First Original Blog Post

 

During this course on Innovation in Teaching and Learning I have been swaying back and forth, away and towards artificial intelligence (AI). This reveals innate fear of the unknown, of what is novel, of the incredibly innovative and powerful tool that AI represents. And yet there is something that draws me in, if only because it seems like it is here to stay and that it may/will engender very positive outcomes in many areas. The key here is understanding where, at this very point in time, AI is situated. With this in mind and with the intention of using a resource from my newly-forged Personal Learning Network, I set out to listen to episode 214 of the Shake Up the Learning website, titled Planning for AI in Schools: Curriculum, Teacher PD, and More!

Host Kasey Bell begins her podcast with what I will brand “advertorial-style announcements” promoting her website, blog and offering, and then goes on to give the “AI Tip of the Week” which clearly indicates the host’s engagement to AI. But there is a nuance: a few minutes into the podcast, Bell reassures me when she states “I am not all about supporting every AI thing that is out there. I’m about doing what is best for kids. I want to protect kids and I want to make sure that we are approaching this from a standpoint where we are protecting kids in the process of preparing them.” So, two things are seen as fundamental here: protecting and preparing the students. To me, the caution underpinning this statement indicates the only road forward, because so much about AI is still totally unknown to us uninitiated people… but it also remains unknown to the tech experts that have created this potent technological tool. There is no way to predict what is to come and how AI will unfold.

To emphasize this point, Kasey Bell introduces Ryan Findley co-founder of Evergreen Education, an organization that researches, charts, and customizes for their customers the different phases of implementation of AI in the educational arena. On the Evergreen Education’s website, we learn: “[The AI] domain is emergent and rapidly advancing in ways that even its creators don’t fully understand. Further, the only “AI experts” are holed up at big tech companies like Google, Microsoft/OpenAI, and Nvidia and they aren’t educators.” Now, if teachers and students are to safely and ethically use artificial intelligence in teaching and learning this observation is to be taken very seriously. Both Bell and Findley acknowledge that the introduction of cell phones in modern day society was a total “debacle” and that the outspread of AI must be handled with care to prepare for the most seamless and painless initiation process, to contain damage and avoid a second debacle.

During the podcast, Findley also describes some of the dramatic incidents that have recently emerged from the incorrect and unethical use of AI by middle school youngsters who, in this case, created deep fake pornography with their classmates’ faces. Findley argues that we must act quickly to provide schools, school districts, campuses, teachers, learners, parents, etc. with clear guidelines detailing how AI must be used, because this new, innovative and powerful tool comprises all-in-one “the dangers of cell phones; the pervasiveness of social media; the newness of the common core; it’s got the speed of Covid and just how quickly that came on and how quickly we had to respond.” Essentially, what he is saying is that Artificial Intelligence is daunting, but “we cannot just throw our hands up. It’s better to start somewhere than to start nowhere.” And Findley makes a good point. The advancement of technology cannot be stopped, so we, as a society, had better instate proper policies and guidelines for all future AI users.

I was very happy to listen to this podcast, as the prudence that Bell and Findley displayed comforted me in relation to this fast-paced world of technology and AI. I was glad to learn that there are tech experts joining forces with education specialists (as is the case with Evergreen Education) to experiment, understand, and develop guidelines that will lead the implementation of AI in any setting where education/instruction takes place. The educational arena needs these guardrails to prevent users from careening off the path towards discovery.

This said, for this post I also wanted to investigate other non-technological means of engaging students in their learning. In past posts I defined any situation where children felt engaged in their learning without the use of technology as “revolutionary,” therefore beyond innovative or creative. I had thought of culturally relevant/responsive pedagogy as a means of allowing students to connect, collaborate and learn about other cultures and traditions that are represented in the classroom. I had thought of authentic learning where students work on projects that touch upon topics and themes that are meaningful and relevant to them. With these sorts of approaches, students would feel that they are an integral part of their classroom and community and that they are being recognized. Another such innovative example could be forest schools, where any content area could be adapted and delivered in nature or in a neighbouring park thus providing students with opportunities to experience new learnings and sensations in a fresh and stimulating setting. Forest schools would also have the advantage of oxygenating students’ and teachers’ bodies and minds for an enhanced learning experience. In my ideal classroom the student and not the technology is at the heart of it all.

While researching, I came across an article on active learning from Harvard University’s Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning and discovered 10 different ways to motivate students using simple exercises that would stay clear of the uninspiring routine of “listening, memorizing, and repeating.” The key here is that all these active learning exercises incorporate group learning, an approach that is known to foster “community and connection between students, [and] enhance a sense of belonging as well as motivation.” Amongst the more familiar exercises we find group work, case studies and think-pair-share activities; while exercises that I consider more novel include collaborative note taking, concept map, jigsaw, quick write, statement correction (or intentional mistakes), sequence reconstruction, and polling. Any of these exercises will provide novelty and creativity, as the outcome artifact will always be the fruit of a collaborative effort that cannot be calculated or predicted and that is generated by a group of people who hold different opinions, perspectives, and experiences.  

In closing, I would like to underscore what I see as the central figure in the educational landscape and that is the human presence. In classrooms the world over teachers can promote engagement in students by opting for exercises that entail group work. The novelty stems from the merging of knowledges, insights, and competencies that every student brings to the table. It goes without saying that I am very partial to group work, as this is what life and living is all about. No man is an island, says the adage, and through teamwork, students would also learn to communicate effectively among themselves, to defend their position, to compromise, to think critically and creatively. In the mix, by working together students would also gain in self-confidence, work ethics and in leadership and management skills. All skills, insights and capabilities that will support them today and in the future.

And what about Artificial Intelligence? How does it fit into this narrative? Well, the Evergreen Education website makes a very convincing argument:

“We are emphatic that AI literacy is already an essential 21^st century skill. That is to say: we believe that there are many skills within AI that students will need to learn in order to effectively leverage AI in completing their school work, getting a job, or addressing huge issues like climate change.”

In light of such a statement, I can only say that any resistance to learning about AI would be imprudent and ill-advised, as it would penalize students who will need these skills to confidently navigate through the forthcoming decades. Educators, school administrators, tech specialists, families and students should all work together to ensure that the AI experience is positive, safe, principled, and as seamless as possible. And this, I believe, can only be achieved through adequate training and imparting of knowledge. So, yes, guidelines and protocols for the use of AI are fundamental and they are welcome and necessary here and now!

REFERENCES

AI literacy curriculum. Evergreen AI Education. (2024, December 9). https://evergreened.org/ai-literacy-curriculum/

Bell, K. (2024, September 3). Planning for AI in schools: Curriculum, teacher pd, and more!. Shake Up Learning. https://shakeuplearning.com/blog/planning-for-ai-in-schools-curriculum-teacher-pd-and-more/

Borowski, J., & Domzalski, K. (2025, February 6). Teachers, try this: Take classroom lessons into the wild. Education Week. https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/video-teachers-try-this-take-classroom-lessons-into-the-wild/2025/02

Harvard University. (n.d.). Active learning. The Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning. https://bokcenter.harvard.edu/active-learning