The education newsletter Education Week has launched a series of articles regarding the rapid ascent of artificial intelligence, and where it fits into schools and teaching. The latest explores the utility of AI tools in teaching students with special needs – a noted hallmark of Maryland’s own Blueprint program to invest in better school outcomes.
Education Week, an impressive aggregator and source of information on education policy and innovation, has launched a series of writings regarding artificial intelligence. Their latest focuses on “The Pros and Cons of AI in Special Education.”
From the article:
While there may never be a special educator version of “Star Wars”’ protocol droid C-3PO, generative artificial tools—including ChatGPT and others developed with the large language models created by its founder, Open AI—can help special education teachers perform parts of their job more efficiently, allowing them to spend more time with their students, experts and educators say.
Meanwhile, closer to home, a MD based advocacy organization has explored these issues as well. The Maryland Coalition for Inclusive Education offered a report, last year, on How ChatGPT and Other AI Tools Can Transform Special Education. From their article:
Does every child need glasses to read? No. Does every child need an accommodation for instructional clarification? No. But do we provide these? Absolutely.
As our society changes, the educational system and how we support unique learners must change. Supports like reading glasses and instructional clarification are quite common, but that was not always the case. It’s the same for AI. It’s new, and it’s relatively unknown in the education space. And it might seem a bit daunting. But when we take the time to pause for a moment and learn more about AI, we can consider the benefits for children who might need leveled, adapted or summarized text.
So let’s keep the forward momentum and try AI as a possible learning accommodation. After all, leveling text is a daunting task all on its own, right?
