Listen now | There is a ton of conversation out there about AI in education right now—but too often, very little of that conversation centers around the exploration and learnings of actual teachers from their classrooms.
Hi Marcus, usually appreciate your perspective, but couldn't get through the intro on this one. Specifically this:
"Then you have others who are not just ignoring but in some cases actively resisting these changes in education towards AI with faulty AI detectors, punitive policies, and the glorious return of the blue book exam, a seeming insistence on nostalgia as the end-all, be-all answer."
Really disappointed to see you framing resistance to AI as a reactionary response that's oriented toward punishment, surveillance, and nostalgia. Are there people who are taking this line? Sure. Does this characterize resistance to AI as a whole? Not by a mile.
First of all, genuinely appreciate this feedback! as someone who is also highly-critical of AI (including leaning more on handwritten responses), my goal was to highlight how much of the conversation I've seen/experienced both online and in-person has been dominated by the two extremes—whereas I feel like we need to create a better discourse in the "margins" between those two extremes.
It was intended as more of a self-reflection on my end of how a complete pivot away from technology as a response feels insufficient to the moment, no matter how much skepticism I hold towards AI, in particular the way it is being implemented. But listening back, I didn't do well in characterizing it and it comes across as more of a false dichotomy, which you're 100% in the right to point out.
I definitely want to do better going forward—and am grateful you took the time to name that here. I am working on a written reflection to better capture the nuances of my thinking that should be out soon, and this motivates me even more to find the right way of articulating where I'm at!
I appreciate your thoughtful and gracious reply. (And I should say, I've gotten to the point where I can get a bit snappish about this stuff at times, so apologies if I strayed in that regard.)
I understand where you're coming from and the feeling that you're trying to steer between Scylla and Charybdis. The point I'd want to insist on, though, is that resistance to AI is not necessarily fearful, ignorant, or reactionary, and that it's entirely possible to say no to AI in our teaching in ways that are principled, thoughtful, and informed.
I respect the work that you're doing and look forward to seeing how your own thinking evolves.
"it's entirely possible to say no to AI in our teaching in ways that are principled, thoughtful, and informed."
100% agree, and that's basically been me (I hope!) up to this point—and I'm just trying to take some time this summer to consider what the path forward looks like, especially in very-possible hypotheticals like a school district purchasing/requiring usage of tools with AI.
(Also never hesitate to let me know if you'd want to share your experience with student writing/experiences of late in this odd, shifting moment that we're in!)
Hi Marcus, usually appreciate your perspective, but couldn't get through the intro on this one. Specifically this:
"Then you have others who are not just ignoring but in some cases actively resisting these changes in education towards AI with faulty AI detectors, punitive policies, and the glorious return of the blue book exam, a seeming insistence on nostalgia as the end-all, be-all answer."
Really disappointed to see you framing resistance to AI as a reactionary response that's oriented toward punishment, surveillance, and nostalgia. Are there people who are taking this line? Sure. Does this characterize resistance to AI as a whole? Not by a mile.
First of all, genuinely appreciate this feedback! as someone who is also highly-critical of AI (including leaning more on handwritten responses), my goal was to highlight how much of the conversation I've seen/experienced both online and in-person has been dominated by the two extremes—whereas I feel like we need to create a better discourse in the "margins" between those two extremes.
It was intended as more of a self-reflection on my end of how a complete pivot away from technology as a response feels insufficient to the moment, no matter how much skepticism I hold towards AI, in particular the way it is being implemented. But listening back, I didn't do well in characterizing it and it comes across as more of a false dichotomy, which you're 100% in the right to point out.
I definitely want to do better going forward—and am grateful you took the time to name that here. I am working on a written reflection to better capture the nuances of my thinking that should be out soon, and this motivates me even more to find the right way of articulating where I'm at!
I appreciate your thoughtful and gracious reply. (And I should say, I've gotten to the point where I can get a bit snappish about this stuff at times, so apologies if I strayed in that regard.)
I understand where you're coming from and the feeling that you're trying to steer between Scylla and Charybdis. The point I'd want to insist on, though, is that resistance to AI is not necessarily fearful, ignorant, or reactionary, and that it's entirely possible to say no to AI in our teaching in ways that are principled, thoughtful, and informed.
I respect the work that you're doing and look forward to seeing how your own thinking evolves.
"it's entirely possible to say no to AI in our teaching in ways that are principled, thoughtful, and informed."
100% agree, and that's basically been me (I hope!) up to this point—and I'm just trying to take some time this summer to consider what the path forward looks like, especially in very-possible hypotheticals like a school district purchasing/requiring usage of tools with AI.
(Also never hesitate to let me know if you'd want to share your experience with student writing/experiences of late in this odd, shifting moment that we're in!)
I'd be happy to have a conversation!
Feel free to email me at marcus.luther@gmail.com and we can see if we make it happen! (I love summer for conversations like this!)