At Yeshiva University High School for Boys, the 11th-grade students are learning how to ethically incorporate artificial intelligence into their academic work. Rather than shying away from AI, the school is preparing its students to navigate and utilize emerging technologies in a responsible manner.
For a recent history assignment, students first wrote a Document-Based Question (DBQ) essay, then input their original work into ChatGPT to ask for suggestions on improving grammar, chronology and flow. This exercise not only helped students refine their writing but also introduced them to the practical applications of AI in academic settings. The goal is to equip students with the skills to use AI ethically and effectively in the real world, where such technologies are becoming increasingly prevalent.
The students were also taught how to properly cite ChatGPT as a source, a skill that is introduced during freshman year English, reinforcing the importance of academic integrity in an age of rapidly advancing technology. By learning how to credit AI for its assistance, they gained an understanding of how to balance innovation with responsibility.
After receiving AI-generated revisions, the students compared their original essays with the improved versions, reflecting on what they liked best about both their own work and the bot’s suggestions. This critical evaluation not only honed their writing skills but also deepened their understanding of AI’s role in enhancing, rather than replacing, their efforts. In the final step of the project, the students rewrote their essays, incorporating the changes they found most helpful from the AI’s suggestions. This allowed them to merge their own ideas with the improvements offered by ChatGPT, resulting in a more polished final draft. Through this exercise,
Yeshiva University High School for Boys is fostering a thoughtful and responsible approach to AI, preparing students to use these tools ethically as they enter a world where technology and artificial intelligence are integral to many fields. The school’s focus is not on avoiding AI but on ensuring students are equipped with the knowledge and skills to use it in ways that align with academic integrity and real-world applications.
