I really felt very confident about what I wanted to say, about what I wanted to express. However, it only remained as an imaginary in my head and I couldn’t find how to express the first line, which is what I needed to be able to write. I asked ChatGPT to make different poems with different prompts but with anaphoras, and so poco a poco was born. I really liked how the story was woven from that word. Likewise, my poem was written in Spanish, as can be seen in the left column, so I also used ChatGPT to translate it. I must confess that although I don’t really like the idea of AI in education, I recognize that they are of great help for writer’s block or simply to put into words what one wants to say, but sometimes can’t. For the image, I used letsenhance.io.

I remember in 2016 waking up to go to the last Introduction to Literature II class. I heard on the news about the Nobel winners and the whole country was happy because it was the second prize for Colombia, this time in peace. However, when I heard that the literature was for Bob Dylan, yes, the singer, I was puzzled, I thought they were finally going to give it to Murakami, but no, it went to a singer.

We were 4 women in the class and the teacher, we all began to give our opinions and how unfair it seemed to us that they did not give the prize to a writer.  So, Dr. Lobato played us a song of his, I don’t remember what it was, and we laughed because we went from listening to Aristotle’s Poetics in Greek to Dylan’s Folk Rock. She asked us to write something like his, without going to platitudes, doing something unique and we were a fiasco. 

Then we started to reflect more calmly, and we stopped thinking like freshmen literature students and started to see what the world of literature was really like. Literary writing is something magical and complex.

I listen to my favorite song Silvio Rodríguez – Oleo De Una Mujer Con Sombrero [HD] and I think that only a poet can write that, only a poet can manage to transmit so much and that music is also literature. I believe that we must open our eyes and our minds to the novelties, to everything that is appearing in the world, and the different ways of making art and exposing it to the world.

During the semester I think I’ve been able to stop seeing AI as a bad thing and see the positive side. When I started reading the article How Will AI Image Generators Affect Artists? I thought, what about the effort of artists, then AI can be compared to Michelangelo, Leonardo, Goya, Dalí and all of them who dedicated their lives to art. I thought that in seconds an AI could create a masterpiece and that the other artists spent years to make just one work. But after much reflection and reading the article, I think so, although many made traditional art, the creative process is what matters, what is in my mind to be able to capture something, to be able to do something. In the same way as I have mentioned many times, AI appears as a tool that allows you to optimize processes of daily life, so in art it can help create concepts of what I want to do and from that create something better, AI helps to give clarity, to expose what is in my mind.

The second article led me to think about Neruda and Skármeta both Chilean writers whose works move between metaphors. The first spoke of the sky crying, of the smile like a butterfly, of spears, of water… He says beautiful things in banal words, common expressions, and sentences full of feeling. I felt that?, yes, I feel every letter, every word and more in Poem XX:

“I can write the saddest verses of all tonight.
I loved her, and sometimes she loved me too.”

For his part, Skármeta said, taking an example from Neruda:

“He told me that my smile spreads like a butterfly on my face; He told me that my laughter was a rose, a spear that breaks down, a water that bursts; … He told me that my laughter was a sudden wave of silver; He told me that he liked me when I was silent because I was absent; I lack time to celebrate your hair, one by one I must count and praise them.”

This is the pro of metaphors and poetry that allow us to create a new language, a language that allows us to express sadness and love, a language that allows another being to feel beautiful things or cry with it.

I asked Chat GPT to write a poem full of metaphors and this was the result.

Love is a river that flows in the chest, A burning fire that never rests, A melody that plays in the silence, A flower that blooms in the driest of fields.

Sadness is a wounded bird in the sky, An endless sea that stirs the tempest, A cruel winter that freezes the bones, A torrential rain that soaks the loneliness.

Happiness is a cool breeze on the skin, A radiant sun that lights the way, A warm hug that comforts the being, A sincere smile that makes the world more divine.

Life is an open book of adventures, A winding path full of surprises, A rollercoaster of emotions and madness, A work of art in which we all are pieces.

Maybe I didn’t feel the same way when reading poetry, but I think it’s because of my prejudice and assumptions about AIs. But, I think it’s a good advance, you could get closer to what artists do.

It’s not uncommon for big companies to take advantage of people in need to fulfill their jobs. The issue right now is that they are being paid far less than they should be, at the expense of “making people’s lives easier.”

Kenya’s minimum wage as of 2022 was €125.3 or around $137 monthly. According to a cost-of-living calculator, this is what Kenyans need to subsist month to month.

The estimated monthly cost for a family of 4 is $2,191 (Shilling289,515), and for a single person, it’s $500 – 1000

Let’s say that workers have an 8-hour workday, earning $16 a day, $80 a week, and $320 a month. It’s insufficient to cover half of the basic needs of people in Kenya. This situation is alarming and exposes how all over the world, companies use those who need work and who are constantly hoping for better wages and a better work environment. Another point that caught my attention is their exposure to working conditions that affect their mental health, and the lack of psychological support. In this case, AI is not to blame for what is happening; it is those behind it.

Masterpiece Moore’s text and makes me think of Flaubert when he mentioned “Madame Bovary, c’est moi” in a trial for immorality. Why do I think this? Simply because of the power that literature and words have to transform and contain the most intimate aspects of the writer, something that cannot be replaced by any machine. Moore reveals the sensitivity of human beings when she says, “Where does dust come from? Or: Why is there war? Or: If there’s a God, then why is my brother now a cripple?” because they are thoughts that human beings have had at some point in their lives, just like something banal like “Let’s go out and get a big beer.” These are simple acts or words, but they contain a personal, social, and cultural background.

I have mentioned this many times, but a machine or AI cannot take away from human beings the capacity to feel, to express, to tell. When that happens, the world will end. I remember a long time ago, a professor told me that all literature has already been told, already been said, already been written, whether it was in the Iliad, the Divine Comedy, or the Odyssey, that all genres were already there, all themes were already addressed. So when I read about Originality and Voice, I think that yes, everything has already been told, but the way it is told is different, the way in which the world is narrated through the eyes of each writer is different, everything has already been told, but there are different ways of reading it. What would the world be like without the poems of Benedetti or Neruda? What would Magical Realism be without Gabo? What would the damned be without Baudelaire? The genres and stories are there, but those who tell them make them unique.

Why am I reminded of Terminator when I read the articles? I do not know. I’m just saying that technologies and AI are going to have consciousness one day and they’re going to take over the world and we’re going to be its slaves. But, being less dramatic, I have to emphasize that they are good for some things, I am not a fan of ChatGPT this week I used it to give me clarity on how to write a task, the truth gave me bases, but it still feels banal and empty, what you write and how you write it is flat, so it helps,  but not so much. Something that I believe will never replace AI is the ability of human beings to feel and express what they feel. Chat GPT is not going to compare with Baudelaire, García Márquez, Dickinson, Plath and all those people who put feelings into what they did and those who today strive to do it.

I don’t want to be a teacher and knock on wood not to be, but if I were I would not demonize my students to use AI for their tasks, the point of technology is to know how to use it and give it a purpose. I even have a lesson plan on how to teach poetry, because seeing what kinds of poems Chat GPT throws out leaves me with a lot to be desired, so I would do something from it.  When I was at school, we were not allowed to use the internet to do our homework, because they claimed that we were going to be lazy, so we had to do everything with encyclopedias and many of them were outdated, so everything has been a problem for the world, everything has been complexed to understand until they find the true functionality and advantages. In writing, I find it good to use GPT chat for example, because many times we do not know how to start a text, so it helps to clarify the mind and ideas, however as I mentioned, many of the things that Chat GPT throws are flat and lack feeling.

This week I must face my fears and speak in public, but this time it is about a topic that moves me to the smallest cell in my body.

Trauma

Sometimes I feel that we use this word deliberately and do not recognize the background of it, the importance of its meaning and how it affects the lives of many people. For my presentation today I chose an article by Lisa Butler, PhD. and Janice Carello, MA., titled Potentially Perilous Pedagogies: Teaching Trauma Is Not the Same as Trauma-Informed Teaching.  It explores why and how trauma theory and research are currently used in non-clinical courses, such as writing, literature, film, etc. But, these kinds of courses and methodologies promote risky pedagogical practices that involve the exposure and disclosure of trauma, which brings harmful effects. Therefore, a trauma-based pedagogical approach must be built, thought and considered, which recognizes risks and prioritizes the emotional safety of students.

Teaching trauma through the curriculum

Trauma has become one of the most important fields of study in the humanities and these non-clinical disciplines have valuable information to offer about trauma. Well, there are risks to not observing trauma inside and outside the classroom, such as perpetuating shame, secrecy or stigma.

So, educators should try to reduce the risks of retraumatization and secondary traumatization.

But what does this mean?

Retraumatization is the triggering or reactivation of trauma-related symptoms.

Secondary traumatization or vicarious traumatization is related to the presentation and learning of the stories of loss and victimization of others. That is, exposure to traumatic narratives, particularly in circumstances where the listener is very empathetic or where he tries to be, generates symptoms of trauma. 

Trauma-informed perspective

To be informed about trauma is to understand how violence, victimization, and other traumatic experiences may have figured in people’s lives. Systems must then be designed to accommodate the needs and vulnerabilities of trauma survivors.

Safety should be enacted and ensured through efforts to minimize the chances of retraumatization, secondary traumatization, or new trauma.

So, educators must also strive to adopt a trauma-based approach in their teaching.

The most important statement for taking the first step is,

“DO NO HARM.”

Students between the ages of 16 – 20 when they arrive at university show that between 66% and 85% of them have been exposed to traumatic events and continue to be victims. This puts them at higher risk of developing post-traumatic stress, depression, substance use disorder and other psychological problems. And those who suffered or suffer trauma are more likely to drop out and other students may suffer secondary trauma.

What should we avoid?

An example that stuck around in my head was that of a teacher asking to write about suicide, sexual abuse and painful/embarrassing experiences, this promotes risky writing, as students feel anxious, panicked, depressed or suicidal. So, educators need to reconsider their teaching methods, because these symptoms can be misinterpreted as evidence of learning.

Then?

Pedagogical practice should reflect an understanding of the implications of trauma. That is, as educators we must learn about trauma, how it is taught, and how trauma survivors are taught.

It doesn’t mean we don’t talk about or address trauma, it’s recognizing that students need a space to talk, so it’s possible to integrate it into the curriculum in a safe way and teach how to listen and respond effectively.

The article proposes the following key points to address trauma in the classroom, as well as reduce risk and make educational practice more trauma-informed.

1. Limit overall levels of exposure,
2. Vary the intensity of the material.
3. Provide self-care material.

Or

1. Identify learning as the main objective and the emotional security of the student as a necessary condition for it.
2. Recognize that students have traumatic backgrounds that can make them vulnerable and susceptible to flare-ups.
3. Be prepared to provide referrals to counseling services or emergency care.
4. Appreciate how a history of trauma can affect academic performance.
5. Become familiar with scientific research on trauma, retraumatization and secondary/vicari traumatization, and recognize psychosocial and educational sequelae.

About James McBride

Maybe I got a tear or two while reading James McBride for many reasons. Reading about racism is complex for me, because I grew up in a country full of minorities, the only ones who think they are superior are those with “money” and these are of all races; Also, I consider that I speak from the “privilege” I have not felt in my flesh what it is that someone rejects me because of my skin color, only my siblings for playing, because I have lighter skin than them, but I am in a middle point between indigenous and mestizo. It’s essential to recognize the value of words, what they cause, and how we can use them to help. It is also lovely to see how communities are open to helping others, giving food if they need it, and being there as support when institutions have turned their backs. Reading about how the neighbors brought food reminded me of my house in December, all the neighbors closed the streets, shared food, and ate as if we were a family, I also remember when my parents left and left my brother Rafael and me alone being children, I remember the neighbor in front taking us pots with soup and looking out the window in case we needed something. Kindness changes and forms a precedent in the human being. In Colombia, we often say, this is the country where many are born, but just a few survive, lack of opportunities, delinquency, drug addiction, and many more problems lead young people to have to look for other means to cope with their lives, so I felt very familiar, I studied in a public school and it with people who were in gangs,  That they carried weapons inside the school, who sold drugs that I had never heard in my life and the teachers tried to get them to look for other ways, but there came the point where they gave up, because in the same way, when they finished school they could not continue their studies, because there were no opportunities.

We are all good, maybe deep down, but that must be explored, worked on, and exposed, kindness changes live, and opportunities too.

Ok, after reading the article and watching the documentary, many things come to mind and I say, wow, the world is crazy, we fly away. I still remember when I was in the second semester, we were talking to some engineering colleagues about how technology facilitated everything to which they answered yes, that almost all jobs are going to be replaced by machines and we graduates said that education could not be replaced by machines, because it needs interaction between people capable of enabling a relationship between teaching and learning.  Then I said literature and writing, or writer’s work can’t be replaced, but then I remembered a page that edited texts, another that made summaries and I said, yes, we’re all going to be replaced. Today I do not think that we are going to be replaced in the jobs (which is where there is a greater concern), but that technology will allow optimizing processes because there will already be 2 minds that think about how to do everything better. As for the writing and the article, I agree that AI helps the writer with writer’s blocking or facilitating writing, I do not consider that AIs should be judged or demonized, we must recognize that you must have control of them, and more control has it is easier to use them. The important thing is not what technology does or does with us, it is what we can do through it for the benefit of others.

On the other hand, every time I listen to AI, the image of the movie I, Robot comes to mind, and it scares me. I also think about algorithms, how they know everything about us (what we make known), and how easy it is to deliver our information without even recognizing the risks, here I wonder, are we living in freedom?

However, it’s not all bad, just while listening to the documentary I saw a post on Instagram from NATGEO where it showed that Japan introduced a variety of approaches and technologies to adapt again to the elderly population and make them feel useful and in the community.

Hi, I’m Edna, I’m 23 years old and I have a very long name. I like classical music, Goya and writing things that are a bit existential. I like photography (black and white), going for a walk and sitting in parks. I am of few words, but I try. I like to dance to Greek music, salsa, merengue, or whatever.