What I learned in the 30 minutes I devoted to this topic today is that there are no topics that ChatGPT can't write about (except maybe recent--a couple of days--events and perhaps one other thing that I already forgot?). And that there's no way you can make your prompt ChatGPT-proof. ChatGPT can write about feelings and reflect on things. And Chat GPT and students will get better and better at hiding the presence of Chat GPT. No one has written anything that I can learn from about ChatGPT and college! (The last time this was true was about teaching on zoom in the middle of the pandemic--what is a researcher to do when they can't find any articles suggesting any approaches that might help them?! This makes me panic.)
What to do? In my planner for tomorrow, when I'm already scheduled to revise a syllabus for the coming semester, I've written, "do in-class writing" and "talk to students about ChatGPT." That's all I can think of at this point.
*Sometimes I just move the thing to a different day.
P.S. I am sad to say that I think I peaked with last year's planner. Available in the U.S. for something like $40 plus $20 additional shipping to the U.S., which I refuse to pay. I have now bought all the nicest planners that are for sale in the world, except that one nice one that's like $200, which is over-the-top. And I probably like Liberty of London's best (last year's). Also the one with the funny (German?) L-name, but that wasn't available on Amazon in any colors that I liked. So in defiance this year I bought a black plastic one for $10 bucks on Amazon, and it is just total crap, and I hate it. But my year is already in it. So I will suffer.
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I think I haven't told you enough about my new coat. I realized this while talking on the phone with Ilana today who really hadn't heard much about it. And I realized when I was telling Francisco more about it for the thousand-th time and he suggested, "Why don't you write about it on your blog?" obviously so he didn't have to hear anything more.
So my last coat, a yard sale Calvin Klein waist-length black down coat, had been shedding feathers for some time. It hardly had any feathers left, and the ones it did have all attached to the black fleece I wore underneath it for added warmth. Then the black fleece's zipper broke, leaving sharp metal behind. Since we could bring barely anything home from the UK, we left behind our oldest clothes, including my coat and fleece.
So I needed a new coat. I asked Stearns, who has the warmest of all the coats that I know of and lives in--shiver--New England, where to look. She recommended REI and somewhere else I can't remember. REI (and many other coat places) have three options: Warm, Warmer, Warmest. So I bought the one coat marked "warmest." (After countless time checking every single coat on three different websites, Francisco helped me figure out how to search for warmest using a search filter.) It's name sounded Scandinavian, so I took that as a good sign.
I'm absolutely astounded with this coat. And for $400 (I paid $262 on Black Friday), I should be. When it arrived, I was struck by how light it was, and then doubted that it would be warm. It is *so* light. More like a rain jacket than a winter coat. And it isn't too bulky, either. And it is totally warm--like I broke a little sweat walking home today in feels like 13 degrees. The hood zips up above my chin and buttons and my neck is *never* cold--no scarf needed. (I mean, I also can't hear because the hood crinkles, so it's not without trade-offs.) The bottom of the zipper zips up, so although the coat goes nearly to me knees, I can still comfortably get in the car or on a bike. And the color--it said it was navy, but it's a prettier color than navy. There's some green mixed in with the blue.
This coat is the best thing about my winter. Though I'm a little precious about it--walking through the Pennsylvania woods, I was petrified that I'd catch a thorn on it, carefully dodging all brush. Not that I need to justify the price to you, dear readers, but I have to justify it to myself: We only have one car and we live in a cold place, so this is really a transportation expense.
6 comments:
I decided this year to buy the expensive thing too and I have absolutely no regrets. I finally bought a Barbour. It is absolutely the perfect coat for me because it is car length (and I am in and out of the car 15 times a day), it has a zip in fleece that is plenty warm for our climate here, except in the coldest of days, and it's also perfect for weather on the opposite coast when I go home. It's fine with a dress as it is with pants. I have worn it every day since I bought it except the last 3 days when there was an actual snow storm.
A great coat is worth it. I'm so glad you found one!
not a professor, obviously, but I think talking about chatGPT is probably the best move -- especially at a school like yours and with you (thoughtful, engaging, always asking good questions!) as a professor. There isn't a solution to this problem except in the decisions and actions of the students -- so show them why it's a bad idea. or even let them sort out their ideas as part of a larger discussion about culture and politics and the good and truth and technology etc etc etc.
Woah! Francisco has one and I mock him about it ruthlessly :) Especially about the pocket to hold the birds he's shot in the back. (He loves his, too!)
Yes, you're right--there is no solution! Except in discussion and actions. Thank you! (Also I hate things that have no solution!)
Hopkins--I like your comment so I've penciled in *a bunch* of class conversations about chat gpt!
Francisco is a man of excellent taste, and also did he know he can fit a bottle of wine in that pocket too? It is endlessly practical!
This made him laugh!
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