This post is week 4 of 8 in the #8WeeksofSummer Blog Challenge for educators with the question: What (teacher) librarian tasks would you try with artificial intelligence?

As a school librarian, my first thought was to use AI to recommend books for students (Yorio, 2023). Some sites have images or lists to help students find similar books or have live people that will make recommendations based on information the student provides. The problem is that the AI systems are limited. ChatGPT may be able to recommend a book or provide information on similar books, based on a list you provide, but it cannot go past 2021. (Be aware that ChatGPT may make up facts if it doesn’t know something.) For someone who constantly reads book reviews, new book lists, etc., I find that limitation unacceptable. But for students, it may be a great way to dip their toes in the water and play with the AI systems. ‘If I like this book(s), what do you recommend?’

I have a lesson plan on teaching fake news to 9th graders. When I asked ChatGPT to create from scratch a similar lesson plan, it came remarkably close to what I had created. I can let it create a lesson plan and then modify it as I need (Yorio, 2023). Just because ChatGPT gave me an initial lesson plan (or anyone else did!), doesn’t mean I have to deliver it without modifications. But, it could be a real-time saver to have it create the first version.

I have students that range from AP/IB level work to those who are still learning English. My higher-level students may need help breaking down a concept. My English as a Second Language students may struggle to understand basic words and concepts. Another ability of AI systems is to help break down words. AI can break down concepts into simpler language (Hutchinson, 2023). It can take a text and rewrite the text in simpler language. This can be a major help for some of the students. Note: ChatGPT has limited ability to translate languages. It works as well as Google Translate on popular European languages but falls sharply on less popular languages (Jiao, 2023).

I will be experimenting with letting ChatGPT offer me bulletin board or display suggestions this coming school year. I need to learn how to modify my requests and zoom in on the best ideas. I will try to keep the original and modified versions so we can all see how I utilize ChatGPT.

Warning: ChatGPT is free and in return for the free service, it will track everything I do. Once typed in, it can’t be deleted from the system. And, it will create fake references if I ask for something it does not know. You can use the system, but do not do so blindly. Know it’s limitations.

References:

Hutchinson, Elizabeth. (January, 2023). ChatGPT and school libraries. Blog. https://www.elizabethahutchinson.com/post/chatgpt-and-school-libraries.

Jiao, Wenxiang (2023). Is ChatGPT a good translator? GitHub. https://github.com/wxjiao/Is-ChatGPT-A-Good-Translator

Yorio, Kara. (January 17, 2023). School librarians explore possibilities of ChatGPT. School Library Journal (online): https://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/story/School-Librarians-Explore-Possibilities-of-ChatGPT.