Conclusion & Connection to Gladwell
Schools need to stop treating AI like it's a threat or a shortcut. The best way to truly bring AI into schools is to focus on the new opportunities it opens up. You have to make sure students don't just think of AI as a tool that can do their homework for them, or speed up the process. Make them realize how powerful of a thinking partner and idea generator it is. That means just giving students access to AI isn't enough, we need dedicated units on showing how and when to use it.
What students should learn about AI:
(based on research by Rachelle Dené Poth, Edutopia)
- What AI actually is and where it's used
- The technology behind AI, like simple introductions to machine learning, algorithms and Generative AI
- How to spot misinformation/hallucinations and critically evaluate AI content
- The ethical part of AI, the biases, privacy concerns and how to ethically use it
- How not just to offload your critical thinking to AI, but use it like a tool
In ‘Outliers’, Gladwell talks about how success isn’t just about being smart or working hard. He emphasizes how important roles opportunities play for an individual's success. One idea I really resonated with was the term “Accumulative Advantage”. The idea that a small headstart early on can grow into something much bigger. Someone's education is probably the most important and early opportunity one gets in life, and right now, the entire field of education is being reshaped by a new technology, AI. Right now, many students are learning to use AI, but some aren't, and many again are using the technology to cheat and therefore jeopardise their own education. Therefore I wanted to look into, and truly understand how we can really integrate AI correctly, while preserving authentic learning and creativity.