Schools and Teachers Banning ChapGPT Simply Exposes Them as Lazy, Ignorant Technophobes

Ever since ChatGPT was launched in late November 2022 there has been the predictable, oh-so-unsurprising backlash within the education community as schools and teachers have made a mad dash to "ban" such AI technologies. And by "ban" I really mean "bury their heads in the sand and thus try to pretend the technology does not exist".

Not that such a response is surprising or unprecedented, it definitely is not. But it is absolutely irritating that this same stupid scenario plays out every decade or so and downright mildly infuriating that these so called "educators" never actually seem to learn anything from their own mistakes.

None of that even covers the utter hypocrisy where educators decry any and all attempts at book banning (as well they should) but immediately ban any new technology that might actually force them to abandon their archaic systems of rote memorization and repetition and actually think critically in order to make their lesson plans, dare I say, educational?

As I said, this kind of backwards thinking idiocy raises its head every decade or so as technology continues to make "educators" and their banal methods obsolete. It happened with graphing calculators in the late eighties and early nineties and then again with the internet and again with programs that automatically did spell-checking, grammar-checking and "heavens to Murgatroyd" type ahead. In all of these cases the "intelligent" educator response was an immediate ban hammer up until the point where the technology didn't magically evaporate, and they had to accept it and adapt.

So, instead of banning ChatGPT, perhaps educators should wise up and admit that having students write 500-word essays on the pros and cons of colonialism, for example, just isn't really all that educational to begin with and rather simply a mechanism for "educators" to pontificate about the evils of this or that country or whatever. Here's a clue. The whole point is moot. Colonialism happened, you can't go back and change the past so who cares?

Having ChatGPT spit out an essay on a subject is tots more efficient and likely more educational than having to research the topic and painstakingly type out an expose on the subject. What is the purpose anyway? Is it to suck up large amounts of time from students or is it for the student to become educated on the subject? Because if it's the latter then who cares how the student arrived at the information? And no, it's not plagiarism by any definition, so give up on that sorry excuse.

And geometry. For the love of all that is good and decent in this world, stop with the stupid geometry lessons. Here's something I want every geometry educator to know. Whether or not two parallelograms are congruent is not a subject that has ever come up outside of geometry class in at least the last 100 years or so.

Why don't you educators actually teach our kids something useful? What might that be? Oh, maybe how to use new and innovative technologies to do things more effectively and efficiently. How's that for a novel idea?

Let me clue you lazy, mind-numbingly narrow-minded educators in on something. One of the reasons, if not the primary reason, why we educate people is so that they can get a job and become productive members of society. Do you honestly think that any business is going to be concerned whether their employees use ChatGPT to write their code or compile a competitive research report? Not one. Not a single one. Hell, those businesses are more likely to give those employees raises for being so efficient and effective at their jobs.

But, hey, don't take it from me, here's what ChatGPT has to say on the subject:

Banning ChatGPT in Schools: A Misguided Attempt to Address a Complex Problem

"In recent years, there has been a growing debate about the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in education, with some schools considering banning AI-powered chatbots like ChatGPT. This is a concerning trend, as ChatGPT can provide numerous benefits to students and teachers that extend far beyond what traditional educational resources can offer. In this article, we will discuss why banning ChatGPT in schools is a bad idea and what the implications of such a ban could be.

First and foremost, ChatGPT can provide students with instant access to information, allowing them to quickly find answers to their questions. This is especially useful for students who are working on assignments or conducting research, as they can get the information they need right away. This can also help students learn faster and retain information better, as they can quickly access relevant information without having to sift through countless pages of text or search through multiple sources.

Moreover, ChatGPT can also be a valuable tool for teachers, as it can help them save time and focus on other important tasks. For example, teachers can use ChatGPT to answer common questions from students, freeing up time that they would otherwise have to spend answering those questions manually. This can also help teachers stay organized, as they can use ChatGPT to keep track of assignments, grades, and other important information.

Another benefit of ChatGPT is that it can help to promote diversity and inclusiveness in the classroom. This is because ChatGPT can be customized to answer questions in different languages, making it accessible to students who speak different languages or have different cultural backgrounds. This can help to create a more inclusive and diverse learning environment, where students from different backgrounds feel valued and appreciated.

In conclusion, banning ChatGPT in schools would be a bad idea, as it would limit the opportunities for students and teachers to benefit from this powerful tool. Instead of banning ChatGPT, we should focus on finding ways to integrate it into the classroom in a responsible and effective manner. This may involve setting clear guidelines for how ChatGPT can be used in the classroom, as well as training teachers and students on how to use it effectively. By embracing ChatGPT and other AI technologies, we can help to create a better and more efficient learning environment for students and teachers alike."