Reading. Writing. And .
The is now wrestling with how students â and teachers â might use Artificial Intelligence in the classroom.
Its inevitable.
“The question is not whether AI is going to impact education. The real question is whether we will shape its use thoughtfully. Responsibly,” said Secretary of Education Cindy Marten during a recent Senate hearing.
Lawmakers are focusing not just on what AI teaches students. But how.
“What do we know when it comes to long term cognitive impact of the use of this technology?” asked Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., at the hearing.
“We have no causal studies on long term impact on social or cognitive development,” replied Erin Mote, who, as CEO of InnovateEDU and the EDSAFE AI Alliance, works on technological innovation in the classroom.
Pushing students onto screens, iPads and Chromebooks in the classroom was all the rage about 12 years ago. But since that rush to technology, the percentage of seniors performing at grade level in math and reading is down four points from 2009, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NEAP), sometimes known as the report card of the nation.
“The students did not learn the content better and their social and emotional health has suffered greatly. We need to ensure as we move forward teaching about and with AI that we do not become overly tech reliant and that critical thinking skills remain imperative” said David Slykhuis of Valdosta State University at a House hearing earlier this year.
Thats why lawmakers are skeptical that AI can boost classroom performance.
“Kids have outsourced critical thinking. Have outsourced friendship. Have even outsourced moral advice to AI,” said Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn.
There are also concerns. AI can glean what each student learns and knows.
AI could harvest what lessons theyve covered. How fast students picked up different concepts. AI or data brokers could then track that for decades as students head to college or even enter the workforce.
“These tools are getting more access to more information about our students that we may not even be aware of,” warned Marten.
are already leaning on AI to develop lesson plans and grade papers. Elementary teachers can certainly deploy AI to grade simple multiplication tables and spelling. But it could spell trouble if teachers or professors use an AI rubric to grade subjective assignments such as creative writing or a term paper.
“For those that start using AI, there’s a tendency to trust everything that it spits out that can create serious problems,” said Joshua Jones at the Senate hearing. Hes CEO of QuantHub, an education AI literacy firm.
Some lawmakers doubt that AI can do everything. And some aspects of education are hard to copy.
“The foundational relationship between a child and a teacher is not something that . It’s not something that I will substitute for,” said Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va.
Educators want to know how AI may shift their roles. And if the concept of a “teacher” or a “professor,” tomorrow is the same as what we think of today.
“The idea of pulling that away is probably really scary to teachers who think this is what teaching looks like. But we know that it’s not an effective way for teaching or for learning. And so it’s going to require some real ecosystem shifts,” said educator Emily Cherkin, who has written about AI.
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