There… Ahhhhh… Blog finished. That was easy.
JK JK I would never do that… :/ … or would I?
This course has opened my eyes (and that shifty dog’s) to the new age of technology, teaching, and learning. By far the most impactful lessons I have learned revolve around the world of artificial intelligence. For years, I have misunderstood the role of artificial intelligence in shaping the way people think, “google”, make decisions, purchase products, and now, more importantly for us educators, how students learn.
In this past week’s debate, George and Kanwal shared great arguments on how Artificial Intelligence will not revolutionize education for the better. I agreed with many of their points, most specifically focusing on the lack of human connection, interaction, and social skills that may be lost as AI becomes more and more popularized in education. Also, their information in regards to the simplicity of cheating is one of great concern for most educators. We want students to build skills that are necessary for being strong contributors to our society and be prepared for the world when they finish school. Teaching students to use AI as a tool will be very important. Of course, George and Kanwal focused on the extreme possibilities that artificial intelligence would wipe out educators’ roles in shaping human beings and life will become like the Jetson’s. (robot teacher). Hopefully this is not the case!
On the other side of the debate, Rokhsareh and Hanieh did an excellent job promoting the possibilities of artificial intelligence in improving education for the better. Specifically, they discussed the efficiency and productivity that can be promoted for educators and students in teaching and learning, from lesson plan design, to providing different opportunities for all types of learners, as well as simplifying the brainstorming process. It is important to note, and I think is quite important, that AI can be used in a way that promotes human connection, social interaction, and engagement. For example in my classroom, I often notice that students who are disengaged in group discussion and discursive strategies are due to their lack of prior knowledge or limited comfort in promoting and generating their own ideas. AI, however, can be useful in giving students a chance to share information that they “look up” to be more engaged in the learning process with their fellow classmates.
Like many of the topics we have discussed this semester. It is important to not hide from the future. We must work with our students to promote positive uses of all technology and engage students to digital citizens that can use technology to promote and accelerate their own learning. Just as we have changed in our practices over our times as teachers, we know we must also do the same for our students so that they can be best prepared for life after school.
Thanks for a great semester, everyone!
As with everything new in education, there’s advantages and challenges that present themselves. Having a lack of teacher connection and face to face learning could maybe do more harm than good. I found myself wavering more on this topic and debate compared to some of the others, purely for the unknown factor and future of AI in our classes. Great post!
I appreciate your insightful reflection on the role of artificial intelligence in education. It’s evident that you have gained a comprehensive understanding of the impact of technology on teaching and learning. I appreciate how you presented both sides of the debate on whether AI will revolutionize education for the better. You highlighted the concerns of George and Kanwal about the loss of human connection and social skills as well as the potential for cheating while acknowledging the potential for efficiency and productivity that AI can offer, as discussed by Hanieh and I.
I couldn’t agree more with your conclusion that we must work with our students to promote positive uses of all technology and engage them to become responsible digital citizens who can use technology to promote and accelerate their learning.
Awesome post Michael! I agree with you that AI can up the efficiency and productivity of educators if used properly and that is appealing in our profession – especially when we are presented with an endless list of tasks that seems to change daily. I also appreciated how you made connections with what you are doing in class with your students and this week’s topic. I think it’s wonderful that you are using AI with your students to give them the opportunity to share the information they look up with others. AI can most certainly be a great starting point to help students start a discourse on a topic they might not fully grasp, or it can be a tool that helps students organize and voice their ideas. Well done! Side note, nice touch using Chat GPT to generate a response lol.
Awesome post Michael! I agree with you that AI can up the efficiency and productivity of educators if used properly and that is appealing in our profession – especially when we are presented with an endless list of tasks that seems to change daily. I also appreciated how you made connections with what you are doing in class with your students and this week’s topic. I think it’s wonderful that you are using AI with your students to give them the opportunity to share the information they look up with others. AI can most certainly be a great starting point to help students start a discourse on a topic they might not fully grasp, or it can be a tool that helps students organize and voice their ideas. Well done! Side note, nice touch using Chat GPT to generate a response lol.