Does AI Revolutionize Education?

Artificial Intelligence has landed on the educational landscape with a “boom” and it has rocked our world (or at least mine!). Within the last two years, I have gone from thinking that using AI was unethical and there was absolutely no way I was going to use it, to using it frequently, to help me with lesson planning and assessment.

This week’s debate on whether AI revolutionizes education was insightful and thought provoking. Like many of the debate topics we have tackled in this class, I find myself sitting on the fence with the impact of AI in education. Both teams made very strong points of why they believe AI is going to revolutionize education and why they don’t think it will.

Yes to AI!

Sheila and Teagan argued that AI is revolutionizing education, noting that like past technologies, it faced initial resistance but ultimately led to transformation. They highlighted how AI supports personalized learning, boosts engagement, and challenges students at their level. I was surprised to learn that AI-assisted learning can increase engagement by 55% and reduce learning time by 40%. They also pointed to improved inclusion through translation tools and reported gains in Canadian schools, including a 30% rise in achievement and 25% increase in participation. “we are not witnessing the demise of education as we know it, but the evolution of pedagogy”, reshaping how we think, create and connect.

But is AI, the silver bullet?

On the other side, Daegan and Jessalyn raised important concerns about AI in education. They highlighted issues such as data privacy, misinformation, and students’ inability to distinguish between real and false content. They also argued that AI reduces human interaction, diminishes the teacher’s role, and limits peer engagement. Unequal access to technology was noted as a potential source of social divide, and they cautioned that AI may contribute to academic misconduct and weaken students’ critical thinking skills.

Revolutionize is a strong word.

I think the issue I have with this debate is of the use of the word “revolutionize”. The word “revolutionize” means to completely change something so that it is much better. And at this moment, I am not sure if AI has made education better. Has it reshaped my thinking? Sure. Has it been a useful tool for creating content, lesson planning and generating ideas? Absolutely. Have I been able to incorporated it effectively and ethically in my classroom? No, not yet.

When I think about AI’s ability to “revolutionize” education, two points come to mind: What does effective implementation of AI look like in my classroom? And how does this new tool impact my role as an educator?

The use of AI in classrooms can feel overwhelming. While many articles call for us to “make learning robot-proof” by changing how we teach and assess, that is easier said than done. Teachers are already stretched thin, and now we’re expected to navigate the complex world of AI and its seemingly endless capabilities, often with little support. AI is already in our schools, but there’s been minimal professional development or meaningful discussion on how to use it effectively. In the following article,  it states that we need to address the “elephant in our classrooms.” Educators must adapt their teaching and assessment practices in ways that are both educationally sound and ethically responsible. If AI is here to stay, are school divisions doing enough to support teachers? Are they offering the PD we need to integrate AI into our classrooms with confidence and care?

Role of the Teacher and AI

A challenge for every educator when new technology lands in our lap is figuring out how to use it and and how our teaching needs to change with its implementation. For example, when I first learned about tech tools like Blooket, Kahoot, and Padlet, I had to consider how to meaningfully integrate them into my lessons. What was the purpose of having my class post on Padlet? Why were my students participating in a Kahoot? It wasn’t just about using the tool, it was about using it with purpose. And I believe that’s exactly what I need to figure out with AI.

One thing is for sure, AI will not replace me. In the article “Will Artificial Intelligence (AI) Take Over Online Teaching?” the author states that AI is not intended to replace human teachers, but rather to enhance their capabilities and support more effective learning environments. Furthermore, they argue that AI cannot replace human teachers because:

• Personalized Learning: AI can’t replace the vital role teacher’s play in nurturing student’s emotional intelligence.
• Complex Learning Tasks: AI lacks the capacity to navigate the complexities of human cognition.
• Social and Emotional Learning: AI can’t replicate the unique bond between teachers and students.
• Human Motivational Tactics: AI does not have the motivational tactics that teachers have, to keep students on task and engaged.

New Perspective

In the following article, John Spencer talks about two common dead ends when it comes to AI in education. The first is what he calls “The Golden Promise of Futurism”, the tendency to chase the newest tech just because it’s flashy, without thinking about long-term sustainability or the unintended consequences. The second is the “Lock It and Block It” approach, where schools try to ban or control technology so tightly that it becomes disconnected from students’ real lives. Both approaches miss the mark. Spencer suggests a third, more balanced path: the Human Approach. He asks a powerful question “What is it that we, as humans, can do that machines can’t?” This approach focuses on things like empathy, creativity, curiosity, and seeing the world through our own unique perspective. In a world increasingly shaped by AI, these are the qualities we need to help students develop and it’s where educators truly shine.

My Conclusion: Vintage Approach

As I try to determine where I stand with AI in education, I keep coming back to two words: balance and purpose. AI is here to stay, it’s not going anywhere, but it’s not going to replace what I do as an educator. What it will do is challenge me to rethink how I do things.

After witnessing many waves of new technology throughout my career, I have learned that it doesn’t have to be either/or.  It is possible to create a learning environment that blends timeless skills, low-tech practices with new and innovative technology. This approach is known as the Vintage Innovation Approach. As Spencer states, we don’t need to block every new tool out of fear, nor do we need to blindly chase every shiny new tool. Instead, we find a thoughtful middle ground to combine timeless strategies with emerging technologies. We combine best practices with next practices. And that is something I can get on board with!