Before the Lesson Plan
In conversations about artificial intelligence and education, practicalities—usefulness, efficiency, measurable outcomes—often take center stage. Yet, in the relentless pursuit of tangible results, perhaps we're overlooking a deeper, richer dialogue. Instead of rushing toward immediate application, it is essential to pause and contemplate AI in more nuanced, even poetic terms.
Before turning to lesson plans and integrating AI tools into the classroom, educators might best linger for a while over broader, more reflective questions. What exactly does AI bring into our shared learning spaces? How might it subtly alter relationships among students, or between students and teachers? What new atmosphere of learning could AI foster? When envisioning their classrooms, educators would do well to deeply consider the emotional and intellectual textures they hope to cultivate—and how AI can resonate within that vision.
Rather than viewing AI solely as a resource to harness, educators can approach it as an idea to explore, a mystery to contemplate. Teachers are uniquely positioned to create environments designed not merely for quick answers, but for wonder, curiosity, and even ambiguity. Such thoughtful spaces become opportunities for genuine conversation, reflection, and imagination, revealing AI not merely as technology but as a mirror reflecting our values, hopes, fears, and shared humanity.
Yet, importantly, this contemplative vision and practical application are not mutually exclusive—they dynamically inform one another. Practical experiences with AI enrich and ground philosophical musings, while thoughtful reflections elevate the everyday use of technology, aligning it more closely with the deeper values at the heart of education itself: curiosity, empathy, community, and critical thinking.
Functionally, AI is more than code—it embodies human stories, desires, anxieties, and aspirations. Whether teachers and students perceive AI as companion, competitor, collaborator, or something entirely novel, these perceptions shape not just their practical interactions, but their deeper sense of identity, community, and ethical responsibility.
Ultimately, education’s greatest promise lies in offering students opportunities to thoughtfully grapple with the profound questions AI poses—to invite them into ongoing dialogue about what it means to live meaningfully and humanely in a world increasingly shaped by technology.
Right on the money, Sean. There is no question students are bursting at the seams to talk about his thing that has happened to throw a monkey wrench into our usual ways of doing business in the classroom. In my conversations with high school students, I'm finding they really, really, really want to understand how AI can help and not hurt them. They know it's dangerous and want to learn how to steer clear of the dangers. They aren't interested in cheating. They want to learn how to have it be good for them, not destructive.