Summary of Learning Video

As this class wraps up for the semester, my thoughts & feelings are all a cluster.

I begin to work through & break down each class, I realize how quickly each week seemed to pass.

I’ve enjoyed every moment of learning something new, it has made me eager to continue exploring & learning too.

It all began in January on week one, I knew what was in store for me was going to be a lot of fun.

I always get nervous introducing myself on the first day of class, getting to know everyone sure helped the time to pass. 

I then logged into my old blog website from previous years, looking through it released some old & new fears.

In week 2 Katia shared some great information regarding blogs, it was exactly what I needed as my brain felt like a fog.

Blogging tends to push me out of my comfort zone, something that really used to make me moan & groan.

Now blogging is something I’ve learned to embrace, my old posts helped me to learn and something I would not erase.

Week 3 I learned all about ChatGPT and AI, this was the first I was hearing about it and it felt like a lie.

This is where my mixed emotions really started to brew, I saw the benefits, but I definitely saw the harm too. 

I think we need to learn how to embrace & work with it, it isn’t going anywhere so why throw a fit?

We then learned about digital citizenship in week 4, and I somehow became more torn than before. 

I explored the book Digital Citizenship in Action for some further learning, the extra guidance & tips was something I was yearning.

I was left feeling like it was not just the responsibility of the teacher, children need lots of guidance and this felt like a parent’s feature.

In week 5 we were given a break, this doesn’t mean that I wasn’t continuously learning each day I wake.

This class has already impacted so much of how I teach, I plan to use technology in each student I want to reach.

This week off made me eager to continue learning more, the debates were up next & I felt ready to soar.

Week 6 brought out first debate, their points & presentations were a 10/10 rate.

The topic questioned if technology enhances learning, I flopped back & forth and my thoughts were burning. 

Maybe perhaps technology has brought lots of benefits, however I think it has enhanced learning only a little bit.

Week 7 debate questioned if childhood is being ruined by technology, I feel like it is and that these kids deserve an apology.

They seem to enjoy it and it shows in their confidence, however, are they even aware of all the consequences?

I want their childhood to feel simple and easy, in this day and age I get that might sound unrealistic and cheesy. 

Week 8 was my debate with Ummey, this topic covered a lot of ground, some might say.

We focused on technology beyond just the classroom, it is important to know that technology has helped lots to bloom.

Technology has brought our world so far in many ways, I understand that it might only help if people can pay. 

We took a closer look at digital footprints in week 9, the responsibility of this did not feel like it should be mine. 

I feel like this incorporates too much of the outside world, the thought of this being added to my plate made my head swirl.

Educators should definitely help to pave the way, I just don’t think the expectations should be the teachers say.

The week 10 debate made me uncomfortable, during tough discussions I always try to stay neutral so that I am not labeled.

Teaching can feel like a tough spot to be in, I want to have a voice, but staying quiet seems like the win.

The classroom should be a safe place for my students, however, I want them to be aware that their voice can leave a dent. 

Week 11 wrapped up our course, it quickly came to an end in full force.

The final debate talked about AI impacting education, this topic had lots of inputs and created quite the discussion.

I was again left torn between both sides of the debate, worrying about it leaving a negative impact was something I could relate.

With that being said I do see the good, from this I know students will be given more opportunities, as they should.

This class has left such a positive impact on me, I cannot wait to incorporate my learning, oh the teacher I will be!

In ways I appreciated how much I’ve learned through those courses, but also how much I have grown & learned through natural forces.

I like to think every single day I am learning something new, from my students, to my colleagues, and even myself too.

The debate question for this week was, “Will AI technologies revolutionize education for the better?”. This was a question that I think had many factors playing a part in my response to this. It feels like a loaded question and all I can think to say is, “It’s not that simple!”. It really isn’t. I don’t think it can be an “agree” or “disagree” response. My decision feels like it needs to have justification & reasoning to further elaborate on my decision, and even then I’m not sure if I can lean to one direction of either agree or disagree.

Agree…

On one hand, I do think AI can create excellent teaching opportunities and learning experiences for our students. I think some of the fear or worry that educators are experiencing is that this is going to take some exploring & adjusting on the educators end. This won’t just be something that will simply be there, it will take strategically planning & placing it into our lessons and daily practice in a way that will advance our students. Just like other areas of technology, proper boundaries and expectations need to be put into place.

The article, Should Robots Replace Teachers? Mobilisation of AI and Learning Analytics in Education, draws attention to the many benefits AI has brought into the classroom. Looking at the qualitative data and reading through the information provided me with proof that there absolutely are advantages when AI is incorporated properly. The incorporation of AI had increased the quality of teacher instruction, while also improving the way students interact with the material & therefore the evaluation of their work. Now this sounds like something we can get on board with, right?

Disagree…

On the other hand I feel like incorporating AI into the classroom can harm some of the personal connections & conversations among the class. Bart made a good point during the debate, sharing that he tried to get ChatGPT to type up student comments during report card season. This is something that just simply would not work. I guess it could work if you were looking for more of a general comment & okay with showing little to no connection or emotion towards the students, but that isn’t what teaching is all about. Teaching is about making those one-on-one connections and building the relationships, so I definitely see this as a potential setback.

Bart’s comment during the debate made me think about the 6 C’s of education. These areas are what our school focuses on each year, especially when planning out our professional teacher goals for the school year. These include collaboration, critical thinking, creativity, communication, citizenship, character. If you think about it, AI happens to take away all of those aspects from education. If using AI, it minimizes collaboration with others, using critical thinking, creativity in many areas, proper communication, citizenship within communities, and overall who you are as a person.

Further Support & Input

Now that we know I’m hopping back and forth between both sides of the line, going back and forth between the good, the bad, and the ugly; what now? Well I once again think we need to find balance. Balance of letting AI become a part of our education system, while also ensuring it doesn’t hinder the creative side of who our students are. It should be used to enhance their learning, not change who they are in order to get answers or make life easier. I hope teachers can embrace this possibility with an open mind, but approach it with care and awareness of the harm that can be done if we not done properly.

As I continued doing some of my own research on this topic, I came across an article titled, “Technology Isn’t a Tool, It’s an Instrument”. I began reading, but stopped myself. My mom was just telling me to watch the Steve Jobs movie and this movie is mentioned through-out this article. In fact, it includes a few spoilers that I skipped over altogether. I am giving myself homework to watch the movie & finish reading the article. I am also giving myself homework to try & incorporate AI into my classroom in a positive & professional manner. In a way that advances the way I teach & the way my students learn. So even though this class is wrapping up, I know there is still lots I want to learn & better myself with as an educator, continuously wanting to better myself for my students, heck that is why I am here in this class, taking my masters! We are in the future & it isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, so we might as well learn to work alongside it!