I talked here about how a major falling of ChatGPT is taking an article and successfully figuring out the author’s main point. My guess is, because it is built on writing via predictive text, it does not do well if the outcome would varies from what is generally accepted,

But, what if we did the opposite. What if we gave the AI a list of facts for the article. Then we told the AI the main point we wanted. Then we ask the AI to write the article.

For example, I want an article on the founding fathers, maybe George Washington. I could include all the details I wanted and come up with a main idea.

Then, I could have the AI generate a bunch of different version. I could have a version for kids who like soccer. I could have a version for kids who like Pokemon. I could have a version with easier English. I bet I could specify certain key words that would need to be included in any version. I bet I could make a Spanish version as well.

Bookriot.com has an article titled: LIBRARIES ARE MORE POPULAR THAN EVER AND LIBRARY WORKERS DON’T EARN LIVABLE WAGES: THE STATE OF U.S. PUBLIC LIBRARIES

The first paragraph talks about how in-person usage is down, library use due to digital access is up, and libraries are having trouble with funding, so workers are being paid less.

I prompted CHatGPT

“what is the main point of the linked article.”

ChatGPT responded

The main point of the linked article is that libraries in the United States are more popular than ever due to their adaptation and evolution in response to the rise of technology and digital resources. They continue to serve as vital community hubs, offering various services such as free Wi-Fi, computer access, educational resources, book clubs, and community events.

That is not the point of the article. The article is about how more and more people want to use libraries, but no-one wants to pay for them. The average library employee is paid BELOW a living wage for a family of three.

I tried upping the summary word count to 200, it still missed the point. On a list of key words, ChatGPT lists librarian salary as last.

I finally said,

“can you write a 100 word summary of this article and give me a table of key words? https://bookriot.com/libraries-are-more-popular-than-ever/ Focus on the fact that no-one wants to pay for libraries

Chat GPT responded:

This Book Riot article reveals that libraries in the United States are more popular than ever, with approximately 144,600 libraries adapting to technology and digital resources. However, despite their growing popularity and expanding services, libraries face the challenge of insufficient funding as many people are reluctant to pay for their maintenance and development.

Table of Keywords:

Libraries
Popularity
United States
Technology
Digital resources
Funding challenges
Insufficient funding
Reluctance to pay
Maintenance
Development

ChatGPT could not give me a accurate summary of the main points of the article, unless I told it the main point of the article.

I am not great with Google Scripts. I heard that you could use ChatGPT to write Google Scripts. I had an idea of something that could make my life easier with ChatGPT.

So after a few hours asking ChatGPT questions and testing thins out, I got a workable solution. But, it also was done in a way that might actually cause me more work in the end.

Someone with a better understanding of Google Scripts might have been able to craft a better question. Or, could have told me the methodology I was suggesting ChatGPT to do was not the way to go forward.

ChatGPT can suggest the code, but can’t tell me if the code makes sense.

We have several Religious and Cultural Observances Days in our school system. Some are student holidays, and others are just required to be days where no new learning or tests happen.

And I’d like to do something to talk about them on the news show, but I do not have the time to research and write up a script. And I do not have a news crew, and if I did, it would not necessarily take me less time to talk about it with students and then edit all of their work.

So I asked Chat GPT. I first said

Please remember this list of holidays.

Here is a list of holidays

a. All Saints Day/Dia de los Muertos
b. Bodhi Day
c. Diwali
d. Eid al-Adha
e. Eid al-Fitr
f. First full day of Ramadan
g. Good Friday
h. Last day of Passover
i. Lunar New Year
j. Orthodox Christmas
k. Orthodox Epiphany
l. Orthodox Good Friday
m. Rosh Hashanah
n. Theravada
o. Three Kings Day/Epiphany
p. Yom Kippur

Then I said,

For holidays a, b, c, d  give me a table that  
- In the first column list the holiday
- In the second column has a put it in a table a a 100 word kids news show with 2 anchors written on a third grade level. 
- In the third column list one tweet, but no emojis

Call this group 1

The idea is the 100 words would be for the day before the holiday, and the tweet would be a reminder of the day of.

Here is what I got back for All Saints Day.

Holiday	Kids News Show Script	Tweet
a. All Saints Day/Dia de los Muertos	Anchor 1: Hi friends! Today, we’re talking about All Saints Day and Dia de los Muertos. These holidays are celebrated on November 1st and 2nd. Anchor 2: That’s right! People remember and honor their loved ones who have passed away. They also celebrate the lives of saints. Anchor 1: Families visit cemeteries, create colorful altars, and share special food. It’s a time to remember and celebrate together. Anchor 2: So let’s celebrate the lives of those we love and the saints who inspire us!	Today, we honor our loved ones and saints on All Saints Day and Dia de los Muertos. Let’s remember and celebrate together! #AllSaintsDay #DiadelosMuertos

Next, I want to reach out to parents to make sure what ChatGPT wrote is culturally responsible and use my judgment on what to keep in. ChatGPT’s response about Easter talks about the crucifixion, which as a Catholic is correct. But, I don’t believe as an elementary school teacher it should be included.

I am currently failing on several different projects. I’ve been convincing myself that sheer hard work and perseverance can help me overcome these challenges.

However, this is a lie I am telling myself.

It’s like trying to win a marathon by sprinting the entire distance. No matter how fast or hard you run, you’ll eventually burn out and be unable to reach the finish line. A smarter approach would be to pace yourself and adjust your strategy as needed.

My focus on The Morning News has diminished as I’ve tried to juggle multiple tasks. In an attempt to keep all these balls in the air, I’ve only kept missing. It’s time to reevaluate my strategy.

I’ve been running into a problem (and I suffer from it as well) of people not asking for help.

I asked ChatGPT why people do not ask for help and I got the usual answers.

• Fear of being judged
• Fear of being a burden
• Lack of Trust
• Feeling you should do it on your own
• Stigma of asking for help
• Being unaware of resources

But, that list feels like an expression of the Fundamental Attribution Error. The Fundamental Attribution Error is

The fundamental attribution error refers to an individual’s tendency to attribute another’s actions to their character or personality, while attributing their behavior to external situational factors outside of their control.

THE FUNDAMENTAL ATTRIBUTION ERROR: WHAT IT IS & HOW TO AVOID IT

The subtext to the list is “if you did not fear, if you trusted more, if you knew more” you would ask for help.

Instead, think of it as a math/economics problem. Is asking for help cost-effective? Does the benefit outweigh the cost?

The benefits of help

• Time: I might save more time than it will take to do it myself.
• Quality: I might get a better outcome than if I do it myself.

The cost of help

• Time: I WILL spend time explaining or teaching how to solve the problem.
• Quality: The person MIGHT not give me the level of quality I need

On top of these two, the relative value of time can change. The actual time in the present is more valuable than potential time in the future.

In that light, not asking for help is reasonable.

For instance, when a staff member doesn’t ask for help, it may be because they calculate the short-term cost of seeking help to be higher than the potential long-term benefit. The staff member may need to spend time explaining the project and addressing any issues that arise, which can be more time-consuming than doing the project themselves. Furthermore, the downsides of seeking help are concrete and immediate, while the benefits are uncertain and may be ephemeral.

ChatGPT is a tool like the spelling and grammar checker. We use those as they save time. I use automated image filters to make my images better. That does not seem like cheating. It makes my work better and saves me time.

How could I use ChatGPT to save time and make my work better? Could I save 1 hour a month using this tool? Could I use the time saved to do something that the robot can not?

In my school system, there are a bunch of days that are student holidays that are not official Federal holidays. I’ve always wanted to do news segments talking about it, but it just felt overwhelming.

ChatGPT could easily write a short message for the morning news show about each of these¹. I could have all of them done (there are a bunch) within an hour.

With the time saved, I might

• Ask parents if what ChatGPT writes is accurate and appropriate
• Ask on the news show for students who might want to record
• Send out an email two weeks before asking parents/kids to record something for the news show on the holiday
• Play the videos on the news show the week before the event.

The thing the AI can do better than I can is “write” the text. At this point, AI can not make relationships with parents and students. It can not make students feel seen about who they are and what they do. It can not create an environment that celebrates and nourishes our students. Those are things that (at least right now!) only people can do.

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Endnotes

1 Here is the text ChatGPT wrote:

Ramadan is a special time for Muslims. During Ramadan, Muslims don't eat or drink anything from sunrise to sunset. This is called fasting. At night, they break their fast with a meal called Iftar. Ramadan is about being kind to others, helping those in need, and praying more. It's a time for Muslims to come closer to God and be better people. At the end of Ramadan, there is a big celebration called Eid al-Fitr, where people visit their families, exchange gifts, and have a big feast. Ramadan is a time for families and communities to come together and support each other.