Integrating AI in English Classrooms: Challenges and Opportunities

Colleen Gweniviere Bush

December 15, 2024

Since the moment generative language AI became publicly accessible, English teachers have been perplexed by how it might affect the way we write, teach, and understand literature. In the beginning, many educators were filled with fear and anxiety, uncertain about how this new technology would disrupt their teaching methods. Initially, the focus was on catching students who used AI tools, leading to additional tasks in an already overloaded profession. Teachers scanned papers for clues like strange fonts or grey text backgrounds, or they relied on cumbersome AI checkers. These tools often added frustration and rarely provided conclusive proof, especially when students denied using AI. This approach quickly proved exhausting and unproductive (Chen & Zou, 2023).

As time passed, it became evident that generative AI was here to stay, growing more sophisticated and harder to detect. Many educators began to see the futility in “hunting” for AI use. Writing, and the way it is taught, has been transformed in just two years. Today, the challenge is not about preventing AI use but finding ways to integrate it into the curriculum to enhance students’ reading, writing, and critical thinking skills. AI, when used appropriately, can save time on repetitive tasks, enabling teachers to focus on more meaningful learning activities. Moreover, it has the potential to individualize learning and expand research opportunities, offering a more personalized and inclusive educational experience (Nguyen & Nguyen, 2024).

The New Role of AI in ELA Education

Enhancing Learning and Preparing for the AI Workforce

The goal now is to incorporate AI in a way that enhances students’ learning while preparing them for the workforce of the future. AI tools can:

• Save time on grading by automating repetitive tasks, allowing teachers to focus on individual student needs (Crompton et al., 2023).
• Provide immediate, unbiased feedback on grammar, punctuation, and writing, which helps students learn in real-time (Noonoo, 2024).
• Support individualized instruction by tailoring feedback and content to students’ current levels, promoting a growth mindset (Chen & Zou, 2023).

Challenges and Ethical Concerns

While AI offers exciting opportunities, it also presents challenges that schools must address:

• AI-Generated Bullying and Deepfakes: Schools across the country face incidents where students have used AI to create deepfake videos and photos of teachers and peers. These are then shared on social media, causing harm, and spreading misinformation. This issue highlights the urgent need for school policies to address the misuse of AI technologies (Banerji, 2024).
• Dependence on AI: Over-reliance on AI tools could result in students becoming complacent, cutting, and pasting assignments without engaging with the material. This threatens creativity and critical thinking skills (Jones, 2024).
• Ethical Concerns: The misuse of AI raises questions about fairness and integrity in education. Schools need policies to monitor ethical AI use and address misuse effectively (Woo et al., 2023).

Conclusion

The question now is how to incorporate AI into curricula in a way that enhances students’ reading, writing, and critical thinking skills. By thoughtfully integrating AI, educators can foster more inclusive, efficient, and engaging classrooms that prepare students for the challenges and opportunities of an AI-driven future.

References

Banerji, O. (2024). Why schools need to wake up to the threat of AI ‘deepfakes’ and bullying. Education Week. https://www.edweek.org/technology/why-schools-need-to-wake-up-to-the-threat-of-ai-deepfakes-and-bullying/2024/12

Chen, X., & Zou, D. (2023). Artificial intelligence learning tools in K-12 education: A systematic review. Research and Practice in Technology Enhanced Learning. https://link.springer.com

Crompton, H., Edmett, A., & Ichaporia, N. (2023). Artificial intelligence and English language teaching: A systematic review. British Council.https://www.britishcouncil.org/sites/default/files/ai_in_english_language_teaching_systematic_review.pdf

Jones, B. M. (2024). Transforming pedagogy for the generative AI era: A vision for the future. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/beatajones/2024/10/20/transforming-pedagogy-for–generative-ai-era-a-vision-for-the-future/

Nguyen, T., & Nguyen, L. (2024). Artificial intelligence (AI) in education: A case study on ChatGPT’s integration in Vietnamese schools. International Journal of Technology in Education.

Noonoo, S. (2024). 4 time-saving AI tools for teachers. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/article/4-time-saving-ai-tools-for-teachers

Woo, D. J., Susanto, H., Yeung, C. H., Guo, K., & Fung, A. K. Y. (2023). Exploring AI-Generated Text in Student Writing: HowDoes AI Help? Language_Learning_and_Technology 28(2) (2024) 183_209.