No matter what education circle you are in, AI is likely a topic of conversation. Some see it as the holy grail of education, and this has manifested in countless books and presentations, especially at technology conferences. Even events that are not focused on digital have sessions dedicated to the topic. On the other hand, there are an equal number of skeptics and opponents of using AI in schools. Concerns center on its potential to replace human interaction and critical thinking skills. Additionally, there are worries about the ethical implications of AI in education, such as bias in algorithms, copyright infringement, and privacy concerns.
I am not here to convince you which side you should take, as that is a personal decision. However, clarity is needed regarding what AI can and cannot do in education.
Let’s begin with the shortcomings. AI will NOT:
- Build relationships with students or staff
- Implement a lesson effectively
- Facilitate meaningful learning
These limitations highlight the importance of human interaction and expertise in the educational process. While AI can be a valuable tool for assisting in various tasks, more is needed to fully replace the role of teachers in fostering personal connections, tailoring instruction to individual needs, and creating a supportive learning environment. AI, while a powerful tool, can only partially replace the role of human leadership in schools. While AI can provide data-driven insights and automate certain tasks, it needs a nuanced understanding of human relationships, cultural contexts, and complex decision-making processes essential for effective leadership. School leaders must build trust, foster a positive school culture, and make informed decisions based on data and human judgment. While AI can support these efforts, it should be seen as something other than a substitute for human leadership.
Prompt all you want. People are the driving force of learning. What you can type into a generative AI tool doesn't matter, as it quickly becomes meaningless if we forget the “who” and fail to implement effective strategies.
It is essential to understand the limitations to truly take advantage of what AI can provide educators. I am not going to mince my words. In my biased opinion, AI CAN:
- Maximize and save time
In my biased opinion, it's pretty straightforward. Now, I am not trying to diminish any books or presentations on the topic. However, the true power lies in understanding where there are gaps in our practice and using AI to fill these in, saving valuable time in the process. During the coaching process, I often see opportunities for teachers to bump up thinking by scaffolding questions, make a standard or concept relevant to students, create sound rubrics, personalize learning, implement a hook at the beginning of a lesson, or leverage data (adaptive tools, benchmarks, common formative assessments) to develop appropriate interventions. In the case of the latter some AI tools will allow you to upload data reports to generate suggested tiered supports for students.
Here are a few examples where I have identified either a gap in practice or an opportunity for growth and then used AI to elicit ideas. While observing a 7th-grade history teacher, I saw him telling jokes to build relationships at the beginning of the class. While these were funny, they did not connect to the content. Since he mentioned what was covered the day prior, I used this within my AI prompt. I then asked Google Gemini to create a joke on the Renaissance period for 7th-grade students. In seconds, I got a few examples. When providing feedback to the teacher, I shared these and why. His reception to these was very positive.
A 4th-grade teacher asked me for advice on helping his students remember long division. To assist with my prompt, I asked him what he liked to do to engage his class. His response was to sing. I then asked ChatGPT to create a song for 4th-grade students to help them remember long division. In seconds, rap lyrics were generated. I then sang these to the teacher and his expression was priceless. With both examples, I asked the teachers if what was created by AI was aligned with the standards and concepts. This is a critical step when using these tools, as mistakes can and are made.
In a past post, I shared how leaders can use AI to provide timely and personalized feedback, create a research-based comment library to use during formal observation or evaluations, and streamline communication. It can also be used to quickly gather peer-reviewed research to help validate major change initiatives or shifts to pedagogy. One of my favorite tools to use for this is Consensus AI. As mentioned previously, the key is to identify as a leader where these tools can help improve your practice while prioritizing the human element.
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