A high schooler writes about AI tools in the classroom • Hacker News Board

Re: A high schooler writes about AI tools in the classroom

#301

Post by vogelke » Fri, Sep 05, 2025, 9:20 AM UTC

jackstraw42 wrote: post #60

Anonyneko wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wish this had been a more common practice back when I was in school ~25 years ago. In my country (and former USSR places in general), it was very common for parents to do much of the homework for the children, as there was a lot of it and sometimes too hard for many of the kids to handle (at other times, parents wanted the kids to have better grades so they could brag about it). I don't think I've ever seen a schoo…

> I don't think I've ever seen a school essay back then that wasn't obviously written by a parent, i.e. the ye olde times version of "chatgpt write this for me" man. this didn't really exist in my midwest USA public education in the 90s/00s, I felt like I had to work hard for all of my grades and the teachers were actively trying to derail me from my goals. there was never a sense of, this work is an example of "good…

> I don't think I've ever seen a school essay back then that wasn't obviously written by a parent.

That's when you discuss the essay with the kid, and if he can't understand something that presumably he wrote, immediate consequences. First time == suspension, second time == removal from that class.

Re: A high schooler writes about AI tools in the classroom

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Post by JumpCrisscross » Fri, Sep 05, 2025, 9:32 AM UTC

godelski wrote: post #252

AppleBananaPie wrote: post #190

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm surprised the answer of doing all exercises (including essay writing) in class is apparently not obvious. High school me was a moron and should not be trusted to do the real work and people who know better should force him to practice the skills lol Once he's grown and has a job he will one day realize and be thankful for the teachers that forced him to do the work. Obviously not true for all students but I don't…

> I'm surprised the answer of doing all exercises (including essay writing) in class is apparently not obvious. Because that results in less education time. If you do homework in class then you have to give up lecture time. Of course, the other option is to extend school time. Here's a good litmus test: if something seems very obvious, you're likely missing some hidden complexity. It's not a perfect test, but if it's…

> that results in less education time. If you do homework in class then you have to give up lecture time

The most advanced classes I took, including in high school, made us do the reading and initial problem solving at home and then advanced problem solving in class. This was true for math, English and economics. Lectures with application combined.

But that doesn't work if students don't do the reading. Just as lectures only in class doesn't work if students aren't doing the homework. So a compromise is required--it's doing exercises live. Possibly even just one of the problems from last night's homework.

Re: A high schooler writes about AI tools in the classroom

#303

Post by ponector » Fri, Sep 05, 2025, 9:35 AM UTC

1121redblackgo wrote: post #123

HelloMcFly wrote: post #116

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Bring back functional school funding models.

Bring back a populace proud to pay for their priorities with taxes

But the issue is not there is not enough money in the budget, it's just not a priority. Old people are prioritized, not young future.

Re: A high schooler writes about AI tools in the classroom

#304

Post by xyzzy123 » Fri, Sep 05, 2025, 9:45 AM UTC

hn_acc1 wrote: post #172

csa wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I recently found out that my nephew's school had no take-home homework before high school, instead having kids complete assignments during class time. At first, I was flabbergasted that they would deny kids the discipline building of managing unstructured time without direct supervision. Good! If they want to give kids the chance to develop the skill of managing unstructured time, that could easily be fit into the…

My kids (CA high school) were incredibly stressed with a heavy workload that seemed mostly pointless and specifically, teachers who didn't care and students who didn't care as a result and used AI and cheated whenever possible. Both opted out of high school after 2 years (GED-equivalent test, to junior college for 2 years). They were and are getting basically straight A/A+s. Older one just finished 2 years of JC with…

It's hard to be fair to kids who put in the effort and kids who were not taught to put in the effort or do not want to or do not have to or do not have the opportunity to, at the same time.

Re: A high schooler writes about AI tools in the classroom

#305

Post by ethbr1 » Fri, Sep 05, 2025, 9:57 AM UTC

lmm wrote: post #267

SoftTalker wrote: post #222

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And, it allows parents and students to completely ignore making plans. Jimmy needs a ride home from football practice? That should be (a) expected and (b) planned for in advance. He should not have to text mom to come and pick him up. He wants to go home with Tommy instead? Well too bad, that wasn't the plan.

Thanks for saying the quiet part out loud. Phone bans have never been about improving education, they're just adults seizing a chance to make children's lives more miserable.

I think you misunderstood parent's (admittedly poorly illustrated) point.

As someone who grew up mostly before cell phones, it forced a greater level of planning, responsibility, and freedom on me than kids now normally experience.

I'd often call my parents (gasp! Remembering my house phone number!) to adjust plans, by telling them where I'd be for how long. And generally, they had no problem with it.

I laugh thinking about the absolute fucking nuclear meltdown a lot of helicopter parents would have today at middle schoolers saying "I'll be over at this friend's house for the day. Will give you a call closer to dinner. If you want me, call their house phone, but we might be out in the neighborhood or woods."

Re: A high schooler writes about AI tools in the classroom

#306

Post by blitzar » Fri, Sep 05, 2025, 9:59 AM UTC

ponector wrote: post #271

Aerroon wrote: post #259

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They might perform well, but might hate every second of it. I was like that. For example, high school poisoned reading for me. I hated fiction for several years after high school.

Right. I was forced to study, I hate it. Now I'm forced to work, quite good at what I do, but hate it as well.

Some might say school is designed not to educate people, but to train them for the workplace.

Re: A high schooler writes about AI tools in the classroom

#307

Post by edu » Fri, Sep 05, 2025, 10:15 AM UTC

It seems we should go back to low tech (books, handwritten assignments, paper exams...) for all courses except the technology ones (which are still a must, but need to be improved).

Of course, they could still AI to help them with homework but people were already copying the homework from their mates. But if they just copy and don't learn, that would be surfaced during the exams.

Re: A high schooler writes about AI tools in the classroom

#308

Post by polotics » Fri, Sep 05, 2025, 10:20 AM UTC

flappyeagle wrote: post #91

polotics wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

can you highlight the pretentious bits i totally missed them

It’s a good student writing the piece, which is somehow fundamentally pretentious

ok, essentialism much?

Re: A high schooler writes about AI tools in the classroom

#309

Post by GeoAtreides » Fri, Sep 05, 2025, 10:29 AM UTC

marcus_holmes wrote: post #292

sandworm101 wrote: post #280

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And lawyers also use paralegals, that doesnt mean we let law students hire them to write papers or assist during exams. Docs have nurses, but i believe docs still write exams solo. And soldiers have buddies, but you arent allowed to pay them to do your fitness test. That a tool is common in the real world is not an excuse to let students outsource the work that is the heart of learning.

I bet we'd have better lawyers if they did teach them how to manage paralegals to do the grunt work. I really wouldn't hold the legal profession up as "this is how to do it". And doctors do not "have nurses" in the way that you've said; they're entirely different professions. I'll allow that it's just a poor example of the point you're trying to make. > That a tool is common in the real world is not an excuse to let…

>And if it's not bad for me, why should it be bad for a student?

See, this is exactly the kind of logical fail you get when you don't exercise your critical thinking skill.

Re: A high schooler writes about AI tools in the classroom

#310

Post by zelos » Fri, Sep 05, 2025, 10:30 AM UTC

Maybe AGI is impossible not for any technical reasons, but because AI is a self-limiting technology? As AI improves, it destroys the educational system that creates the researchers that develop it.