The AIpocalypse and the English Teacher’s Lament
Let’s face it: Artificial Intelligence is eating the world, one syntactically perfect (but soulless) sentence at a time. Your boss’s memo? AI. That suspiciously eloquent LinkedIn post from your cousin? Probably AI. The existential dread you feel? Okay, that might be all you.
Caught in the crossfire of this AI revolution are English teachers, those valiant warriors tasked with teaching actual humans to write. It’s a Sisyphean task, made even more difficult by the looming threat of plagiarism-as-a-service.
One educator, Jim Sollisch, offers a surprisingly analog solution: treat writing like a sport. It’s an intriguing proposition, especially given the current state of digital affairs. Can we really inspire the youth to pick up a pen instead of prompting a chatbot?
From Thesis Statements to Three-Pointers
Sollisch argues that traditional writing instruction has failed, transforming a potentially engaging activity into a tedious slog. He envisions a classroom where students do writing, rather than merely dissecting it. Imagine, instead of memorizing MLA format, they are generating ideas, exploring arguments, and yes, even failing spectacularly – all in the name of learning.
His basketball analogy is apt. Would you learn to play basketball by reading a textbook on the history of the sport? Of course not. You’d grab a ball and start shooting, air-balling, bricking, and eventually, maybe, sinking a three-pointer (or at least a free throw). Writing, he suggests, should be approached with the same experiential mindset.
Finding the ‘Aha!’ Moment (Without a Bot)
The core of Sollisch’s method revolves around the “Aha!” moment – that sudden flash of insight that makes writing worthwhile. It’s the feeling of discovering something new, of articulating an opinion you didn’t know you held. It’s the intellectual equivalent of finally landing that perfect ollie on your skateboard. AI, for all its capabilities, can’t replicate this. It can synthesize information, mimic style, and generate passable prose, but it can’t experience genuine discovery. And if there’s no discovery, then what’s the point?
Rebranding Writing: From Product to Process
The key, according to Sollisch, is to shift the focus from writing as a product to writing as a process. It’s not about churning out flawless essays; it’s about developing critical thinking skills, honing your ability to articulate your thoughts, and experiencing the satisfaction of creating something original. It’s about strengthening a cognitive muscle – and AI is essentially a very fancy, very tempting, electric wheelchair.
Ted Chiang, whom Sollisch quotes, frames it well. Using AI to write essays is akin to using a forklift in the weight room. You might move more weight, but you won’t get stronger.
The Future of Writing: Human vs. Machine
So, can Sollisch’s “writing as a sport” approach save us from the AI writing apocalypse? It’s difficult to say. The allure of instant content is strong, and the pressure on students to perform is immense. However, if we can instill in students a love of the process of writing, if we can convince them that the “Aha!” moment is worth pursuing, then perhaps we can carve out a space for human creativity in an increasingly automated world.
The battle lines are drawn. On one side, we have the tireless efficiency of AI. On the other, the messy, unpredictable, and ultimately human act of writing. Place your bets.
And if all else fails, maybe we can just teach AI to play basketball. At least then it’ll have something better to do.
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