President Trump recently signed an executive order focusing on educational opportunities surrounding artificial intelligence. Among other things, it establishes a task force to promote AI-related education and tools in the classroom.

That is a major area of focus for Dr. Jing Lei, a Syracuse University School of Education professor whose research interests include technology integration in schools and emerging technologies for education.

Dr. Lei says that overall, integrating AI into K-12 education is the right direction to go. “Many other countries have started integrating AI into their K-12 education systems several years ago. For example, South Korea unveiled a plan to integrate AI deeply into their public education system in 2023. Japan’s AI Strategy 2019 called for AI integration into the whole education system,” Lei says.

Dr. Lei also offers some ways that educators can think about integrating AI into their classrooms.

Q: Are there currently any accepted standards for how to incorporate AI from either a learning perspective or as a tool for educators? 

A: Organizations have published guidelines on how to incorporate AI in education, and researchers have made various suggestions on effective strategies in using AI to improve teaching and learning. For example, UNESCO published “Guidance for Generative AI in Education and Research” in 2023. This guidance emphasizes a human-centered approach and provided suggestions on a comprehensive framework for integrating generative AI tools into educational and research settings. In August 2024, UNESCO also published “AI Competency Frameworks for Students and Teachers”, which outlined the necessary knowledge and skills for teachers and students to work with AI technologies.

AI is not just a tool for education. It is also the curriculum, an assistant to teachers and students, and a learning environment.

Q: What should districts be thinking about beyond the popular large language models like ChatGPT? 

A: In addition to the popular LLMs such as ChatGPT, there are many diverse and education-focused AI tools and AI-integrated platforms. These AI resources can help teachers with their teaching and school administrators with their daily tasks and education management. School districts can look into the various and ever-growing AI technologies to decide what would work the best for their community.

In addition to providing resources and support, it’s the school district’s responsibility to provide guidance and policies to set clear ethical guidelines on AI use, regulate data use and protection, and ensure equity and access in the use of AI in the classrooms.

AI is not just a tool for education. It is also the curriculum, an assistant to teachers and students, and a learning environment. And all is evolving fast as AI technology continues to develop. School leaders need to consider the multi-faceted and fast-evolving nature of AI in their adoption of AI technology.

By working complementarily with AI, the teachers’ role focuses on helping students make meaning of their learning, supporting students’ overall development, and sustaining students’ interest and motivation to learn.

Q: Are there ways AI is helping teachers that people may not know about?

A: AI certainly can help teachers improve their current practices, however, the best way that AI can help teachers is for the teachers to work complementarily with AI technology to personalize education. This means that AI and the teacher each contribute in ways that enhance the other’s strengths. AI can take on the more routine and time-consuming tasks to free teachers up to focus on more human-centered and creativity-focused aspects of education. For example, AI tools can provide immediate feedback on student performance, scaffold customized practice based on students individual differences, and support students to learn at their own pace; While the teacher can review AI-generated reports to identify areas where students need more support and guidance, help students make connections and meaning of the content, and, most importantly, build human connections and offer emotional and psychological support to students in their learning process.

By working complementarily with AI, the teachers’ role focuses on helping students make meaning of their learning, supporting students’ overall development, and sustaining students’ interest and motivation to learn.

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