To Understand How ChatGPT Works You Must Understand Neural Networks

  

Above is a video of Stephen Wolfram discussing ChatGPT. He talks in great length about how ChatGPT works. This is an informative video that gives the “soup to nuts” view of ChatGPT. 

To understand how chat GPT works, one must understand the concept of a neural network. I read a book that was published in 2009 on neural networks and the title was “Wired for Thought: How the Brain is Shaping the Future of the Internet” by Jeffrey Stibel. This was the first book to expose me to the idea that both computer networks and brains are similar in how they function. Stibel goes on to argue that both systems, the brain, and the Internet, operate based on the principles of networking, feedback, and scalability. He goes on to say that the way the brain rewires itself is very much like the way the Internet handles digital congestion by rerouting traffic to less congested areas of the Internet. 

What is a neural network? Imagine you have a big puzzle to solve, and you have a bunch of friends who can help. Each friend is good at solving one part of the puzzle, and together they can figure out the whole thing. 

In the brain, a neural network is like that - it is a group of little helpers (called neurons) that work together to solve a problem. Each neuron takes in some information, does some thinking, and then gives an answer. The answers from all the neurons are combined to get the final answer. 

For example, let us say you want to teach a computer to recognize pictures of cats. You would show the computer lots of pictures of cats and non-cats, and the neural network would try to figure out what features are common to all the cat pictures (like pointy ears and whiskers) and what features are different from the non-cat pictures. 

It is like a big game of "spot the difference" - the neural network looks for little details that are unique to the cat pictures and uses those details to make a guess about whether a new picture is a cat or not. 

That is the basic idea of a neural network - a bunch of little helpers working together to solve a problem by looking for patterns in the data they are given. 

In the book, “Wired for Thought,” Stibel’s goes on to mention how technology and neural networks are going to impact future society. Stibel implies that as technology advances, society may have greater cognitive abilities and the possibility of a “new type of hybrid intelligence.”

 

What does a neural network have to do with ChatGPT? When one first interacts with ChatGPT, the text is turned into numbers and fed into ChatGPT neural network. ChatGPT neural network processes this input and makes a “best guess” about what word comes next by examining large data sets about things that are written on the Internet by people and machines. As we know, everything on the Internet is true, so ChatGPT can only be as reliable as its data. 

With the advent of the Internet, teachers had to realize they were no longer the smartest thing in the room. This was a wide awakening for some teachers. With the possibility of hybrid intelligence not only is the teacher not the smartest thing in the room, very shortly, we may not be the smartest person in the room. But this is ok. Educators must give up the notion that we are teachers because we are "smart." Further gone are the ideas that people got into teaching to be in control. Have you been in a highly functioning classroom lately. It should be controlled chaos and most of them are.

Teachers should be in classroom now and forever because we should be providing
opportunities for cooperation, collaboration and conceptualization. Schools should expose students to topics and content that they have yet to encounter and may enjoy or excel at. Teachers need to teach students how to be safe, to share ideas and objects and participate in conversations and debates. Students should have the opportunity to feel the richness of learning even if they can not feel the richness of wealth or peace in their own homes.

Free Resources for Teachers: Project Look Sharp

Yesterday I went to a workshop at Erie 1 BOCES in West Seneca New York. I was really looking for resources on how to get my father-in-law to not just watch Fox News for his news of the world. But I got a lot of great resources and a reminder that we should be asking kids about the sources they're using. Project look sharp is associated with Ithaca College in Ithaca New York.

I think it's important to teach students to get different perspectives about an issue on multiple types of media.

I basically blame the insurrection of January 6th largely on the education system. I am struck by how difficult it is now-a-days to discern different sources of information and whether things are true or false. With the advent of social media there has been a shift in how people get their information. Social media companies, in the past, have done little to prevent the spread of misinformation. 

Heck. I am guilty of this too. In the last 12 years I have been a dog owner and have become an animal person. Some people would argue, “how can you be an animal person and still hunt?” That is a debate for another blog post. On Facebook, when someone’s dog gets loose or runs away from its owner, I would often, without looking, re-post the information about the dog. I spread a lie.

Fact check: Identical injured dog posts are a viral scam

Now, I just don’t repost as much stuff as I used to. A few bad apples have ruined it for the rest of us. 

Project Look Sharp is a free resource for everyone. One of the lessons I liked, since I was a past High School Social Studies Teacher, was the ending of the war in Afghanistan. The lesson looks at different newspapers from all over the world (written in English) and the students compare the source and the headlines that were written. This lesson teaches students to inquire about the source of the newspaper and the newspaper’s perspective. 

All of these lessons are based in the inquiry method of teaching, where the students discover, on their own, the answers. Teachers ask questions to get students to “go along the right path” to discovery. 

Below is a youtube video that displays a High School Inquiry around different media sources

I feel like if we as educators can do a better job of teaching students to be discerning adult customers of news, we can avoid future “January 6th” moments.

Why I left Twitter and went to Mastodon.

There are a few reasons. The first reason is Twitter has such an angry algorithm. Whenever you log in a Twitter you see a tweet by some angry person. Someone I have never heard of before. Twitter’s algorithm promotes speech that elicits responses both negative and positive. Anything that’s controversial moves up on your Twitter feed because of the algorithm. 

Another reason why I like Mastodon is that you are able to label certain posts as sensitive information or disturbing content. On Twitter it’s all just in your face. It’s not that way on Mastodon. Due to the majority of my social media time is now dedicated to Mastodon, I’ve not seen the video of the Memphis Murder. And I don't want to. 

Everyone on Mastodon has been completely nice and sane. When people would respond to me directly on Twitter, I would get a little “gun shy“ before I saw their tweet. I automatically assumed it was going to be something negative or an upsetting response to what I wrote. Often times it was. So far, direct mentions in Mastodon have been to keep the conversation going or to seek information. Not to annoy. 

Mastodon is also open source. No one can own it. It’s created by the people and for the people and is free. This has some good implications for its users. Third party applications that aggregate data and improve user experiences are more easily created since the code is open to all, specifically developers. Twitter just started “pulling the rug out from under some developers.” Things like Twitterific, Fenix and Twitterbot have all had their applications cut off at Twitter without much of an explanation. 

I also can’t support Twitter anymore. There are just too many people spreading lies. Lies that can actually hurt people and Twitter is doing nothing to police these lies now that has new ownership.

I’m not saying that Mastodon is not like Twitter; they are very similar. I’m also not saying that the things I dislike about Twitter won’t happen to Mastodon. For now, I need a timely, diverse and responsive personal learning network for my own growth. So, for now, Mastodon is that tool. 

Education as We Know it is Over

During my time on this earth, I have witnessed some watershed moments in educational technology. One of those moments was when I first discovered a computer. I was in high school. This computer ran from reel-to-reel magnetic tape. There was a lunar landing program, and every time you wanted to play the game and land the lunar vehicle, you had to reload the tape. This became very annoying. I remember only playing the game a few times. This was my first exposure to computers. Eventually, this computer evolved to take cassette tapes.

 

When I was a kid, my dad bought us an odyssey game console. He bought us this because he felt it was more educational than Atari. Of course, I felt left out. All my friends had Ataris. 

For my first master's degree at Boise State University, my whole Internet connection was through dial-up. It was a degree in educational technology, and it was entirely online. I have never been to Boise, Idaho.

 

I remember when Alexa first came out. I know Principals and Teachers who wanted to put Alexa in their classrooms so that Teachers would have an auditory connection with the outside world. My argument was that the classroom should be “controlled chaos” and be the type of environment where Alexa does not work very well. Plus, there are all kinds of security concerns with devices that are always listening. 

Another watershed moment was when Twitter was first invented. It was now possible to have instant communication with someone around the world about any topic you wanted to. It was limited to 140 characters at first. This was before hashtags were even invented.  

Another watershed moment was when the education world found out about ChatGPT. With the creation of ChatGPT the idea of artificial intelligence and machine learning became available on a website. The idea of AI (Artificial Intelligence) and ML (Machine Learning) became less abstract to those of us in the education world. We knew previously that artificial intelligence and machine learning were important, but we did not have a tangible way of seeing how AI and machine learning could affect our craft. Now we do.

 

When students have access to these things, the teacher is no longer the smartest thing in the room. If you know how to ask the right questions, information is even closer than our fingertips. 

Is this really a watershed moment? Or just a natural outcome of progress in educational technology or just technology in general? Are we preparing students to work in AI and ML? How should teachers change what they are doing knowing that an AI and ML future exists? 

You get out of education what you put into it. There will always be students who cheat. And we know eventually they are only cheating themselves. And that is the way we should treat ChatGPT. Blocking ChatGPT is not the answer. Below is a teacher who is using ChatGPT in her classroom.

@gibsonishere It has begun! #tiktokteachers #chatgpt #aitok #tyfdtgw #teachertiktok #educator #aibotok #technology ♬ original sound - Gibson is the name!

Is AI and Machine Learning a "Watershed" Moment in Edtech?

 

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are rapidly becoming integral parts of the global economy, creating a high demand for professionals with the skills and knowledge to work in these fields. There are just not enough skilled workers in these fields. Many students are not adequately prepared to enter these fields due to a lack of relevant education and training. In order to ensure that students are well-equipped to succeed in the AI and ML industries, teachers must adjust their teaching methods to better align with the skills and knowledge required for these fields. 

First, teachers should place a greater emphasis on math and computer science. These subjects are essential for understanding the underlying principles and algorithms of AI and ML. Students should be exposed to a wide range of mathematical concepts, including calculus, linear algebra, and statistics. They should also have a strong foundation in computer science, including programming languages such as Python, as well as data structures and algorithms. 

Second, teachers should incorporate hands-on, project-based learning into their curriculum. This approach allows students to apply the concepts they have learned to real-world problems, which is essential for developing practical skills in AI and ML. For example, students could work on projects that involve building and training their own machine learning models, or using AI to solve a specific problem in a particular industry. 

Third, teachers should encourage students to engage in self-directed learning and experimentation. The field of AI and ML is constantly evolving, and it is important for students to have the ability to learn and adapt as new technologies and techniques become available. Teachers can facilitate this by providing students with resources and support for pursuing their own interests in AI and ML, such as online tutorials and open-source software.

 

Fourth, teachers should ensure that students are exposed to a diverse range of applications of AI and ML. While the technology is often associated with cutting-edge research in the tech industry, it has a wide range of applications across many different sectors, such as healthcare, finance, and transportation. By exposing students to these different applications, teachers can help them understand the potential of AI and ML and how it could impact different industries, and help them to find where they would like to fit in. 

Finally, teachers should encourage students to think critically about the ethical and societal implications of AI and ML. As these technologies continue to advance, it is important for students to understand the potential risks and benefits, as well as the ethical considerations involved in their development and use. Teachers can facilitate this by incorporating discussions and debates on these topics into their curriculum, and encouraging students to think critically about the impact of AI and ML on society. 

At the very least, artificial intelligence and machine learning may be a “watershed’ moment in educational technology, which causes teachers to be introspective. Every teacher should think about what students should be learning in a world where AI and ML exist.  

Rich Conversations about Education (Again)

I recently joined Mastodon and blurted out a toot. On Mastodon they are called "toots." On Twitter they are called "tweets."

Let me clarify the second part of the toot concerning reading. Basically, all of us do not read as intently as we should. I am guilty of just “clicking agree,” and not reading the entire statement. Typically, when I can’t do something on a website, it’s because I skipped over reading something important. 

My toot elicited some great responses

Now, Don Watkins are pretty good friend and he was the one who suggested Mastodon to me. Don and I have lunch together about once-a-month.

It took a bit longer for Will Richardson to chime in. CABOCES had Will Richardson to our schools about 14 years ago. Web 2.0 had just come to fruition. All of us were learning about Blogs, Wikis, and RSS feeds. Many of which are technologies that I use everyday. Will Richardson is a writer and the act of writing requires one to really think about what they are going to say. Here is Will’s response. 

I would love to know your thoughts on this. Do schools "make space for real professional development?"

I can admit when I make a mistake.

I'm a Facebook user. I love to look back at my memories from years past. Today one popped up and it was about a project I did in a school district. The year the project occurred was 2009 and I'm not sure the project had any educational benefits.

I think it's important for any educator to look back at lessons that they've done or projects and judge their value. If we as a Educators are lifelong learners, what we knew yesterday is not the same as what we know today. It is possible that what we taught was not a meaningful learning experience.

Here is a learning experience that after further review I feel as if it had very little educational value. I'm pointing the finger (index finger) at myself. In defense of this activity I was working in a rather low functioning special education classroom with students who were emerging readers and had more challenges than many other students their age.

I created an "I spy" learning adventure. We borrowed brown trays from the cafeteria. We borrowed many objects from the art room and we included numbers, letters, blocks, pencils, pens, paperclips and a multitude of other objects. Some of the objects were just distractors. Other objects were somewhat educational. For example: The number eight, in this picture, was used to be an object so that other people could find it on a webpage. One's ability to identify a number is relatively important and slightly involves math.

Did this lesson fit the New York state standards for math or art? I'm sure I could find a way for it to somehow fit into the state standards. Regardless, I just feel that this activity has very little educational merit. On the blooms taxonomy I would say that this is very low level. It is just identifying and recall. I won't even talk about how this lesson would be impossible to differentiate for a person with a visual impairment. (By the way, assistive technology is on of my niches and an issue very important to me).

I have a little rule. If you can Google the answer it's probably on the lower level of Blooms' taxonomy. The upper level of Blooms has to do with activities like design, create and teach. These upper level actives are not used today enough in modern K-12 education.

My whole point of this blog post is not to criticize my past teaching and learning. It is more to be an example of having a growth mindset and being reflective. I think it's important for every educator to look at what they've done in the past and see if it was good. Was what you did last year something you should do again this year? Maybe, there is something that you've done every year that was, upon further reflection, of little educational value. If it is of little educational value, and we know teachers are asked to do more and more with less and less, is it possible that some of these "legacy activities" are taking away valuable learning time that could be used for more educationally significant activities. Even the artist sets aside the brush, takes a step back and asked his/her self "what needs to be done next and was what I did previously something I should keep doing." In many ways, teachers are artists.