Learn why Aileen Wallace feels experienced teachers are best placed to introduce AI into the classroom.
‘Far from being a tool just for tech-savvy newcomers, AI is an opportunity for experienced teachers to amplify their wisdom and revolutionise their practice.’
At least that is what I got ChatGPT to write as my brain could not get this article started. Take that, brain fog! A win for the combo of emerging EdTech and an experienced teacher. That’s what I want to try and convince you of – that the ultimate combination in teaching right now is AI and us, the wise old owls of the staffroom.
Just think about it before you swipe away from here or open another tab. Who better to deal with those moments when the tech fails than teachers who can pull an activity or lesson seemingly from thin air? Teachers who already know their pedagogy and behaviour management and so have a bit of headspace to try something new. I’m not saying we have it all sorted but you must admit, that if you are in double-digit teaching years, you probably know what works for you and what doesn’t. You know your subject and your classes well enough to be able to pivot quicker than a sofa delivery team.
What about new teachers?
Before you wave your red pen at me and say that all the NQTs are coming out of university prepped and ready to go with EdTech and AI, I am not sure that they are. From speaking to the student teachers and probationers in the school where I work, there doesn’t seem to be that much shared about EdTech in their university courses. Most of them had very little awareness of EdTech and the platforms that are out there. A few had heard of ChatGPT but mostly because they had all been told at university that it was not to be used for coursework.
I will hold my hand up and say I am not the most well-connected person in the educational world, so there will be more happening than I know about. I am, for example, aware of Amanda Pickard, at the University of the West of Scotland, who does sessions on all things digital, covering topics such as digital literacy, computer science, coding and computational thinking skills. I would love to hear about more courses for student teachers that have sessions/units on AI and its integration into education.
Let’s get back to why I think experienced teachers are the best placed to introduce AI into their classrooms. In my view, a healthy dose of scepticism is essential when approaching EdTech. AI and its platforms often make grander promises than an anti-aging moisturiser advert. They promise to solve all our problems and leave us so much time that we can have that massage or spa day we have been dreaming of. Those of us with one eye on the pension statement have seen all these promises before and can spot a dodgy one when we see it.
My view is that it’s like all those in-service training sessions you have had to sit through, there are a few that you take something away from but most of them most certainly take something away from you.
Why experience matters
With all those full moons and snow days beneath your belt, you also know what it is you want to target in the classroom and won’t be side-tracked by pretty promises and sparkly social media promotions. Matthew Wemyss talks about this in AI in Education: An Educator’s Handbook. He uses the acronym PAIR to get educators to think about the Problem they want to tackle, the AI tool that will help them do it, the Interactions between you and your students (with the tool) in your classroom, and the Reflection on if it worked or not.
The more seasoned educators will have the experience to enable them to zero in on which tool or platform will help them without having to wade through all of them. There are a few that I have had great fun with, but I know they won’t add much to a lesson, so they have sadly had to be left behind… OK, OK, I may break them out at end of term but that’s it!
A more general advantage that experienced educators have is that we know what needs to be done and what can be left in the ‘things to do’ pile. We have had years of emails and meetings where we have been told about this urgent form that has to be filled out or this ground breaking new teaching approach that we all must do, only for the form not to be followed up on and the new teaching approach to be entirely forgotten about.
Finally, the venerable sages of the classroom are probably the ones most able to cope when the Wi-Fi dies, or the platform glitches and you need a new task in a heartbeat. ‘A spot of chalk ‘n’ talk?’ I hear you cry. Why, certainly. Perhaps an on-the-spot spot quiz? Pens at the ready everyone. Class debate? Let’s take a vote.
Learning never ends
We are meant to model behaviour for our students, so why not show them that learning new things never stops.
That the classroom is a place to learn, even for the teacher.
That no matter how well you think you know something, there is always something new to learn about it.
Stay curious, keep learning and have adventures.
References
- ‘AI in Education: An Educator’s Handbook’, Matthew Wemyss (In&Ed), Published October, ISBN 9798343946109,
Author
Aileen has taught in Falkirk, UK since 2005 and began exploring EdTech in 2023. She has presented at conferences, led AI education webinars, and contributed to Dan Fitzpatrick's 'The AI Classroom' and articles for Time and Forbes on AI in education.
