A couple weeks ago, I was lucky to be part of the Instructure team attending ISTELive 23 in Philadelphia. As always, the conference was a whirlwind few days of connecting with educators, exploring the latest edtech trends, and getting those critical perspectives on what’s actually happening in today’s classrooms. I got to participate in lots of interesting conversations about everything from gamification, to personalized learning, to STEAM and SEL. But this year more than most, one topic was top of mind for everyone–artificial intelligence, or AI.
AI dominated the session schedule, the expo hall, and happy hour discussion. Overwhelmingly, educators are excited about the opportunities AI offers, and they’re thinking critically (just like we are) about how AI can be embraced to support teachers and prepare students. But educators are also aware of the risks, and know we need to be cautious to ensure AI is safe, equitable, and doesn’t undermine student or teacher agency. Through these lenses, I heard great ideas about how AI could be used as an ‘intern’ or ‘thought partner’ – helping students and educators spend less time on administrative work and more time interacting and thinking abstractly.
These conversations piqued my curiosity and left me so energized about the work we’re doing. And I’d love to keep the conversation going! How are you using AI in your classroom? What are the challenges and opportunities you see? What do your students think about AI? Share your thoughts in the comments, and if you’d like to hear more about our ISTE experience, check out our blog post on Top 10 AI Learnings from ISTE!
