The art of noticing…
This summer I was lucky to be accepted into the ECE Summer Institute at the University of Regina. I took two classes over 3 weeks, and it was intense — but so good! The content was focused on Issues and Research in ECE, and Theories of Play and Learning. One of the underlying themes was the act of recognizing the complexity of place, and the identity and power associated with. We explored the power of self, the power of objects and the power of social dynamics. Theories of new materialism, relationality, and entanglements informed our inquiry and experiences.
Why the pre-amble? Noticing. Unplugged and playing with others, I began to notice much more than I did before. On one particularly impactful “unplugged” walk, I was amazed at the new birds I heard, the temperature changes I felt in the air under the trees, and the unique decorations humans adorn their dwellings with, regardless of wealth.
What do we notice about AI? What do we notice about its place? What do we notice about its intent? And the ever important question, what aren’t we noticing? What don’t we see, hear or feel?
What I notice?
- AI as owned and “parented” by those with power (signified by an education and access to technology)
- The whispers of old dead white men echoing epistemological hegemony and bias
- Rage-bait and highlight reels sowing disconnection and polarization: AI generating content for engagement and interaction
- The perception of ease: AI being used to increase productivity and efficiency
- Interaction, Engagement and Efficiency are meant to promote profit
- Be all you can be! Seize power!: AI signifies super-human abilities, potentially as amazing as inter-species communication, or as simple the “power” to write the best darn essay in grade 6. Never feel inadequate again!
What is missing?
- Voices and social order of non-dominant cultures
- Decreased focus on the natural world and the aesthetic spiritual connections between humans and the earth (although my foot may be firmly in my mouth if AI does crack interspecies communication)
- Real human connection, conflict and resolution
- The journey of struggle and persistence
- Content for connection and reduced perception gaps
- Promotion of inaction, simply being, and mindfulness
- Equity for all: resources and profit included
- Embracing simplicity, imperfection and the unknown
I really wish to know what you notice! Please comment below. Disagree with me, agree with me, or share something new!
I really like how you stated that you notice the “perception” of ease. I haven’t gotten to the point where I’m familiar enough or comfortable enough with AI to actually feel like it’s making things any easier. More than anything, I end up getting frustrated, and there have been a few times where I think that AI could maybe help, but I don’t even try, because I know I’ll have to put in way more prompting and front-loading and correcting than I want to, and I can just get it done myself more quickly. Could it help? Absolutely! Probably. In some cases. But again, time. So for me, yeah, there’s buzz about how it can help with this or that, but only if you really know what you’re doing.
Hey Brittany, thank you for your comment. I definitely agree with your interpretation of the perception of ease. I’ve had my fair share of struggles with AI, but now that I am getting it, I am certainly becoming more lazy with certain things (ex. that difficult parent email response).
Another interpretation I explored with the perception of ease was that as we use AI to make our work more efficient, that in turn, more will continue to be expected of us. Is this an essential path forward in the workforce? Or are we just screwing ourselves over?
Hi Miranda,
I resonate with the concept of place that connects to learning and memory. I can think of experiences of life that are so deeply engrained in my memory and learning through a place/moment/story. Place base learning involves so many senses that trigger the process from short term memory to long term.
It does feel that these opportunities are missing with AI with its current offerings. So I wonder how we as educators can continue to find new ways to extend learning this way, and how we can utilize AI to make this process more efficient.
Thanks for sharing your “notices”.
Hey Chris,
I cannot help but think back to the video we watched with Mo Gawdat where he emphasizes the importance of parenting AI in a good way. As educators, our efforts to create a better world are at the centre of everything we do with kids. I hope that as we continue to prompt AI for ways to ways improve the world for kids, that its efforts are as such. Can this be a self-fulfilling prophesy?
Hi Miranda,
All that you have highighted as missing is simply what distinguishes human from Artificial Intelligence. Without deep connection, originality, and human experineces, AI will definitely produce generic outputs for all users, A lot of brands make use of AI for content but what makes each unique is in the characteristics that each one possess. AI sure makes the job easier and efficient, but it really cannot compare to human intelligence and originality.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts Haneefat. I can’t help but wonder — how long until AI can compare to human intelligence and originality, and will that even matter in the list items such as reducing perception gaps? Currently as humans, I am not sure I can say that is our goal either.
I’m a big fan of this. This book is in my kindle library.
https://a.co/d/2KDtcY8
I appreciate the pause to notice how Ai makes you feel and think about. I wouldn’t argue with any of these. At the same time I want to notice how it might create more equitable opportunities, how it might give us time to enjoy more of the natural world and those we love. The complexity of it all continues.
Funny enough Dean, I didn’t realize that this was a title of a book! This is now on my to-read list :). I’ll join you in pausing to imagine more positive futures and possibilities as a result of AI.