Why “AI” is everywhere in education right now
Everywhere I look: education headlines, professional development, conferences and staff meetings, are all buzzing with “AI” and what it means not only for students but also for teachers.
The reality is, students are already using AI tools like ChatGPT – whether we teach them how to do so or not, it is not something we can run away from, and pretending that our younger students don’t know what it is or aren’t using it is a disservice to them.
Schools and districts are developing their AI policies (many already have something in place), and yet time and time again I have conversations with colleagues about the use of AI and they are unsure about how to use it in the classroom, or are scared to use it in the classroom.
What I say in response to this is an analogy I heard when I was beginning on my AI journey that has stuck with me – when the calculator was invented teachers didn’t want them in the classroom, they thought they would take the thinking out of the math class. However, because of the calculator we are now able to teach more advanced math in our schools, and we teach students how to use the calculator as a tool to support themselves in their thinking. Can the calculator do the thinking for them? Sometimes. But we teach them how and when it is appropriate to use it. AI is the same. It isn’t a trend that is going to die down and not be used in 5 years – we already see how it is being embedded into different work places. So we need to teach our students how to use it as a tool to support their thinking, and when and how it is appropriate to use this tool.
What is generative AI?
Generative AI is a type of artificial intelligence that creates original content – texts, images, audio, code, etc.) It is designed to mimic human-like communication and creativity and does so by not just retrieving information, but generating new outputs based on patterns within the data it retrieves.
Some examples of popular generative AI and the type of content they produce include:
- ChatGPT – text-based dialogue and content creation
- DALL·E – creates images based on text prompts
- Claude (Anthropic) – conversational AI
- Google Gemini – similar to ChatGPT but built into Google tools like Docs and Gmail
- Microsoft Copilot – similar to ChatGPT but built into Microsoft Office apps like Word, PowerPoint and Excel
It is important to remember that this list is not exhaustive, and many new tools are emerging at a rapid pace.
How it works – in simple terms
Generative AI is built on large language models (LLMs), which are huge systems trained on massive amounts of text. It then uses predictive generation to predict the most likely next response based on patterns. It doesn’t “know” the answer, and it does make mistakes. Think about it as a more complex version of autocorrect with deeper context.
Key features
Generative AI has four key features:
- Text generation: when it generates texts such as essays, summaries, explanations, or feedback
- Image creation: AI-generated art, illustrations, can be generated to mimic specific styles or artists
- Summarization: simplifies long articles or student writing
- Conversational responses: acting like an “expert” or tutor or thinking partner to the user
3 Most common myths debunked!
- “AI knows everything”
- Although to many people including young students, it may appear that AI knows everything, it actually doesn’t know. It guesses based on pattern recognition and it can and does confidently give the wrong answers
- “AI is always accurate”
- Nope, it makes mistakes – this is called “hallucinates”, and it fabricates facts. Most notably this occurs when it is asked to cite sources
- “AI can replace teaching”
- We all know teaching is relational. So although AI can support teachers and students it cannot replace good pedagogy, classroom dynamics or those valuable teacher-student connections
Why does it matter in our classrooms?
By using AI in our classrooms it helps shift the role of content knowledge. It becomes a tool for thinking with – not just a shortcut to the “correct” answer, and it allows for the teacher to no longer be the knowledge keeper of all the information.
It also is a fantastic tool to support students’ creativity and inquiry. Students are able to explore ideas, generate questions, and test out their thinking in ways that are challenging if the teacher is the sole knowledge keeper. It can also encourage deeper thinking and learning when paired with critical thinking tasks.
Real world applications in education
As a teacher, AI is embedded in my practice in many different ways, many of which I dive deeper into throughout this site. However, if you aren’t yet sold on starting to explore how you can use AI in your practice, maybe these four different ways can entice you.
- Lesson Designing: outline entire units or singular lessons, brainstorm hooks, activities, or assessments
- Idea Generation: great for exploring multiple perspectives, which is especially useful for ELL, or classes with a diverse range of strengths, and abilities
- Formative Feedback: students can use AI to get instant feedback on writing before submitting their drafts
- Differentiation: use it to adapt or modify readings or tasks for different ability levels
A new tool – not a replacement
Generative AI is like the calculator for thinking, it can enhance learning, not replace it. With the right scaffolding, it can help both teachers and students work smarter, become more efficient, and deepen both creative and critical thinking.
By embracing AI thoughtfully we are preparing students for a world where these tools are everywhere.