Amanda recently spoke at the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (HAI) 2024 AI+Education Summit on a panel focusing on the topic “What do Educators Need from AI.” Her response was insightful: It’s a lot more than we think.
The reality among early adopter communities is that we are in a GenAI bubble. For most teachers and school leaders, that is not the case. We are still in the early stages of GenAI adoption. According to a recent Edweek survey:
- Two-thirds of K12 educators have not yet used AI tools.
- Only 2% have used them extensively.
This is compounded by a climate marked by varied emotions:
- Fear and uncertainty are common – nearly half of teachers are uncomfortable with GenAI (Edweek).
- Teachers fear AI cheating (72%) and a negative impact on learning (60%) (Imagine Learning).
- However, there is also enthusiasm about GenAI’s potential – half of surveyed educators are excited or optimistic (Quizlet).
Here are our 5 Keys for Adoption, discussed in the session:
- Comprehensive AI literacy training for all stakeholders
- Job-embedded GenAI applications
- Strong guidance on responsible use
- Development of safe and reliable GenAI tools for students
- Dedicated resources and time for educator-led innovation
We believe that teachers should be able to remain experts in teaching with the augmented capabilities of GenAI. Expecting them to keep up with rapidly changing technology is unrealistic. K12 education has not seen meaningful advances in a long time, and this is an opportunity for immediate improvement.
