How AI is going to change Primary Education
As someone actively engaged in the realm of primary education, I often find myself caught up in the whirlwind of technological advancements and their potential impacts on our teaching pedagogies. In this post, I’m going to share with you my thoughts on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and how I believe it is going to change everything in primary education in the same way the Internet did two decades ago. This article is an exploration not only of the tool itself but of the potential benefits, drawbacks, and a glimpse into an AI-powered future of primary education.
The bedrock of my engagement with AI, like most people, is ChatGPT, an AI developed by OpenAI. By giving ChatGPT detailed prompts, it can produce nuanced, contextually appropriate responses. My journey began by using ChatGPT to craft a comprehensive year-long plan for a 3rd class Visual Arts curriculum.
Here’s a taste of the kind of direction I gave the AI: “Using the revised 1999 Irish primary curriculum, devise a year-long plan for 3rd class in Visual Arts that incorporates all of the strands in the subject curriculum.” The AI faithfully produced a plan, which it later refined into a table format with expanded themes. For example, it suggested focusing on self-portraits and identity for the month of September. The AI provided an entire lesson plan, suggesting students study famous self-portrait artists, practice drawing techniques, and then create their own self-portraits.
There’s a larger conversation to be had around the potential for AI to make certain professions obsolete, but I don’t think one of those will be teaching. Teachers are creators, and their creativity can’t be replicated by an AI model. However, we must acknowledge that society often perceives teachers more as childminders than pedagogues. This, I feel, is a worrying trend that we need to rectify. If society deems what AI produces as sufficient for teaching, we are on a slippery slope so we need to use it wisely.
For me, the advent of AI brings to mind the future of textbooks in the classroom. While I initially thought the internet would threaten the publishing industry, it’s proven resilient. But, will AI be the textbook industry’s downfall? It’s a question worth pondering.
For example, I used ChatGPT to create an entire unit of work on the country of Turkey for a 3rd class. The sections included pieces on geography, a day in the life of a 9-year-old girl in Turkey, Atatürk’s role in creating the Turkish Republic, and a recent event in Turkey. Each section was accompanied by comprehension and higher-order questions. The results? A comprehensive chapter ready for use in the classroom, with minimal effort.
Taking this idea further, I’ve been experimenting with Canva’s AI-powered tools like Magic Write and Text-to-Image. In conjunction with ChatGPT, they not only helped to create detailed lesson plans, they also incorporated images and good design elements. For the unit on Turkey, I was able to add images of Ataturk and a fictional 9-year-old Turkish girl. It’s fascinating how AI can streamline the process and make teaching more efficient and engaging.
Furthermore, AI’s potential for text-to-speech applications opens doors to unique learning experiences. An example is training AI in one’s voice to create mini-oral lessons for home use. I’m experimenting with using AI to create some of my future podcasts, which could be incredibly time-saving. However, right now, it sounds a little robotic. I know I can get AI to learn and clone my voice but that feels a little bit too science-fiction even for me. My voice gets me into enough trouble without AI inventing a doppelgänger voice.
Through my brief research, I received helpful feedback from my Twitter community. They’ve been using AI for various educational purposes: creating learning objectives, devising rubrics, providing clear explanations of concepts, supporting students with dyslexia, generating texts for reading fluency, and more.
An interesting use case shared was the ability to have a virtual conversation with historical figures. For instance, I set up a scenario where I was interacting with Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of modern Turkey. This AI-Ataturk could answer most questions accurately based on his life. It’s a brilliant tool to make learning history more engaging and personal.
In my experience over the last few months, I’ve come to believe that AI is set to change the face of education dramatically. However, I know the Department of Education not only hasn’t fully grasped the implications yet, I don’t think they’ve given it a single thought. Already several countries have developed plans, policies and content for AI, (and, yes, of course Finland is one of these countries), but, as usual, our department are too busy promoting a free schoolbook scheme that isn’t even free. It never fails to astonish me how behind the times they are.
As always, the onus will fall on teachers to navigate this new terrain. AI is bringing a wealth of potential that we, as educators, can harness to enhance our teaching practices. Despite the challenges, the opportunities it offers are too exciting to ignore. We’re standing on the precipice of an AI revolution in education, and I, for one, am excited about the journey ahead.
