Artificial intelligence has entered our classrooms – sometimes invited and sometimes not – leaving teachers with critical questions about its implementation and impact. Educators explore how AI can be used to redefine learning experiences, strengthen student-teacher relationships, and support students as ethical users and creators of AI.
Recently, I spoke with several teachers regarding their main questions and thoughts about using AI in teaching and learning. Their thought-provoking responses challenge us to think not only about what AI can do, but also what it means for meaningful and equitable learning environments. With these thoughts in mind, we can better understand how we move toward meaningful integration of AI in education.
Walberto Flores: How might we redefine teaching and learning?
The real question is not just what tasks AI can help us accomplish faster or easier, but rather what tasks educators can should do – and how AI can help us achieve these goals.
Using AI is not about repeating what we already do, but about challenging ourselves to do what we should be doing. It’s not about doing things faster but about doing the essentials and doing them well. The innovation that AI offers lies not in the technology itself, but in the extent to which it can help us become better as educators.
We should ask ourselves how AI can help us provide more meaningful time to our students, foster authentic relationships, and serve as role models for them to become better people.
Ann David: What about the relationship between teachers and students?
Regardless of the latest technology, from paper to AI, the relationship between students and teachers has always been at the heart of learning. As AI begins to take on more tasks, like lesson plans, worksheets, and emails to parents, this is an opportunity to refocus on what AI can’t replicate: the relationship between a teacher and student that is essential to learning.
New technologies often distance teachers, administrators and schools from this concern. I piloted a smart board in the early 2000s. Did it do more than my board? Yes, but I still needed to know my students. Relationships are often the solution to real challenges. If AI can give more space to teacher-student relationships in the learning process, this is an undeniable good.
Hue-An Wren: How can we use AI to create student-centered practices?
This technology gives us the opportunity to move away from outdated teaching practices that no longer serve today’s students and better prepare them for the future. Student-centered learning allows us to guide all learners at the pace they need and want, and AI can help us overcome existing barriers so we can evolve into a learning experience more personalized.
AI tools have already proven useful in improving teacher productivity and fostering student creativity. We need to encourage more conversations about these benefits in a way that isn’t intimidating. ISTE Infographic on Using AI in the Classroom can be a practical resource to facilitate discussion among educators.
Pattie Morales: How can we enable students to use AI ethically in the classroom and beyond?
To ensure that students are empowered not only to use AI ethically, but also to understand how it is created, we must begin by focusing on creating a K-12 skills progression that covers the student’s understanding and exploration of machine learning and key concepts. Use of AI, such as ethics and data privacy. This progression should also include real-world scenarios and design thinking projects in which students create AI tools using code.
Hannah Davis Ketteman: As we dive headfirst into a future where generative AI answers our questions, our students – while tech-savvy – often overlook what’s happening behind the scenes, like where their data goes and who owns it. . While AI is useful, it’s important to remember that these interactions are driven by data and lack empathy, compassion, and human understanding. As information becomes more and more commonplace, we must remain aware of our humanity, knowing that our values and connections truly bring us together.
Schools should create intentional, acceptable use policies and explicitly teach students about data privacy, digital citizenship, technology bias, and the power of critical thinking. If we can answer these questions, I think we are truly doing our job: engaging students in real-world experiences while guiding them through difficult problems.
Betzabe Orenos: How can students advocate for the use of AI in the classroom?
This is a valid question that even my high school students ask. They observe teachers using AI to plan lessons, provide feedback, and generate project ideas. This raises a question of fairness: if teachers rely on AI, why shouldn’t students? It encourages educators to personalize AI-generated content and foster open dialogue about the use of AI. It’s exciting to see students eager to engage in these conversations. They want to advocate for AI in the classroom, but also understand how to use it ethically, responsibly and productively.
It is essential to guide teachers and students in the ethical and responsible use of AI. Educators should model best practices and enable students to explore the potential and ethical implications of AI. Without this space, AI could continue to be viewed as simply a cheating tool rather than an opportunity for students to learn and innovate under direction.
Empowering the next generation to practice AI responsibly
As teachers and students explore the world of AI together, how we manage this technology in classrooms today will have a lasting impact on society. By encouraging ethical use, responsible choices, and a focus on relationships, we prepare students to thoughtfully interact with AI now and in the future.
Educators play a key role in showing how AI can be used in learning while keeping fairness, empathy and ethics at the center. As students begin to advocate for AI in their education, they also learn to think about its broader impact. Through these classroom experiences, we can ensure that AI is used for good, helping not only individuals but entire communities.
The discussions we have with students today will empower them to create a future in which AI enhances learning, encourages creativity, and supports responsible digital habits. By thoughtfully adopting AI, educators and students are laying the foundation for a more equitable and compassionate technological world.
