In a world where technology is evolving at an unprecedented pace, education is on the cusp of transformation. Imagine a classroom where teachers leverage cutting-edge technology and students not only learn from textbooks, but also co-create their educational journeys. Artificial intelligence lies at the nexus of education and technology, and the opportunities are seemingly endless but uncertain.
Over the past few months, EdSurge webinar host Carl Hooker moderated three webinars featuring panelists of subject matter experts discussing the transformative impact of artificial intelligence in education.Webinar hosted by Amazon Web Services (AWS)served as a platform to gain valuable insights from education leaders, policy makers, and edtech product developers. Three key themes emerged through these sessions. The need to harness the full potential of AI, the importance of wise and responsible implementation, and the need to prepare ourselves and our students for an uncertain but promising future.
Defining Artificial Intelligence Integration
AI integration refers to the incorporation of machine-driven intelligence into various applications and processes to enable tasks that mimic human cognitive functions, such as learning from data, problem solving, and pattern recognition. Kevin McCandless, senior solutions architect at AWS, emphasizes the importance of machine learning (ML), a fundamental AI technique that uses algorithms and historical data to make predictions. He will also introduce the concept of generative AI (gen AI), which represents the next step in the evolution of AI and ML. Gen AI offers an incredible ability to create entirely new educational content, highlighting its critical role in improving the learning experience.
Embrace the potential of AI
Richard Clutter CEO ASCD and istepresents an attractive framework for the integration of AI in education. He has identified two key aspects of his work, the first of which revolves around using AI as a tool to enhance learning and emphasizes personalized education and support. Masu. The second aspect involves teaching young individuals how to leverage his AI for future careers, leadership roles, and learning opportunities. Mr. Clutter rightly observes that while most discussions focus primarily on the first aspect, there is a worrying lack of attention to the equally important second aspect.
An important first step to addressing both aspects is to wholeheartedly embrace AI in educational settings. Mary Strain, business development executive for artificial intelligence and machine learning at AWS, notes that there is a notable disparity in the acceptance of generative AI in education settings, particularly between K-12 and higher education institutions, with the former emphasizes that generative AI may be prohibited. She highlights the potential of AI-generated content to empower students, give them ownership in the learning process, foster higher-order thinking skills, and introduce innovative educational challenges.
For school districts looking for quick solutions, Clutter emphasizes the futility of blocking AI as it is rapidly becoming more prevalent. Educator and education technology consultant Rachel Dene Poss agrees, sharing how she encourages her students to use AI-powered tools in the classroom. “We have to teach our students how to [generative AI] “Let them know that this is just a tool and that this is not going to replace their own critical thinking, creativity and all the skills they need,” says Poss.
Before engaging students with Gen AI, it is imperative that educators embrace this technology. But are teachers provided with the support to do so? Clutter argues: “Supporting educators at this time is extremely important. I can only say one thing. Go learn about AI. It’s another thing to actually provide the time and space for educators to explore. ” ISTE prioritizes this perspective and Professional development and resources focused on learning about and effectively integrating AI,including A guide for school leaders and teacher course.
Watch three on-demand webinars that are transforming education today.
Integrate AI intentionally and responsibly
As AI continues to reshape education, it is important to consider not only the opportunities but also the ethical responsibilities that accompany this technological transformation. Joe Pringle, business development lead for artificial intelligence and machine learning at AWS, emphasizes the need for a careful and measured approach to the use of AI in education. He emphasizes the high-stakes nature of introducing AI in education, and the importance of considering all possible impacts and avoiding major mistakes. While Pringle is optimistic about the potential benefits of AI for teachers and students, he is thoroughly concerned about what can go wrong and the potential costs of errors and incorrect recommendations. It similarly emphasizes the importance of assessing and implementing robust controls to mitigate these risks.
In May 2023, U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Technology We have released an AI report. Artificial intelligence and the future of education and learning. This report outlines guidelines and guardrail recommendations for the responsible use of AI in education technology. This includes using AI in edtech tools for data analysis, pattern recognition, and resource recommendations.
How does the intentional and responsible use of AI manifest itself at the local level? Mark Racine, Chief Information Officer boston public schoolspromotes a decentralized and collaborative approach to deciding how and when to use AI in education. He explains that the district primarily chose not to pursue a formal policy on AI for two reasons. First, policies are generally strict and slow to change, and given the rapidly evolving nature of technology, we wanted to avoid being tied down to policies that could become outdated before they can be updated. . Second, we found that existing policies already cover many concerns related to AI, such as intellectual property, fraud, and the use of confidential information.
Racine advocates a decentralized approach to the use of AI, where teachers and students interact to determine when AI is appropriate for the lesson. This flexibility enables adaptable AI integration while maintaining openness and transparency between instructors and learners. While some guidelines are essential, such as protecting sensitive data, promoting the responsible use of AI tools and maintaining student-teacher partnerships takes precedence over strict top-down AI policies in education. Mr. Racine believes that this should be done.
Preparing students for an uncertain future
Educational institutions play a vital role in preparing students for an uncertain future in a world increasingly influenced by artificial intelligence. How can educators effectively implement AI in the classroom when there are legitimate concerns about students misusing tools and compromising the learning process?
Dr. Aleyha Henderson-Rosser, Deputy Director of Educational Technology atlanta public schoolshighlight the value of personalized learning and effective teaching practices as strategies to address concerns related to cheating in the context of AI. She believes that by focusing on getting students to set and reflect on their own goals, providing targeted instruction, fostering creativity, and employing data-driven methods, educators can engage We suggest that you can create a collaborative classroom environment. “We are taking a different approach [than saying] “Don’t do that.” More importantly, what does an engaged lesson look like and what are best practices? ” Her view is that despite common concerns that it will reduce student creativity, AI can serve as a stepping stone to enhance and strengthen students’ creativity. .
Racine acknowledges that there are often concerns that new technology will stifle creativity or make students’ thinking too robotic. But we remain optimistic about the impact AI will have on students and education. He believes that AI will enable students to overcome technical or skill limitations and be creative in new media that were previously inaccessible.
Similarly, CEO and founder Graham Glass said: cipher learning, highlights the importance of providing students with transformative experiences that demonstrate the vast potential of human-AI collaboration. He believes that students and teachers will realize the potential to achieve more by leveraging AI. “I think it’s extremely important for humans to find ways to collaborate with AI to expand life activities in all areas of life,” he said. [their] We have the ability,” Glass said. “Educators have a chance to rise to this challenge. But if I were an educator, I wouldn’t be satisfied. Hey, let’s see what happens. The clock is ticking, and if you don’t find a way to be truly engaging and persuasive in class, your students will drop out and learn outside of class. ”
Agreeing with Glass, webinar host Hooker suggests: “Teachers will not be replaced by AI. But teachers will probably be replaced by teachers who use AI.”
Dr. Elizabeth Alvarez, Superintendent forest park school district The Chicago suburb agrees that the focus should be on developing best practices for teachers, not on integrating AI. “With or without AI,” Alvarez says. “If a classroom isn’t just engaging, it’s not creative. I’m a big believer in humans. That’s where the creativity comes from. It’s not going to come from the AI. It’s going to come from the instructor… .”
