The question isn’t whether AI will change education, because it already has. The question is whether we’ll use merely to automate the status quo or to re-imagine what’s possible.
Let’s talk about the book, AI Optimism (author Becky Keene)
I’ve known Becky for a long time. It’s no surprise that she has grown into an authority on education and technology. And now a thought leader in the AI space as well.
AI Optimism is a must read for educators, regardless of where you are on the AI journey. But get ready. It’s not some high level book that glosses over AI that skips the meal and giving you diet pudding for dessert. Far from it. It’s boots on the ground, a full meat and potatoes meal. You’ll need a couple pens to annotate and write down your own ideas while you read.
What she does especially well is focus the conversation through the lens of the SAMR framework, which was created by Ruben Puentedura to help educators integrate technology.
AI Optimism requires only 1 thing of you if you choose to read the book. That you will come with an open mind and at least be willing to consider that AI may have a place somehow, someway in education. If you can come with that attitude, Becky will lead you the rest of the way.
Where does the SAMR framework fit in here?
In a nutshell, the SAMR framework is a progression for teachers to find their way with integrating technology. There are 4 stages:
- Substitution where technology is simply another way of performing a traditional task with the same results
- Augmentation, where technology makes some improvements to the traditional methods.
- Modification, where technology allows for a significant redesign of the task, offering not only improvements but additional functionality
- Re-definition, ah yes, the coup d’etat, where technology offers the capability to create new tasks, accomplishing things previously not possible.
She identifies 3 key challenges good educators face with the overwhelming idea of AI.
Tool-first thinking. Here’s a cool tool, look what we can do with it
Overwhelming options. There are literally hundreds of apps, bots, websites, and tools that promise to change the world. But Where and how do you start evaluating those?
Floating around framework free. Even when you select an appropriate tool to explore, you may not have a strategy to take advantage of the tremendous potential.
That’s where the SAMR framework can offer a warm cup of coffee to go along on your AI journey. It’s that missing strategy that allows teachers to “…move towards more meaningful transformation” It provides a roadmap for the teacher, rather than let the technology dictate the path.
Because of that teacher-first approach, it means that you may eventually use a variety of AI tools, in different ways, for different reasons, and with different results. You decide how far along the framework stages you take any technology. Some AI tools may just save you time and if that is what you need, go for it. Other AI tools may allow you to make some subtle but useful changes to a learning experience, and some may allow you to take an idea and freakin’ knock it out of the park with something not seen before.
As you explore AI, and your students explore AI, Becky suggests always helping students ask the question, “Does this use of AI limit my learning.” Contrary to what negative nannies say, students do want to learn, and are willing to work hard. If they are aware that by using AI right here, it limits their learning, they can take the high road. This is an important point Becky makes because AI is at their fingertips everywhere all day, students have to be able navigate the same world we are trying to navigate. It can’t just be a bunch of rules restricting when they can use AI, they need to be able to figure out for themselves. It’s actually empowering.
One optimistic point about using AI to create is that curriculum planning can be research intensive and time consuming. Just getting it done in time is often the goal, frequently at the expense of creativity and innovation. AI can help with this. It can help design not only faster, all the while building in creativity, and producing new and different curriculum, leading to transformed learning experiences.
How does AI do this?
Becky suggests that the AI optimist looks at AI differently. Rather than an either-or competition of who can do it better, then humans or AI. Instead it’s a both-and collaborative partnership that amplifies human potential
Oh heck yeah
How does she use SAMR to dive into AI? Lets take one section about student support.When dealing with supporting students in their learning journey, AI can be a complete game changer. Sure, we’ve seen technologies that address this, but frequently provide the same experience regardless of the student. AI can adapt, customize, tailor, and respond to individual students and student needs.
Let’s see an example of how Becky walks through AI in student support, through the lens of the SAMR framework
At the (s) substitution level, AI can provide answers to questions, check math answers, and provide information.
(A) augmentation provides specialized chatbots, personalized responses, virtual coaching in ways better than without AI.
The (M) modification stage allows for a fundamental new way to provide academic, career, or college guidance, competency-based skill building, and even mental health support.
For the (R)edefinition stage,you take the handcuffs off, the blinders off. The sky is the limit. What do your students really need? What do you need ? AI can help you figure out how to get there.
Something which I appreciated is the continuous focus on prompting. Regardless of the topic, Becky provides tried and tested take-away prompts that let you see AI in action.
In my own Computer Science education journey, I frequently say Computer Science is a tool that lets people build their own tools. Student can take an idea in their mind and bring it to life, exactly as they imagined, on a device right in front of them. What once may have taken months can be created in hours with Computer Science.
Becky’s AI Optimist sees that same spirit in AI redefinition. It’s finally a real chance to empower learners and educators to become creators, not just consumers. They are not just absorbing knowledge, they are constructing it–building innovation and critical thinking skills that we can all agree are vital in the real world.
One of the key points you notice throughout the book is that Becky is not suggesting AI can replace the human connection. Far from it, in fact, she sees AI as a tool to amplify what is good and powerful about humans.
The back book cover