Apr 20, 2024

Sullivan teaching how to be 'computer savvy' in age of AI

Posted Apr 20, 2024 10:52 AM
The Allen Samuels CDJR Teacher of the Month is Kara Sullivan from Central Christian School (center). Ashley Weve of EAGLE Media (left) and Chris Schul of Allen Samuels CDJR (right) presented her with gifts Friday, April 19, 2024.
The Allen Samuels CDJR Teacher of the Month is Kara Sullivan from Central Christian School (center). Ashley Weve of EAGLE Media (left) and Chris Schul of Allen Samuels CDJR (right) presented her with gifts Friday, April 19, 2024.

NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Central Christian School teacher Kara Sullivan is the Allen Samuels CDJR Teacher of the Month. Sullivan teaches Computer Science, Yearbook, FACS and an occasional math class. She said it is sometimes a challenge to teach computers to those that are digital natives.

"It can be difficult convincing them that they don't know what they think they know," Sullivan said. "They come in a lot of times and they think that they know what they are doing, then you try to show them. Sometimes, they do know, but a lot of times, they don't know. They are really good tech savvy, but they are not necessarily computer savvy."

Students in Kara Sullivan's class at Central Christian School enjoy ice cream from Braums.
Students in Kara Sullivan's class at Central Christian School enjoy ice cream from Braums.

It's not about getting them to use the computer, it's about getting the most out of the software they use.

"Tech savvy is, I can get on, I can download a game, I can play this game, I can access all this stuff," Sullivan said. "Computer savvy would be, being able to take the software and truly utilize it to the best of its ability. How do I make Word easier for me to do what I need to do? How do I do something in Word that I can then take over and put into PowerPoint?"

Sullivan thinks AI will make teaching easier, but it will make grading harder. 

Students in Kara Sullivan's class at Central Christian School enjoy pizza from Pizza Hut.
Students in Kara Sullivan's class at Central Christian School enjoy pizza from Pizza Hut.

"There are some skills that are universal," Sullivan said. "You have to know the underlying, how to make this computer work for you, regardless if you can use AI or not."

Sullivan said there are ways to harness AI and make it a tool, as opposed to something that we are afraid of. 

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