Reflecting on the topic of today’s debate, two things came to mind:

”Education is the most powerful weapon that we can use to change the world’. – Nelson Mandela

“If we teach today as we taught yesterday, we rob our children of tomorrow.” – John Dewey

The use of technology in education began in the 19th century and has since revolutionized teaching and learning in many ways. Though these revolutions have been slow, the current era of 4IR has spurred developments in the use of AI technologies, which are driving the new and future world of work. These technologies include, but are not limited to: humanoid robots, virtual/augmented/mixed reality, cloud computing, web-based chatbots, and intelligent tutoring systems. As an educator and researcher, I have used VR and AR to teach abstract physics concepts, which has enhanced my students scientific practice. They were able to understand some of the inquiry skills required for learning science. One thing I also realized is that the VR application used helped the students engage more deeply with the lesson content, interact with models in the virtual space, and enhance their ability to collaborate with other students in the virtual class. With my experience, I can say that an AI-powered VR learning environment can help optimize students learning experiences. Studies have also demonstrated how AI tools can be used to generate tailored advice for individual students, helping them improve based on their past assessments and preferred learning styles. Another significant part of AI is the use of machine learning algorithms that identify trends and patterns in large datasets and make sound predictions about learning behaviours and future outcomes. Evidence has also demonstrated how engaging students in AI related activities and projects has improved their acquisition of 21st-century and 4IR skills like digital literacy, complex problem solving, computational thinking, collaboration, creativity, and so on.

Despite the positive inclination around the use of AI, we have also seen people raise concerns on bias, safety, and privacy around the use of AI. I think these issues have always existed since the first industrial revolution, and the public has always been finding ways of managing them. Nevertheless, several policies, frameworks, and guidelines have been developed to aid the effective use of AI tools in education ( see below).

How can we demystify issues around the AI in Education? The World Education Forum had a debate on this issue (see below).

Technology is continually changing, and we have to adapt to the change in order to become relevant and skilled in the present era.

“The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.” – Alvin Toffler

Wahoo…what an interesting debate. Just as the supporting speakers argued that the use of social media affects the mental health of children. This statement comes with the understanding that children begin to develop their cognitive and reasoning abilities during the stages of 2 to 7 and 8 to 13 years old. As a result, they are not mentally developed to make decisions or take responsibility for themselves. They learn from everything they watch or hear. Exposing them to social media at this age can only do one thing…” add more to their problems in terms of picking behaviors that are unethical and/or not morally aligned “. As a mom, I have a three-year-old son who likes watching YouTube videos on Natsya. However, I realize that he has the yearning to always have the TV remote to himself whenever he comes back from daycare and he cries profusely if he does not have the remote. Moreso, nobody dares change the TV if he is watching his program. This is what social media is causing: anxiety, not sleeping early, and mimicking everything he watches on YouTube. So yes, social media is ruining childhood and there is need for parents and all educational stakeholders to have policies and strategies in place to combat the effect of social media on children.

This week, we listened to the debates on whether technology enhances learning or not. Speakers from both sides did a great job of driving home their points on this topic. I agree with the opinion that technology does improve the quality of learning in the classroom.  For instance, in a traditional classroom, teaching is done as a once-off task and teachers find it difficult to re-explain a topic over and over again until students understand. However, with the use of technology, students can easily listen to the lessons repeatedly until they are able to comprehend the lesson in a better way. This also makes learning more enjoyable and fun for students.

However, I view technology as a tool that can only used to support learning if combined with the right pedagogical approach..This implies that not all technology enhances learning outcomes. So, teachers need to know the type of technology that can be used to support the specific topic they intend to teach. This is where the knowledge of a teacher’s Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) becomes very important.  Within the PCK framework, the teacher should have knowledge of the pedagogy, content, and technology required to effectively enhance students understanding of the lesson taught.

Hello and welcome to my first blog and exploration in the city of Regina. I can’t believe that time is running so fast that I have spent close to four months in this wonderful city.          

I think I’m loving it here in the city and have found a few friends that I try to hang out with whenever I am less busy. However, I still look forward to exploring what the city has in stock for me as I continue with my Job hunt.