Colleges are preparing the next generation of teachers to manage artificial intelligence in the classroom, and at Nazareth University, that includes ways to use AI for teaching English to language learners.
It’s a shift in thinking for Rui Cheng, program director for the graduate Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) program.
“I think the biggest controversy for us now is whether using AI will be helpful or detrimental to students' learning,” Cheng said. “I don't think there is like the one fixed answer. So, this is why we are still in the exploration stage. ... We cannot just close our eyes and just pretend it's not there.”
Risks like plagiarism and cheating exist regardless of whether teachers engage with the technology in class themselves, she said, adding that relying heavily on AI can have detrimental effects on long-term outcomes like literacy and communication skills.
“We know it's inevitable," she said. "AI is in everybody's life now, but we want to try to help students to get into the mindset of collaborating with AI, not using AI to do the work for them."
Now, Cheng and others are looking at how AI can complement students’ learning experience, like roleplaying for building conversation skills or assisting teachers with routine tasks.
“There's a bit of a conflict," Nazareth graduate student Alec Calabrese said. "I feel that many teachers are still pretty against AI, but I know a lot of academics are starting to come up with models of using AI as a tool in the classroom."
Calabrese, who began teaching English language learners at Rochester Early College International School this school year, said it’s almost an arms race of sorts. Calabrese previously worked at a rural school in Connecticut.
“I know a lot of teachers are interested in making a shift toward actually assigning assignments where students would have to use AI to complete them,” he said. “But also, a lot of districts still completely block all AI tools to prevent plagiarism.”
Nazareth University is looking to add a certification program for applied educational leadership for technology and AI integration, Cheng said. The School of Education’s dean said it is in the early stages of development.
