Integrating AI into education is promising, but educators must tread carefully to avoid common pitfalls. This article highlights the biggest mistakes educators can make with AI and offers practical tips to navigate these challenges. Discover why approaching AI cautiously is essential and learn strategies to ensure successful implementation.
Highlights
Who is Aaron S. Langenauer?
Aaron S. Langenauer, an esteemed educator at Plainview-Old Bethpage Central School District for over a decade, seamlessly integrates emerging technologies with traditional teaching principles. With advanced credentials in Educational Leadership from Stony Brook University, a Master’s in Curriculum Development and Instructional Technology from the University at Albany, and a Bachelor’s in Music Education from SUNY Potsdam, Aaron has pioneered innovative instructional strategies and spearheaded numerous projects to cultivate creativity and excellence in his district. This article, “The Biggest Mistake Educators Can Make With AI,” highlights his insights on leveraging artificial intelligence in education.
The Big Idea
→ Don’t race to integrate or utilize AI. We need to carefully observe, study, and thoughtfully review this technology. We must also engage in meaningful discussions before evaluating its appropriate place in the learning process.
The background
→ The past 15 or so years have seen the following pattern play out in the world of education technology. An innovative new piece of technology* is introduced. Advertised as a way to modernize teaching and learning, the tool drives schools to spend significant amounts of money, often from funds specifically intended for technology purchases. They then train the teachers to use it and throw in a photo op for good measure.
(*Smart boards, Chromebooks, iPads, technology labs of various kinds, GAfE, and a smorgasbord of apps and software to subscribe to.)
Yes, but → I don’t want to criticize the wave of technology infused in classrooms. We’ve greatly benefited from these things! In many ways, they have truly modernized teaching and learning. I’ll even defend the multitude of technologies that have been purchased and then not fully utilized. Why? Because we shouldn’t be afraid to try new things.
But here’s the difference: While every technology introduced in classrooms since the computer has yielded significant benefits, none have been revolutionary in the “real world.” Not like how…
- Personal computers brought everyone online.
- The World Wide Web democratized access to information.
- Smartphones put high-powered computers in our pockets.
- Social media allows everyone to create and share content.
These technologies have massively influenced how people work, live, learn, play, and create. They’ve led to systemic changes in the workforce and the economy and the adults at the vanguard of these innovations were not taught about them in schools.
As great as smart boards and Chromebooks are, they have never had this kind of impact on society.
If we rush to integrate AI in the classroom as we have with other tools, we will miss out on this meaningful discussion
Enter Artificial Intelligence.
If you’re reading this, you probably don’t need me to tell you how revolutionary AI could be. And you heard it right: There are some mistakes educators can make with AI. This technology could cause massive and systemic changes across every aspect of society in ways we haven’t seen since personal computers and the Internet.
Because of this, AI cannot be treated like previous new educational technologies.
Please allow me to say it again to the people in the background.
AI cannot be treated like previous new educational technologies!
This isn’t something to be integrated or utilized the way Google Classroom was (again, no knock against Google Classroom).
We in education need to take a step back and carefully observe the impact AI is having on the world.
For example:
- AI tools have caused workers in industries like technology, law, finance, and healthcare, as well as roles such as software engineering, human resources, customer support, and data analysis, to lose jobs or worry about job security.
- The market is becoming flooded with AI-generated content. It makes it harder to discern what is of high quality and even harder to create something of high quality that will be noticed.
- People are using various AI tools in ways that change how they accomplish their work daily.
There are so many more ways that AI is leading to systemic changes in society. In fact, The Writers Guild of America is currently drawing the battle lines by winning protections from AI due to their strike.
AI is unlike any technologies we’ve introduced into classrooms in recent years. This time is absolutely different.
So, how should we proceed? → By observing these trends in society and thoughtfully discussing the ramifications for the world for which we are preparing students.
- Then → Carefully assessing what knowledge, skills, and dispositions are necessary to teach or cultivate in students.
- Then → Deliberately determining what role AI should or shouldn’t play in that process.
- Finally → Intentionally determine which AI tools may or may not be of value to introduce into different aspects of the learning process.
Let’s look at one example.
Here’s a conundrum → In the real world, workers across industries use AI tools like ChatGPT as writing assistants. So… should students do the same?
- Argument in favor → If students can’t effectively leverage AI for tasks like writing in professional settings, those who can will outperform them. And anyone who has used AI to write knows that developing that partnership is a skill. We’re disadvantaging students in a competitive job market by not teaching students how to use AI to write.
- Argument against → The best way to leverage AI as a writing assistant is to be a better writer than an AI writing tool. You can’t give AI good instructions on writing or evaluating its work without understanding what good writing actually is. And there are other benefits to writing, such as the thought process and self-discovery of ideas that develop due to deliberate writing.
No matter which side you take in this debate (and we can all agree it’s at least a debate worth having), there are real ramifications for whether, when, and how to introduce AI in the classroom. We can also have similar discussions and debates across all content areas.
But → If we rush to integrate AI in the classroom as we have with other tools, we will miss out on this meaningful discussion. Without this discussion, we can’t guarantee we’re doing the best we can for our students.
So please → Observe AI’s impact on the world. There are so many mistakes educators can make with AI. Think about what it means for the knowledge and skills today’s students need to develop. Then, decide on AI’s appropriate role.
