Artificial Intelligence (AI) is not ‘coming to a school near you’, it is already there. Teachers, parents and children are only just starting to see what impact AI A have on education and, with schools being among the earliest adopters of AI, what happens in schools will soon start to change societies everywhere.
Getting an AI powered webAsite like ChatGPT to write an essay is, quite literally, child’s play. Unleashing AI on the education of our children is already having far-reaching positive, negative – as well as unintended – consequences. The benefits of speed, efficiency and productivity for teachers and students are huge – but the introduction of AI does raise important questions about the purpose of education and the future of work, including working as a teacher.

“We still don’t know how well AI will deliver human centred skills and habits.”

One possible response to a future ‘powered by AI’ is for schools to focus more on nurturing and training pupils to develop ‘learning habits’ that make successful humans flourish in the long-term. Ashford School is pioneering the use of a skills framework that focuses on developing six characteristics of successful humans, such as curiosity, independence, collaboration and creativity. It is framed as “Education with Character”.
Tom Vafidis, Assistant Head of Teaching and Learning at Ashford School says, “Children, and young people, particularly adolescents, are facing massive challenges; some of these challenges are new, some were obvious 2,000 years ago when the ancient Greeks first started to think about teaching and learning. Teachers need to successfully navigate the introduction of Artificial Intelligence and to give pupils the ability and strength of mind to put technology very firmly ‘back in its box’. Successful learners understand how to learn and how to be taught. They also know how far a tool, such as AI, can and should take them.” 

It’s here and it’s here to stay, so let’s be savvy and maximise the benefits, say Ashford School

If AI in education goes from assisting teachers with planning lessons and marking homework – which is already well underway – might AI start to undermine the role and status of teachers? Saving human educators from ‘busy-work’ is just a short step away from replacing human teachers altogether. We still don’t know how well AI will deliver human centred skills and habits. Can AI teach children how to be resilient and independent learners?
ChatGPT responds: “Teachers, parents, and peers play crucial roles in developing a child’s resilience and independence, offering the emotional support and human connection that AI cannot fully replicate.”
We will see.

ashfordschool.co.uk