Theme 1: The importance of collaboration. The panelists highlighted that across all fields, substantial AI policies have already been put in place, many of which directly address the concerns we keep raising. The real challenge is not drafting more rules but on working together to learn how to govern data consistently across all boards. As several panelists noted, we need to be honest about which policies are actually helping and which ones are falling short.
Theme 2: The need to shift the narrative around AI and work. While headlines often warn that AI is “taking over” human jobs, data simply does not support that fear. Instead, the panelists argued that the real risk comes from our own resistance to developing digital fluency. When we avoid learning new tools, we create the very conditions that make us feel replaceable (a self‑fulfilling prophecy).
What’s real?
AI is a far more effective tool for increasing human productivity than it is as a replacement for human knowledge. The panelists urged us to view AI as a partner rather than a competitor. AI can help us brainstorm, generate ideas, and elevate our work to a more strategic level. One of Sarah Eaton’s tenets of postplagiarism supports this idea by underlining that human creativity is not threatened but rather strengthened and expanded by artificial intelligence. We are still the ones driving the process. Instead of giving our jobs to machines, the idea is to utilize AI to enhance the aspects of our jobs that require human interaction, creativity, and judgment.
What’s the role of educators?
The panelists explained that our role as educators is not to shield students from AI but to create safe, thoughtful “playgrounds” where they can explore information, experiment with tools, and learn from one another. When we secure the integrity of the data students interact with, we free them to focus on the deeper work, such as developing values, strengthening collaboration, and sharpening their human skills. AI becomes a catalyst for learning, not a shortcut around it. This means moving beyond transactional uses of AI and instead embracing a strategic mindset. As AI becomes an increasingly integral part of our everyday lives, we therefore need to reskill and upskill, not because it will replace us, but because it will augment our capabilities.
Next week's post?
I will explore the role of teachers next week, reflecting on the necessary qualities teachers need to leverage AI and the importance of viewing teachers from a humanistic perspective when discussing teaching and learning with AI.
What teacher qualities do you think will be most beneficial in today’s AI-dominated school environment? Feel free to share your thoughts.
I think the “AI is taking our jobs” concept lingers with us because it taps into a deeper human anxiety about relevance. Very much like the racist and overtly privileged perspective of “othering” concept of ‘they are taking our jobs.’ But framing resistance to digital fluency as a real risk feels both uncomfortable and motivating. It suggests that our agency still matters…and I sure hope it does. If we refuse to engage, we do make ourselves replaceable but, if we learn and adapt, we shape how these tools get used. Or do we? My own learning in this course, particularly with the insights of Tristan Harris, has demonstrated how quickly we have moved beyond our capacity for lasting intervention. Are we already obsolete?
ReplyDeleteAs horrific as that sounds, I really appreciated the idea of AI as a partner rather than a competitor. That aligns with how I’ve started to experience AI on my own. It is less something that does the thinking for me and more as something that helps me think with it. Brainstorming and organizing ideas is where AI becomes my banal superhero. In that regard, I agree with Sarah Eaton - AI is indeed contributing and supporting my own creativity but to a very minor extent. However, is this due to my lack of experience and awareness of the capabilities within the AI realm? Would I be using it to create astonishing things with a little more awareness and education? Probably. Regardless, human judgment, context, and care still have to come from us. If anything, your post emphasizes how uniquely human and important those qualities are.
Thanks for your thoughts, Rose. As I read more articles this week, one thing I have realized is that AI is impacting even the fields we once thought were distant from or less dependent on it. Given the direction of AI, one thing we can do is to keep up with it. We can't be fully masters of AI, but to some degree, we can learn to leverage it. Shifting from fear to intentional engagement may be what helps us stay both relevant and grounded.
DeleteThanks for bringing human judgment here. This is something that AI does not (yet) bring to the table. That is where we teachers become indispensable. While technology can assist, it can never completely replace our capacity for context interpretation, empathetic response, and moral decision-making.
Your point about resistance creating the very insecurity we fear really stuck with me. I think adaptability is going to be one of the most important qualities for teachers moving forward. AI isn’t going anywhere — it’s only becoming more integrated into how the world works. Resisting it completely just makes the shift harder.
ReplyDeleteTo me, the teachers who will thrive are the ones willing to learn, experiment, and adjust. If we don’t shift our thinking and figure out how to use AI to support creativity and deeper thinking, someone who does will move ahead. That doesn’t mean replacing human connection — it means strengthening it. The human parts of teaching — judgment, empathy, relationships — are what give AI its direction.
Openness, flexibility, and a willingness to grow feel essential right now, not just for job security, but for staying relevant to the students we’re preparing for a very different future.
Thanks, Jaymie. Our adaptability and openness to learn and experiment, along with other qualities and skills, will ensure our relevance as teachers in this fast-developing AI-driven period. This is something I am exploring for next week's post, especially how we can model that adaptability for our students.
DeleteYour idea about resistance to learning really stood out to me. Education is a lifelong career that requires continuous learning so that students are offered the most relevant and meaningful information. While I do believe that our educators and the education system itself are progressing, it is limited, and I feel like we are constantly playing catch-up.
ReplyDeleteWhen something new, AI or not, emerges, the education system has to respond quickly and adapt to the new environment; COVID-19 is a great example. Teachers have to redesign lessons, change to new platforms, and support students diversely while they are navigating their own uncertainty. When we are always on the receiving end of change, an unavoidable question comes up. How much change can individuals or the system as a whole handle before burnout?
Hope you have a great reading week.
Thanks, Sunny. I believe that teachers tomorrow at this point are already embracing (or open to at least) AI as an integral teaching tool. But are we keeping up with the changes? Most of the podcasts I listened to point out that we are not yet there, and there are more things we should do to fully embrace the benefits of AI. This calls us to examine our belief systems and continue working on our capacities so we do not end up on the receiving end. We should work to become masters, not just users of AI.
DeleteHello Kris,
ReplyDeleteFirstly, I really enjoy your blog. I strongly agree with your point about collaboration because as a follower and policymaker, it is important to work together and find which policies are more effective and actually helping. Moreover, your section about the role of educators was especially meaningful for me. As I didn't have much teaching experience, it can provide me meaningful information, such as that guiding students on AI use is better than banning it. AI should support creativity and critical thinking and provide multiple platforms for learning.
The last comment were made by me ( Babban) . Sorry, I forget to change the settings so it appeared anonymous.
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