Scary Trend Looming In Most New York State Schools

There are recent reports that indicate a scary and telling trend in many schools in the United States and here in New York.

The school year is closing in on the halfway point and the spring semesters are starting for many colleges and universities. Students and teachers are bearing down and getting ready to grind out the last few months of the year.

But many educators are concerned that students are starting to take an easier route to the finish line.

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A poll from the Pew Research center found the number of teens using ChatGPT for their homework is rising.

"The share of teens who say they use ChatGPT for their schoolwork has risen to 26%, according to a Pew Research Center survey of U.S. teens ages 13 to 17. That’s up from 13% in 2023".

We have four kids who are just getting started on their school career. Our oldest is a third grader. However, they are already getting to use computers, like Chromebooks, for in classroom instruction.

But I can already see that our kids are leaning on technology to finish things. For example, asking Google for help or asking Alexa to answer something. We try to limit their screen time. It was getting very clear to us that the digital world was taking over and it seemed that they were having a hard time distinguishing between what is real and what it not after seeing things on line. Not to mention, their attitudes and behavior were concerning.

But the greater fear, with older students, is that they won't be learning much or retaining much if they rely on ChatGPT. It is something that parents can try to keep an eye on and certainly something else for teachers to have to sort through.

Our goal is to get our kids exposed to things in real life, more often. There is a place for tablets and technology. However, I would rather error on the side of parental caution when setting guideline and time limits.