AI-Assisted Teaching: Thrilling, but Stay Grounded
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First and foremost, a huge shoutout to Nicky for bringing us the fascinating insights on Digital Literacies & AI ❤!!
Future is now! It's common to come across news about Artificial Intelligence, like "A certain car company is experimenting with AI for autonomous driving" or "A translation software has incorporated AI for text translation." With such reports flooding the news, I can feel the pervasive presence of Artificial Intelligence in every aspect of our lives. I've always been aware that AI is continuously evolving and updating.
However, what I hadn't realized is the extent and speed of AI's evolution have exceeded my imagination!
Therefore, in this blog post, in addition to introducing various useful ICT tools like before, I'll also share more of my own thoughts on AI and its applications in the field of education.
(Image Source: liu.se)
Part One: My thoughts on AI
🙌Attention! If my ramblings aren't your cup of tea, feel free to skip ahead to Part Two: AI for TESOL.
Before, I never really delved deep into the 'right' way to use Artificial Intelligence. I mean, my understanding of AI was pretty limited, and if you asked me about AI off the cuff, I'd probably only mention ChatGPT of OpenAI. I was intrigued by the facial generation tech (deepfakes) mentioned in class, only to discover how widespread it has become. You can find a tutorial for it on Google with just a few clicks!
(Screenshot from Google searching page)
In my recent Google search, I stumbled upon 'FaceSwapper'—yeah, the same video trick I often play with on TikTok is part of the deepfakes family. Talk about a reality check! That's when it hit me: AI has already creeped in every nook and cranny of our lives, and I just didn't realize it, or worse, didn't bother to understand it enough.
Coincidentally, right after class, my phone buzzed with news about OpenAI's latest venture—Sora, a text-to-video model.I devoured all the info on Sora from the OpenAI website and watched every video it generated. Sure, some clips had their flaws, but that didn't stop me from being blown away by Sora!!!!
Can you believe just a year ago, videos generated by AI were... well, let's just see it:
(Video Source: TikTok.com)
AI tech that used to exist only in my imagination is now a reality. I marvel at the advancements, but at the same time, I'm starting to harbor some concerns... Because I've realized I might not be as sensitive to new tech as I thought, or as open-minded. Sometimes, I even worry about its safety and Authenticity.
Huge thanks to Nicky for dropping those 'big questions to ask' at the end of the lecture! Before, when using ChatGPT, I never cared about where its answers came from, blindly accepted them, or didn't give a second thought to where my uploaded files ended up... But now! those questions from Nicky planted a seed in my mind, urging me to think critically! When Tilly introduced AI-plus-teaching applications later on, I found myself instinctively pondering their answers, their sources, and their shortcomings...
(Image Source: Nicky Hockly's lecture Slide)
Part Two: AI for TESOL
I just mentioned my lack of sensitivity to new technology and sometimes not knowing how to use artificial intelligence to assist my teaching process. If you're in the same boat as me, then keep reading, because you won't regret it after exploring these super practical AI-for-TESOL tools: (click for more)
Hi Anna, this is Nicky (I use a dummy blog to be able to post comments on Blogger). Thanks for a great blog post! Really interesting to see that you are now asking questions about AI, which are of course applicable to all tech tools. Deepfake technology is one that I think has the potential to do much harm, but there are of course lots of great generative AI technologies out there too, as you point out. I love the TikTok video you shared, btw. Thanks for sharing your thoughts here! Nicky
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Imagine turning up the volume on your favorite English songs and learning new words without even feeling like you're studying. That's what LyricsTraining does. In my quest to explore English learning websites, this one made me stop and stay the longest. I listened to one catchy song after another , and of course, during this process, I was continuously learning new words, filling in the blanks for listening exercises. The catch is, if you fail to fill in more than 3-4 words, the music stops. This mechanism keeps me sharply focused, trying to recall words I've learned before... This website is amazing! It engages your whole body —you listen with your ears, watch with your eyes, and type with your hands. Teachers can use this website to spark students' interest in learning English or to liven up the classroom atmosphere. I've already thought of some scenarios for its use, like: before class starts, we could have students use LyricsTraining (mind you, considering ti...
Hi Anna, this is Nicky (I use a dummy blog to be able to post comments on Blogger). Thanks for a great blog post! Really interesting to see that you are now asking questions about AI, which are of course applicable to all tech tools. Deepfake technology is one that I think has the potential to do much harm, but there are of course lots of great generative AI technologies out there too, as you point out. I love the TikTok video you shared, btw. Thanks for sharing your thoughts here! Nicky
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