Why AI was the Hottest Topic at NCTE 2024

Artificial Intelligence seems to be the next biggest technology leap, and when looking at education, it has the potential to rival the transformative impact of internet access itself. So it’s no surprise that session rooms that included AI in their title at the Nation Council for Teaching English (NCTE) 2024 annual conference in Boston, MA were packed wall to wall (and sometimes floor!). 

If you couldn’t make all of the sessions, or attend NCTE this year, here’s a snapshot of what we learned about the application of AI in writing instruction, and resources and ideas for next steps for educators.

First, Are You New to AI?

If so, you’re not alone! Many educators we met at NCTE 2024 had just started exploring AI and considered themselves beginners. 

-> Looking for an AI overview? Read our blog What is AI, Really? 

Many sessions emphasized the need to move away from fear of AI and attempts to prevent its use, to learning how to use it effectively and teach students appropriate use.

Session Highlights

Student, Teacher, and Researcher Perspectives on AI in the Writing Classroom

There are still 32% of teens who say they haven’t really heard anything about ChatGPT, according to the Pew Research Center survey of US teens in 2023. Sonia Koshy, Chrish Mah, Molly Montgomery, and Hillary Walker shared data on how teens are using AI and what responsible use of AI technology might look like for teens.

Class discussions about genAI may impact student’s views about it’s usefulness and challenges. It seems worth addressing AI directly in the classroom rather then assuming students will or won’t use it.

Reclaiming Revision: Emphasizing Process over Product in the Age of AI

How might you address the use of AI head-on?

Anne McConnell and Tamara Empson from the Louisiana State University Laboratory School offered several ideas in the ethical use of AI. The first step is asking: Why are student seeking AI in the first place? Is there something they don’t understand? Do they lack confidence? When you can answer this question, you can address the root causes of their challenges in writing.

A common theme we see in successful writing instruction is shifting student thinking from writing to create a finished product, to embracing the process of writing.

Teaching Secondary Students to Use AI with Heart and Humanity to Improve Literacy

Using AI as a resource can mean more than just asking chatgpt for a draft or starting point. Tom Smith from Utah Valley University and Chris Peck from Orem High School described using AI in all types of different stages of the writing process. Here’s their list AI-assisted assignment types:

• AI Supported
• AI as a Search Engine (Reflections)
• AI Launched
• AI as a Collaborator
• AI Enhanced
• AI as a Peer in Peer Review
• AI Driven

Empowering Writing Communities: Dialogue, Peer Response, and AI in Writing Instruction

In the age of AI, peer review will prove to be even more effective and integral to the development of writers. Ellin Kim from Think and Write New York shared a variety of research over the years on peer review and peer tutoring and how AI might fit into these research-backed practices.

-> Looking for more AI resources? Explore our page on AI Writing! 

BONUS: Writing Love: Student to Student Writing Connections that Build Heart, hope, and Humanity through Feedback

While not AI focused, Amy Bouch from Chartiers Valley Middle School, shared the collaborative writing discourse students are experiencing in her Pennsylvania classroom. Amy Bouch showed how she uses Write the World as a tool to facilitate peer review in a meaningful way. This process of sharing writing, creating meaningful inspiring feedback, and developing relationships between students (whether within the classroom, across the country, and/or around the world!) creates an environment that inspires hope and centers humanity. 

Key Challenges

As we’ve seen in some of the creative work written by young writers in our AI edition of Write the World Review, young people can see the potential dark side of AI, such as the de-humanization of communication. Throughout the conference, we heard that:

• Teachers report a growing dissatisfaction or apathy among young people regarding global issues, which affects their engagement with schoolwork.
• Students struggle to see the connection between their assignments and real-world problems.
• Teachers need tools to help bridge this gap, making assignments feel more relevant and impactful.

Instead of seeing AI as a roadblock, how can it be used as a tool to overcome some of these challenges?

We believe it’s possible to empower students with a sense of agency by showing how small, cumulative efforts can lead to meaningful change within a larger community. We’re excited to continue to work in this space, and can’t wait to share more soon. 

-> Interested in what we’re working on? Let us know!