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Artificial intelligence, once the stuff of science fiction, has become a growing part of everyday life—so what does this mean for education?

During the edLeader Panel “The State of AI in Education: A Journey from Resistance to Transformation,” Mary Strain, who leads strategy for artificial intelligence and machine learning for US education at Amazon Web Services, and Varsity Tutors’ Anthony Salcito, Chief Institution Business Officer, and Brian Galvin, Chief Academic Officer, had a conversation about responsible AI use in education and the different ways in which districts are beginning to adopt it.

The initial reaction to AI in schools was to police and ban its use. Educators feared being replaced by it and that it would negatively impact students. With AI now a growing part of almost every industry, though, this mindset is no longer feasible, and people see that there are benefits to embracing AI.

How AI Can Transform Schools

AI can transform schools when districts think about its applications across all areas of operation. This means considering it for things like bussing and routing, facility management, and recruitment, which can improve school efficiency while reducing costs, freeing up time and resources for instruction.

In addition, what is nicknamed “Boring AI” can help with the more tedious work, like onboarding employees, operating HR chatbots, and providing information on outside classroom resources.

Inside classrooms, AI can handle frequent, informative assessments that provide quick feedback and assist with differentiated instruction and personalized learning. Teachers can use it to determine specific needs for individual students, small groups, or entire classes; generate lesson plans that meet multiple learning styles; and even help with tasks like class registration or student financial aid. Ultimately, this all reduces teacher workload, freeing up more time and preventing burnout.

AI can also help keep all parties in a school community informed by preparing transcripts and summaries of parent-teacher meetings, board meetings, and teacher evaluations, and translating information into other languages—paramount with today’s diverse student and family population. It can even set objective metrics for reviews and look at grading across teachers to clarify and compare how they are grading student assignments.

But What About AI Resistance?

There are, however, legitimate concerns with the use of AI in education, which come down to ensuring it’s used responsibly. The panelists recommended the following:

• Make sure all parties understand what ethical and responsible use of AI looks like from the beginning.
• Vet vendors to ensure that student data is secure and used effectively and appropriately. Communicate any concerns with them.
• Keep an open dialogue with all stakeholders in the school community. There is bound to be some resistance, whether from a parent, teacher, or principal. Remaining transparent throughout the implementation process can help with buy-in.
• Start small with lower-risk backend areas, such as bus routes, to help staff become more acquainted with how AI can be used in education.
• Provide support to staff to ensure they feel comfortable using AI and can therefore prepare students for a world where AI is a major part of life.

AI is advancing rapidly and has significant benefits, so schools must look at how to embrace it. This will ensure teachers can prepare students for the world they’re heading into, one where AI is a key component in society.

Learn more about this edWeb broadcast, The State of AI in Education: A Journey from Resistance to Transformation, sponsored by Varsity Tutors.

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Article by Jon Scanlon, based on this edLeader Panel