In some classrooms, teachers ask: Can AI teach students to write better?

"Schmidt asked the class to write several paragraphs reflecting on the dystopian novel, then feed them into the artificial intelligence chatbot for feedback. He distributed worksheets explaining how to use ChatGPT as a "writing partner" by instructing it to assume the persona of a critic or teacher and describing the feedback it should provide. "The A.I. will NOT always give you great advice!" Schmidt wrote in a worksheet for students. "It might suggest something that doesn't fit what you want to say. You need to use your EDITING skills.""

"Vince Lombardo, one of Schmidt's students in that 2024 class, said it was the first time one of his teachers had suggested using an AI bot during an assignment, rather than warning students against using the tools at all. He fed paragraphs from his assignment into ChatGPT and, using Schmidt's worksheet, crafted a prompt to ask for advice. There were some points Lombardo disagreed with, like starting the essay with a rhetorical question, but to his surprise, he found most of ChatGPT's feedback helpful."

""I thought it was great," Lombardo, 15, said. "Ever since then, I've kind of been doing the same thing." As educators around the country grapple with the effects of AI, a growing cohort of English teachers are finding ways to bring tools like ChatGPT into their pedagogy as tutors and brainstorming aides. For students like Lombardo, learning how to prompt a chatbot for feedback - and when to question AI's advice - has become an essential part of the writing process. Coaching from AI, personalized and accessible at any time, is now shaping how they write."

A high school English teacher instructed students to use ChatGPT to critique and improve their essays on a dystopian novel. He provided worksheets that guided students to prompt the AI as a critic or teacher and specified the type of feedback to request. The materials warned that AI suggestions can be imperfect and emphasized the need for students to apply their own editing judgment. A student who followed the process reported that most AI feedback was useful and that he continued to use the tool. More teachers are adopting AI as tutoring and brainstorming aids, and AI coaching is influencing student composition processes.

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