Last Summer’s Newsletter contained an article warning all that our high school and college students are now computer-literate and are using Artificial Intelligence (ChatGPT, etc.) to write their email letters. We are delighted to see them acquire new skills, esp. if they it improves their composition skills. However, the jury is still out. It may even retard or set back what their ability to acquire those skills.
Here lies our concern: When marksheets are difficult to interpret (Theoretical Marks vs Practical Marks), or when a student is ranked but you don’t know how large the class size is, nor even if the teacher is playing favorites, then how well their letter-writing is written is the primary way most of us determine whether our support is actually being effective.
So, if you have noticed that their emails (or ‘typed’’ letters) show vast improvement in grammar and vocabulary and are much easier to read and understand, you’ve been unintentionally “scammed” into thinking they are progressing amazingly well! Of course, they mean well and simply want to make you proud! But, reflect for a moment–don’t you miss those quaint phrases, “I am good here. I hope you are doing good there.” Or “I must stop my pen here. Fond remembrances?” But more importantly, what I like to witness their going from simple sentences to compound and complex sentence structure on their own. Uma who is now 30 years old (!), writes beautiful, caring letters, and although they fall short of perfection, they make me smile: I know it is her. It’s so much more personal: That’s how she talks!
All of us at ANSWER are unanimous in saying, “We are going Retro!” One thing we have to teach our children is when it is appropriate to use technology: A hand-written thank you letter is better than a typed one. We don’t phone late at night, nor text while we are driving. And so, we are calling on all of you to help us with this.
If your student(s) persists in using AI platforms in their correspondence with you, please let us know, and respond to them with a strong denunciation: Tell your student, “I love reading your own words, not a robot’s words.” Explain to them that writing letters is supposed to be an exercise in improving their English, and you look forward to reading letters to see how much their English has improved! Explain that “spell check” is acceptable and helpful because one learns from it, but AI teaches nothing. It is a dumbing-down instrument that must be used selectively.
We are getting the message out to them, but we are still noticing an upswing in its use to you. WE have to put the genie back in the bottle! So, if they hear this from us, and again, hear it from you, we may not have to mandate that they go back to writing letters by hand, as well! So, please read over your latest emailed letters and reflect on their grammar. Believe me, it is blatant to the discerning eye. We are counting on your help here. Well, with that, “I will stop my pen now. Sweet Remembrances.”
