The Elephant in the AI Classroom
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I’ve been consistently curious about how artificial intelligence will impact my own individual learning and creative pursuits. I’ve been just as intrigued about its impact on education and society as a whole.

I see how transformational it can be to save time, develop engaging experiences, and usher in a new era of what learning can look like.

But, there has been something that’s bugging me.

It’s not necessarily the bias and ethical implications we see with all kinds of artificial intelligence. That is a known issue, and something many folks are already aware of and working on improving in updated models.

It’s not the sheer amount of human power and energy that is needed to run LLM models. This is also something that has been widely discussed, analyzed, and has a roadway to improve.

And, it’s not the privacy piece. We live in a world where privacy is already compromised in so many facets, this is also why I believe Apple may come out on top with AI security/privacy built into their devices.

As with any new technology, it is going to have positives and negatives. It’s pros and cons. It’s cheerleaders and detractors.

Every time I talk about artificial intelligence, my first comment is, that I’m not “pro” or “anti” AI. I understand that it is a hinge of history and here to stay. We can learn to use it for good, or not. That is up to us.

However, as someone who thinks, writes, and focuses on learning, what is bugging me is something different.

The Elephant In The Room

I remember “Classrooms for the Future”. A state grant in Pennsylvania brought 1-to-1 devices into some of our classrooms via Macbook computer carts.

It was one of the early highlights of my teaching career to be able to harness the power of technology with my students. Writing in a Google Doc for the first time felt like magic. Collaborating with peers and students in real time completely changed how I taught and how my students learned.

We used Web 2.0 tools like Wordle, Glogster, Blogger, and so many others.

Sometimes it was worth it to use this new technology and other times it was not.

But, we were learning together, trying new things, and seeking out new and better ways to create engaging learning experiences.

Flash forward a year or two, and I was in the middle of a department meeting. We were discussing upcoming changes to our curriculum when our 1-to-1 initiative came up.

The conversation went all over the place, but one of my colleagues made a comment I’ll never forget.

She said, “Does anyone else feel like sometimes we are using these laptops as teenage pacifiers?”

The room was silent. But, everyone was on the same page.

We knew what she was referring to: Instead of using the technology for new and better learning experiences, I would often use it for compliance-based learning. Because the technology was still in its honeymoon phase, the students would go through the motions, using the tech, and would be “well behaved” in class during these activities.

The next day as my students were using their laptops to edit their essays, I wondered: Is this meaningful? Is it relevant? Is it engaging? Or am I happy because the class is easy to manage due to these “teenage pacifiers”?

Old Things In New Ways

This is what is bugging me with artificial intelligence in the classroom.

Are we using this technology for new and better learning experiences, or to do old things in new ways?

One of my favorite AI tools that I share all the time is Magic School.

Tools like it will save teachers hours of time and — as Sal Khan has said — may eliminate almost 90% of administrative tasks that take up so much of our day in schools.

That should leave time for creating, designing, making, and problem-solving with our students.

It should open up new curriculum opportunities for meaningful and relevant learning experiences.

It can usher in a new era of project-based learning that connects to the local community and global network.

Or…it can help us create more worksheets, multiple-choice tests, and boring compliance-based activities.

The Elephant in the AI Classroom, is much like any technology, what are we going to use it for?

The answer might just decide the future of what education looks like.

Thanks as always,

AJ

PS - I've been working with schools all around the country on Artificial Intelligence, Project-Based Learning, and Meaningful/Relevant ways to teach and assess. Reach out by responding to this email or learn more on my speaking page here!