head around, and at the time, I didn’t see much personal use for it. Fast forward three years, and now it’s hard to imagine a world where people don’t ask AI questions. For me, ChatGPT has become my go-to for travel ideas, recipes, and random curiosities like, Who invented Pop Rocks? But for many, AI has become fully integrated into their work lives. As a teacher candidate, I see both the opportunities and the challenges that AI presents in education.
On March 7th, our class explored AI, or rather, skimmed the surface, because truly diving in would take days. One bullet point on the “issues” slide stuck with me: the erosion of rich human practices. AI provides instant answers but skips over the process of learning. Even for something as simple as asking who invented Pop Rocks, I probably would have retained more had I searched the web, clicked through articles, and pieced together the information myself. The brain picks up more than we realize like links, headings, and images, which all contribute to a bigger picture that makes the final answer feel earned. AI, on the other hand, delivers instant gratification but often at the cost of comprehension.
Thinking about this in the context of teaching, I see myself as part of a generation navigating AI in the classroom. If framed positively, this shift isn’t just about adapting but about redefining learning. In a world where answers are just a click away, I believe teaching is less about the outcome and more about the journey of learning. My goal as a teacher is to foster curiosity and to spark a love for learning that encourages students to seek answers for themselves. Instead of relying on AI to produce entire essays or projects, I want to emphasize inquiry-based and hands-on learning, where the process itself is just as important as the result.
That said, I won’t ignore AI or pretend it doesn’t exist. Instead, I plan to address it directly in my classroom, even demonstrating how tools like ChatGPT can be used responsibly. The key word here is “tool”. AI isn’t going away, but learning how to use it thoughtfully is crucial. Trying to prevent students from ever using AI is unrealistic. But teaching them to value the process, to think critically, and to engage deeply with their learning? That’s something I will always strive for.