EARLY DECISION

We ended the 2022-23 academic year at my school on Friday. It’s been a wonderful whirlwind, rollercoaster of a year. In some ways, it was not unlike to many others over my 22 years, but some others, it was palpably different. Take a look at my LinkedIn post from Friday for more details. In any case, this week’s newsletter has a host of interesting information to share. Lest I forget, if ever you encounter any interesting articles, tools, or resources, please send them my way at [email protected]. Enjoy the newsletter!

EXTRACURRICULARS

I recently wrote a new blog post, "Crafting Your Future: A High School Student's Guide to Resume Writing," which offers a detailed guide for high school students to craft compelling resumes. This piece was written in response to the overwhelming popularity of my previous post on LinkedIn profiles for high school students and is based on requests from readers. The guide underscores the significance of resumes in showcasing a student's skills, experiences, and aspirations. It provides a step-by-step process for building a resume, from selecting the right format to proofreading. A key highlight is the recommendation to use AI tools, such as ChatGPT, to refine resume entries and create compelling narratives. I also introduce the Google X-Y-Z formula for structuring resume entries and suggest using AI to generate and refine these statements. To delve into the full guide and learn more about leveraging AI in resume writing, follow this link. (Also, check out this YouTube clip on crafting cover letters…)

In another recent blog post, "What Every High School Senior Should Do This Summer for College Success," I share my insights and advice for high school seniors preparing for their college applications over the summer. I suggest students complete basic applications, craft a compelling main essay, thoroughly research colleges, and finalize their college list. I also encourage students to demonstrate interest in their prospective colleges and to create a comprehensive resume. Notably, I recommend leveraging technology and AI tools, such as ChatGPT, to manage applications, track deadlines, and assist with essay writing. Take a look! 

CAMPUS TOUR

In an intriguing blend of music and technology, Paul McCartney has used AI to create a "new" Beatles song. The song, set to be released later this year, incorporates vocals from John Lennon, extracted from an old demo recording. The inspiration for this innovative project came from the documentary Get Back, where a custom AI system was used to separate the Beatles members' vocals from background noise. Despite initial skepticism, McCartney acknowledged the potential of AI in music production, describing it as "scary but exciting." For more details on this fascinating intersection of AI and music, check out the full article on TechCrunch.

“How to use ChatGPT as a learning tool” by Ashley Abramson discusses how ChatGPT can be used as a learning tool in education. The article provides advice from psychology instructors on how to use ChatGPT and other AI technology wisely. It also discusses the potential challenges and opportunities that ChatGPT presents for educators. The article suggests that ChatGPT can help prepare students for the real world by encouraging critical thinking. I think this is a must-read for all educators but especially those interested in incorporating AI technology into their teaching practices.

“Educator Considerations for ChatGPT” by OpenAI provides an overview for educators on the capabilities, limitations, and considerations for using ChatGPT for teaching and learning. It discusses the potential risks and opportunities of using ChatGPT in education. The page also provides examples of how educators are exploring the use of ChatGPT for streamlined and personalized teaching. It’s a great starting point for educators seeking to learn more about ChatGPT and its potential impact on education. I have shared it before, but it continues to be updated and is worth revisiting!

“ChatGPT for Educators” by ISTE discusses the potential of ChatGPT as an educational tool. It offers educators wishing to incorporate AI into their daily practices a place to start. The resource is available on the Podcasts slide of the ISTE resource document. It’s a great resource for educators interested in exploring the use of AI technology in their teaching practices.

HONOR CODE

The provocative article entitled "Nobody Wins in an Academic-Integrity Arms Race" from The Chronicle of Higher Education explores the influence of AI on academic integrity, with a specific focus on AI tools like ChatGPT. It references an earlier opinion piece by a Columbia University undergraduate, who disclosed how students are using ChatGPT to write essays in a way that goes undetected, thus challenging the effectiveness of traditional academic-integrity policies. This revelation has sparked many discussions about the implications of AI. The article also notes that some academics have been considering the impact of AI on higher education for some time. This is an important one to read!

This article highlights the growing importance of AI ethics and the increase in searches for "AI ethical issues" on the internet. It emphasizes that businesses are now recognizing the potential ethical challenges associated with AI, which can lead to product failures, brand damage, and legal issues. The piece also mentions the implementation of regulations in various countries, such as the proposed "AI Act" in the EU. Furthermore, it introduces the concept of responsible AI as a framework for organizations to make ethical choices when implementing AI, noting its rising interest and potential mainstream adoption in the next five to ten years.

COURSE CATALOG

Citing AI Sources? The APA Style team and the Modern Language Association (MLA) have both released guidelines on how to cite AI-generated content, specifically focusing on OpenAI's ChatGPT. The APA article provides detailed instructions on how to cite text generated by ChatGPT, treating it as an algorithm's output rather than a personal communication, and encourages scrutiny of the primary sources provided by the AI. The MLA guidelines, on the other hand, provide examples of how to cite not only AI-generated text but also creative visual works and music. They emphasize the importance of including the version of the AI used, the date of access, and the specific prompt given to the AI. Both articles address the issue of "hallucinated" references, where the AI invents plausible-looking sources, and suggest that users should vet these sources. These guidelines are valuable resources for students, educators, and high school college counselors navigating the new territory of AI-generated content in academic work. Read more about APA's guidelines here and MLA's guidelines here.

Cynics Among Us? The webpage "The AI Hype Wall of Shame" is a collaborative project between Critical AI and the DAIR Institute. The goal of the project is to combat the pervasive hype that misleads the public about artificial intelligence (AI) in its various dimensions. They respond to instances of AI hype with a rating system inspired by Marvin the Paranoid Android from Douglas Adams’s Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. The ratings range from #onemarvin for common, boring AI hype, to #threemarvins for hype that makes unsubstantiated claims about AI sentience and consciousness, which they consider paranoia-inducing. The page also invites contributions from the community and showcases examples of AI hype with their corresponding Marvin ratings.

99% Accurate? In a recent breakthrough, researchers from the University of Kansas have developed an AI detector that can identify text generated by OpenAI's language model, ChatGPT, with an astounding 99% accuracy. This development could have significant implications for the future of AI in education, particularly in the realm of essay writing and plagiarism detection. However, the study also raises important questions about the ethical use of AI and the potential for misuse. How will this technology impact the way we assess student work and maintain academic integrity? Dive into the original Gizmodo article to explore these fascinating questions and understand the full scope of this groundbreaking research.

STUDENT UNION

This week’s narrative comes from one of my own students, who shared her use of ChatGPT in her essay-writing process, something we fully encourage when done responsibly. The student began by plugging in a bunch of her ideas and asking the software to help develop them:

Interesting perspective. From where I sit, the essay that I received still provides opportunity for feedback, but the starting point is much farther along the continuum.

If you have any stories to share that I might include in future newsletters, please email me at [email protected]!

FINAL EXAM

In this section, I hope to share a useful prompt for ChatGPT that college counselors might find to be useful. Here’s this week’s prompt:

I am a high school college counselor. Please provide a comprehensive checklist that I could provide for each of my students at the beginning of their senior year to keep them on task with their application process. Following are some of the important tasks that I want to be sure to emphasize. Incorporate them into your list and take them into consideration when you are fleshing out the rest of your list. [enter your priorities here]

Take a few minutes and copy-and-paste this into ChatGPT to get some ideas! The more I use ChatGPT, the more I find myself asking it for feedback on things that I have “always” done, like this prompt. As with so much with ChatGPT, the better the input you provide it, the better the outcome. I put in our beginning-of-year checklist, and it came up with a handful of great additional suggestions. Give it a try!

COMMENCEMENT

In the dynamic landscape of education, each week brings new insights, tools, and challenges. As we navigate these changes, our shared commitment to student success needs to remain our guiding principle. The exploration of technology's role in this journey is not just an academic exercise, but a practical endeavor that directly impacts our work. Here's to another week of discovery, growth, and impactful counseling. Until next time.

Happy counseling,

Jeff