Clarity through Writing

Occasionally, a student will ask me: "Why do I have to learn how to write a paragraph? Generative AI can do it for me." As an educator, I am always thinking about how I will reply to these and other similar questions. I often find that students are merely seeking some confirmation that I know why I am asking them to do certain tasks. Is it appropriate for a student to question a teacher's intentions? Perhaps not - as a student myself, I simply trusted the process. But we are living in a rapidly changing educational context, and I find I always need to be ready with a clearly stated response, such as, "Because in daily life, you need to be able to THINK. Paragraph writing is a reflection of your organised thoughts. I want to see that your thinking skills are developing." Students normally reply with a "fair enough" or "makes sense." It's up to us as educators to always be a step ahead, to be conscious of the tasks we're setting and to expect authentic engagement through creative instructional design. - Mel