5 AI Fears and How to Innovate Those Anxieties Out of Existence

AI brings a lot of feelings forward in educators and leaders. Though there are a variety of opinions out there about the impact of AI, we wanted to share 5 Fears that could be leaned into to create an amazing partnership with AI tools.

AI FEAR #1: Loss of Wisdom and the Ability To Learn

One concern is that overdependence on AI could limit or eliminate the drive to learn independently from the AI bot. Thinking through these struggles, students may default to submitting questions and homework prompts into AI and using the immediate response as their submission.

Lean Into The Fear: You Don't Know What You Don't Know

The problem with AI is if you don’t know what you don’t know, then you are lost. Students need the foundational knowledge and understanding of the topic to better develop and create products with AI. In order to do this effectively, teachers should be mindful of the assessments they are having students complete, that they might not be a simple answer, but rather expand into higher depths of knowledge so that students can’t simply copy and paste. With the understanding of topics, then students will be able to use AI to think beyond the foundational understanding and push the creative well to solve problems not thought of before.

Idea:

Idea: Learn Learn Learn! Jump on any Professional Learning opportunity and push your administrators to do the same!

AI FEAR #2: Temptations Galore!

Some opinions are that we are placing the temptation in front of our students like this video. What’s stopping them from using it to complete, cheat, or surpass the assignments and topics that are being studied in class? Using this video as an illustration, I believe that self-control, discernment, and responsible use are all qualities that can be taught and encouraged in our students. Additionally, if we are teaching to the task, we are creating a situation where the AI temptation will take over.

AI is not only creating easier workflows when it comes to development and creation, but it is going to require teachers and leaders to create better learning experiences that can be come more sustainable against the AI temptation. The worksheets and essays are things that are quickly being pushed out of the “effective learning strategy” conversation because of AI.

Lean Into the Fear: Design Deeper

With the integration of AI into every day life, “Write an essay” does not help the students learn or master any standards that you might have. Assignments with simple reasoning and foundation will encourage the temptation instead of appease it. Develop learning experiences, not worksheets, that take students through scaffolded steps to understanding and mastery. We used to say that “the kids could google anything” and we needed the ungoogleable question. Now AI can think beyond, so we need to consider how we get our students hands dirty to build that understanding at their core. PBL, Flipped Learning, Collaborative practice are all strategies that could see better, less tempting results if they are designed and implemented correctly.

Idea: Challenge yourself to think about ways to deepen learning, dive into the DOK levels or the PICRAT Technology Integration Model for more directed, intensive learning experiences that require more steps for learning

AI FEAR #3: CHEAT CARD

There is a card game called Munchkin. Really there are multiple versions of this game, but in each case there is some sort of card called the “Cheat Card”. Using this card allows you to utilize a skill, tool, or power that you would not normally been able to use and it is legal because of the “cheat card”.

AI has become the cheat card. But it’s not the first online tool that is categoriezed with this reputation. I had a group of students who were in high school that had developed facebook groups for their specific courses of the grade. Math, Science, Social Studies, ELA, there was a group for each one. As a middle school teacher, I was curiously asking why they had these groups. The response was, “this is how we survive”. Though categorizing AI as a cheat card, how could we develop it as an ally vs. an enemy?

Lean Into the Fear: Define Cheating and Plagiarism

As the teacher, curriculum leader, or administrator, it is your job to figure out where you stand. This isn’t a situation of turning AI on or off. It’s about reinventing and innovating (making something new or better) the learning that we have to embrace the new resources and tools that we have developed.

Ideas:

If a teacher uses AI to help develop and write a lesson plan, why couldn’t a student use AI to help solve a theory or problem they were struggling with.

Differentiation and personalization are going to be paramount. More so for the students who need to EXTEND their learning. If the students meet the standards, what is the plan to exceed their understanding, developing a deeper learning experience than before (thinking of the Redefinition level of SAMR here).

AI FEAR #4: Social-Emotional Silos

Another concern is the abilities of students to interact with one another. That students will lose their abilities to create conversation and build relationships away from a screen or AI Bot. This could be legitimate. There are reports around the world that certain cultures are experiencing a raise in robotic and Ai fueled relationships that cause the user to shut off from society. One example is the Hikikomori in Japan. People who alienate themselves from society because of a variety of reasons, utilziing social technologies and AI to communicate and live.

LEAN INTO THE FEAR: Get Outside and Collaborate

As teachers we have the creative design control of their lessons. Location matters. Students can learn by moving, collaborating, and getting outside, even for a moment. I heard one story of an English teacher who took her students to the workout facility for silent reading. Students would read by riding stationary bikes or walking on the treadmill. Additionally, collaboration is becoming more and more of an important skill in the workforce. Being able to work with a variety of people on projects is a skill that can build connections between students and prepare them for the future.

Idea: Get creative with your learning, change the environment, location, or products!

AI FEAR #5: Creativity and Innovation get lost

What about the artists? The Musicians? The writers, actors, designers, etc.? Will all of these industries crumble with the introduction and integration of AI? I don’t think so. I believe there are some incredible pieces of art and creative expressions that have been done so far in the public AI experience. Ai can develop incredible images in seconds. However, the product isn’t the artists journey, the process is often the important experience.

LEAN INTO THE FEAR: Partner with AI to create something increcible

I believe there are some incredible pieces of art and creative expressions that have been done so far in the public AI experience. Ai can develop incredible images in seconds. However, the product isn’t the artists journey, the process is often the important experience.