Generating personalized writings for "model" learning can help your child improve essay structure and linguistic expressions using Bing Chat and ChatGPT.
Last year, on a late evening, I found my son sitting hunched over his desk, staring blankly at the workbook before him. He had been struggling for an hour already, managing to write only three incoherent sentences that were barely understandable. My son was having a challenge with his English assignment.
My son, passionate about science and math, often found it difficult to express his thoughts in a captivating and organized manner. This struggle was evident in his grade report card and brought up by his teacher in a parent-teacher conference last year.
In our efforts to assist him, my wife and I explored various approaches, including encouraging him to write short stories or maintain a diary. Unfortunately, these attempts proved to be ineffective.
While we recognized the importance of spending time practicing more, we also aimed to find an efficient solution. In particular, due to his myopia, he needed to spend more time outdoors and reduce near-work activities for his eye health.
Fortunately, I found a solution that works for him at the beginning of this year by leveraging AI-based language models: BingChat and ChatGPT. These tools have significantly assisted him in improving his writing skills.
How to use BingChat and ChatGPT to improve writing?
BingChat and ChatGPT are two advanced language models that have played a crucial role in my son's learning journey, particularly through a teaching technique known as "modeling." This approach worked and is highly effective for him. These AI models offer practical explanations of essay structures and provide excellent examples that serve as the foundation for most of his writing learning needs.
Here is an example of how my son learned to write a narrative essay, which happened to be the area he struggled with the most.
To begin, we utilized BingChat to understand the different types of essay structures. BingChat is particularly helpful as it allows me to verify the source of information and assess the explanations' reliability. Once I identified one that suited my son's needs, I made a copy and printed it for our reference.
The next step involved using ChatGPT to generate an example essay in a specific writing style about a personal experience that my son can relate to and that is appropriate for my son's grade level. This "modeling" approach proved to be a highly efficient way for him to learn.
In the prompt I use with ChatGPT, I often asked it to emulate the writing style of Ernest Hemingway, as his simplicity, naturalness, and clarity resonated well with my son's scientific inclinations. For instance, I used the prompt: "You are Ernest Hemingway, and you are writing a narrative essay for a student in grade X."
Additionally, selecting a topic familiar to my son made learning more engaging and applicable. For example, he had firsthand experience visiting the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island Immigration Museum. Using this trip as a subject, he learned how to express his experience in captivating words. It gave him a tangible example to follow and emulate. For example, I added to the prompt: “The narrative essay should include seeing the amazing view from the top of the Statue of Liberty and then going back in time at the Immigration Museum on Ellis Island.”
Analyzing the structure and identifying engaging phrases and vocabulary
Let's delve into how these materials can be effectively utilized. The first step involves analyzing the structure of the example essay and identifying engaging phrases and vocabulary. I encourage my son to carefully read the essay and identify its components, such as the thesis statement, rising actions, climax, and etc.. I then ask him to explain why certain parts, like the thesis statement, are well written or could be improved, providing insights into his thought process.
By utilizing the essay structure provided by BingChat, he can specifically highlight each part and articulate its significance. This exercise serves as a bridge between theoretical knowledge and practical application, enhancing his understanding.
Additionally, I ask him to take note of appealing phrases or vocabulary that he finds impactful or stimulates his emotion, which would be helpful for his future writing.
Practicing writing on his own
The next step is to set aside the example essay and starts afresh. I would ask my son to restart by re-creating a
mind map of the story. There are likely differences between the ChatGPT example essay and his ideas, which is good.
Next, using the mind map as a guide, my son would outline his essay in detail. This step enables him to focus on developing the specifics, ensuring a smooth story flow, and confirming the key elements to include before commencing the actual writing.
Finally, after thorough preparation, my son would begin to write the essay. He would concentrate on clarity, check for structural coherence, apply the appealing phrases or vocabulary he has collected, and ensures grammatical and punctuation accuracy.
Once he completed it, he read it aloud to my wife and me. This practice not only allows him to hear what he wrote but also provides an opportunity to improve his diction and expression skills. Finally, I would review his essay and offer constructive feedback to refine his writing further.
Finish thoughts
Since the start of the year, I witnessed significant improvements in my son's writing skills. Not only had his essays become more structured and enriched, but his efficiency in completing writing assignments also improved. The most delightful transformation, though, was in his newfound confidence.
Incorporating AI tools to enhance my son's writing abilities has been eye-opening. Not only has it proven effective in improving his skills, but it has also ignited a new level of enthusiasm within him.
Who knows, maybe one day he'll become a renowned author. And AI helped shape the wit and wisdom behind those bestsellers!
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