Technology Times
Vol. 3 Issue: 4
Have a great summer!
I just wanted to send you off with a few parting thoughts and some information as the students embark on their summer break. I hope everyone had a great 22-23 school year. We will be working tirelessly over the summer to make sure we have an even better 23-24 school year!
Thank You!
Did you know Lewiston-Porter has an app?
Portfolio +
This year, we have uploaded the following documents:
- NYS student test score reports for ELA 3-8
- NYS student test score reports for Math 3-8
- NYS student test score reports for Science 4 & 8
- Winter - Aimsweb individual benchmark reports (K-8)
- Spring - Aimsweb individual benchmark reports (K-8)
- *Look for 4th Quarter Report Cards by the end of June.
FYI: Summer Technology
- Students in grades 6-12 will bring their device home over the summer. If you do NOT want your child to bring home their device, you can request that it be re-collected before the end of the year. It MUST be turned in directly to the library and the student should get a receipt that they have submitted it. Students should NEVER leave their device in their locker or in a teacher's classroom.
- Students in grades K-5 have their devices collected between May and June. They are serviced over the summer and redistributed in the Fall.
- Software Access: In most cases, students will still have access to our educational programs over the summer. This lasts until we roll students into their new classes/grade levels. Generally access it maintained through Mid August.
Replacing Chromebook Chargers
Students in grades 6-12 keep their devices over the summer. One of the most commonly misplaced technology items is the Chromebook charger. If that happens over the summer, here are some details on how you can go about replacing the charger.
There are several places you can go to pick up a replacement Dell charger. Most commonly people will purchase through Amazon (see link below).
As a district. we always recommend genuine Dell chargers. They have the appropriate wattage (65 W) and safety features to prevent overheating and shorting out.
Amazon:
Purchase replacement charger here.
Pay School Directly by Cash or Check:
*Note: if the charge is broken, please do NOT discard it, it may be covered by warranty. Please bring it in so we can submit a claim.
Google Take Out
This process can be done from any Chromebook, computer, laptop, or tablet. It does NOT need to be done on a school device. Many students have done this already but graduating students' accounts will remain active through July so there is still time if they have not.
AI Chatbots/ Chat GPT
What is an AI chatbot?
A chatbot is a computer program that uses artificial intelligence (AI) and natural language processing (NLP) to understand customer questions and automate responses to them, simulating human conversation.
I would simply describe it as the ultimate search engine. Not only can it provide search results for you, but it can synthesize answers to your questions and complete requested tasks. In addition to textual results, there are examples of AI generating other products such as works of art.
What can it do?
I wanted to learn more about Chat GPT, so I spent some time with it. I asked it to write presentations, speeches, congratulations letters, book summaries, and more. Each time, I would give it a little information and within seconds I would have a product. In most cases, I would only need to make a few edits to fit my specific situation. Otherwise, the results were excellent!
The possibilities are vast. You can use it for non-school/work-related tasks as well. I asked it to create a dinner menu for a family party while considering some of the guests require vegan options. It did. I then asked it to make a shopping list for that menu. It did. I then asked for the recipes for the items it suggested. It did!
My favorite interaction was asking it to write a song about the Buffalo Bills winning the Super Bowl. It was pretty good! I was impressed. Then, I thought it might be cooler as a rap song. So I asked, and it did it!
Each interaction was as if I were chatting with a person.
This is the Future.
It's not always obvious but AI software is embedded in many aspects of our lives already. The ads you see online are selected specifically for you by AI. Writing software, virtual assistants and cyber security systems, are a few more common examples. If the field is so large already, imagine what it will be like by the time some of our current students graduate college.
Microsoft believes in this so much that they invested one billion dollars into Open AI (the company that designed Chat GPT). To get an idea of how quickly this has caught on, and how fast it will continue to grow, see the chart below.
AI in Education
How does this impact education?
How will this change what we want students to know and be able to do? How does it change the way we assess students' knowledge and skills? What does it all look like?
Truthfully, we don't have all the answers yet, but we will learn and grow with the technology.
There is certainly reason to be optimistic and excited. This advancement has the potential to help students go deeper into topics in less time than ever before. There is also some cause for concern.
1. Data Privacy and Protection:
Most schools recognize what a great resource this can be, BUT we have a responsibility to protect student and staff data. Currently, Chat GPT, one of the most popular chat bots, promises NO security or data privacy for its users. Anything that you put in there could be released to third parties. DO NOT put anything personal or confidential into Chat GPT. Please note that while Chat GPT is blocked on school devices, they can still access it on devices at home.
In time, this company may change its privacy and data protection policies making it a safer option for students. Some schools have discussed offering user agreements to students and parents to inform them of the risks and best practices of using these resources. We are not quite ready to move forward with this yet. We need to be very careful before opening this up in our schools.
2. Academic Integrity:
The most common concern is that students could rely on AI chatbots to write their papers or complete their assignments. Students are expected to submit their own work and cite sources they use. What is interesting and unique is that chatbots don't technically plagiarize. Their work is original. However, if a student submits the work of a chatbot, they are not submitting their own work and should not take credit for it.
One way that schools are discouraging the misuse of AI chatbots is by using AI detection software. AI detection will analyze a student's work and determine if it was generated by AI or by a human. The software works similarly to plagiarism detection software that has been around for many years. Lewiston-Porter does have access to this type of software; however, when the time comes we will focus our efforts on educating students on ethical ways to use AI. Students will need to know how they can use these resources while maintaining their integrity and submit work that is reflective of their knowledge and skills.
What can parents do?
Stay informed. It is very helpful for parents to be aware of the technology their children are using. Make sure that students are careful if using these resources on their own. If/when AI chatbots are used in school, we will provide specific guidelines and best practices for how to use them safely and appropriately. For now, we do NOT recommend that students use AI chatbots for the reasons discussed earlier.
Nicholas Hill
If you have any questions for me, please contact rshiah@lew-port.com and she will schedule an appointment .
Email: nhill@lew-port.com
Website: www.lew-port.com
Phone: 716-286-7295