Day 246 - AI & Vocabulary

"Listen how this planet spins with so much fin, wing, and fur."

- Aimee Nezhukumatathil's poem "Invitation"

While "IB is excited by the opportunities that these [AI] tools bring to education to enhance learning experiences and provide additional support to our students," I can tell that some freshmen still carry the stigma that AI equates to cheating.

I recently worked with a student on the edge of excitement and frustration regarding a possible Personal Project idea. The student wanted to create an animation from a cover song on YouTube for part of their Personal Project. But they weren't aware of copyright laws & how to request permission.

The student asked me, "What do I write? Who do I ask? The original composer? The band? Their producer?"

I asked the student:

Have you ever used AI, like ChatGPT?

Would you feel comfortable if we checked it out?

Did you know we can type in, 'What permissions would I need to use part of this song for school project?' and include the link to the song?

You could also ask:

Who would I request permission from?

What should be included in the letter?

While we ran out of time, the student emailed me during lunch that same day!

But wait—there's more! The student emailed me 27 minutes later with a second letter to the group's licensing's branch and included more details of how the song would be used for the personal project:

So now the student has an increased awareness about copyright as well as being on the way to using new vocab like monetization, distribution platform, master-use rights, and more!

If we model how to ethical use AI, we can speed those learning connections. I used to love watching the lightbulb flick on in students' minds, but now, the lights are not only on, but also the show's begun, students are putting into practice what they're learning.

And isn't that what all teachers want to see in our students? To be "active participants in their education." One that "encourages students to be curious, think critically and challenge the status quo" IBO.org, 2025).