ChatGPT has the feel of the the earliest days of the graphical browser, Mosaic.  Lots of dopamine and uncritical amazement, at least for me.  Here’s an example of something these AI’s can do:

Here is a prompt from me to OpenAI’s chat bot:

Write a blog post with this thesis: we are creating a very different default composition ecosystem for teachers who use chatGPT

 

Here is what it created:

As teachers, we are constantly on the lookout for ways to make our lessons more engaging and effective for our students. One tool that has been gaining a lot of traction in recent years is chatGPT, a language model developed by OpenAI that allows teachers to easily create and customize chat-based learning experiences for their students.

With chatGPT, teachers can create interactive lessons that students can access on their own devices, at their own pace. This makes it possible for students to learn and practice new concepts in a more engaging and personal way than traditional classroom instruction allows.

But while chatGPT is a powerful tool, it is also creating a very different default composition ecosystem for teachers. In the past, the default way that students composed their work was on paper, with pencil and pen. But with chatGPT, the default way that students compose their work is through text-based conversation.

This shift has a number of implications for teachers. For one, it means that we need to think carefully about how we teach composition in the age of chatGPT. We need to consider not just the mechanics of good writing, but also the conventions and expectations of text-based conversation.

For example, when we teach students how to write a persuasive essay, we need to consider not just how to structure an argument, but also how to present it in a way that is clear, concise, and engaging in a chat-based environment. We need to teach students how to use language effectively in a text-based conversation, and how to navigate the nuances of tone and intent that can be so difficult to convey in writing.

Additionally, the shift to chat-based composition also means that teachers need to think carefully about how we assess student work. In the past, we were used to evaluating student writing based on factors like grammar, spelling, and organization. But in the age of chatGPT, we need to consider how to evaluate students based on the quality of their contributions to a text-based conversation.

This can be a challenge, as it requires us to think about the criteria we use to assess student work in a different way. But it is also an opportunity, as it allows us to focus on the real-time communication skills that are so important in the digital age.

Overall, chatGPT is a powerful tool that has the potential to revolutionize the way we teach and learn. But as teachers, it is important that we also recognize the implications of this technology for the way we approach composition and assessment in the classroom. By thinking carefully about these issues, we can ensure that we are using chatGPT to its full potential, and that we are preparing our students for success in the digital world.

Composition starts here with revision just I like it always has, but I get an impression from users that this is where writing begins and ends–with the minimum viable product.  If so, my profession is done, but  I don’t think it is done. The chatbot creation above is only the beginning and a rather thin and halting beginning at that–like most first drafts.

So the next draft continues in the etherpad below.  If you want to join in over the next few days, choose your own ink color and add, subtract, multiply and divide away.  Like I said above we have to respect a new default writing ecosystem.  I predict that the general quality of writing will improve on its face but only if we help people use the basic elements of good writing that good writers have always used: be clear in our purpose, keep the audience in mind, have empathy with your readers, do the work.