10 Astonishing Predictions For AI In Education
Plus an Update On Upcoming Summer Workshops
Hope everyone is going well and cruising towards the end of your school year. Things have been busy but we wrap in a couple of weeks. And once I get past this week’s VELA Con event (Coi and I are presenting on the same panel), I will be diving back into building out LIFTED in full force.
In the meantime, I wanted to get some updates out for everyone and I think you will appreciate some of these perspectives.
NEWS WORTH KNOWING
One of the my favorite AI writers shared a piece this week, extolling the value of just having a bit of playful fun with AI and how important that is in the learning process. If you haven’t already done so - listen to the examples and then give your learners a chance to create their own soundtrack for the year with Suno or Udio.
This week I also discovered a new, niche tool that you guys might find useful, especially if you have ADHD-challenged learners who need to see rather than read core concepts. It is called Neuro Mermaid and basically, you can task it with researching a topic (I did one on the Hero’s Journey and list of resources was impressive). Not only will it go through tons of great sources, but it will also create a mind map that encapsulates the big ideas.
Where do YOU guys fall on the curve of integrating AI in Education? Here’s a scary number: Just 4% of Americans aged 14-22 use AI almost every day. And for many, their local educators are not inclined to help them make that transition.
Last edition I shared A TON about OpenAI’s new GPT-4o model. The same week a lot of news was released at Google I/O on their AI initiatives. I was a little turned off that they made some big claims, but didn’t put the tools in the hands of users to see what they could do. But if you are following the Google tools closely, this is one of the better rundowns of their recent releases.
One Google tool I AM EXCITED about however, is Notebook LM. Reading about it didn’t really convey how useful it could be, but watch this section of an interview with Dan Shipper to see how dumping a bunch of raw notes into Notebook LM could end up helping you write a book better and faster than any other tool I have seen.
Two ways to get the best results from your AI prompts:
1) iterative. Think of each session like a conversation with a new but potentially talented intern. Whatever you ask for, they will likely miss on their first attempt. But if you are specific about how improvements can be made, you can get AMAZING results this way.
Or - you can use one of the Prompt Playgrounds to perfect your “prompt engineering” to ask up front for better results. The new Anthropic Prompt Generator is getting rave reviews for this option.
10 ASTONISHING ‘HOT-TAKES’ ON AI IN EDUCATION
One of the most interesting videos I watched this week, was Jensen Huang, the CEO of NVIDIA who described how the technology of generative AI is totally different from all other technologies. He described how everything we can learn (name all the topics and subjects you can imagine), can be “tokenized” into small bits of information. And once we can create tokens, we can create whole new worlds.
From that inspiration, I put together what I thought was a thought-provoking list about where I think we might be headed with AI in our schools:
AI-Driven Emotional Intelligence Coaches: AI will not only track academic progress but also serve as social-emotional intelligence coaches, helping students navigate social dynamics and emotional challenges. Wouldn’t you be better at tough conversations if you had a coach to help you prepare and reflect?
Personalized Learning Narratives: Instead of traditional report cards or even portfolios, AI will generate personalized learning stories for each student, detailing their journey, challenges, and achievements in a narrative format that resonates on a deeper level. Research says that when you see your own life as a Hero’s Journey, you unlock true meaning and purpose.
AI-Facilitated Peer Learning Networks: AI will create and manage dynamic peer learning networks, matching students with complementary strengths and learning styles to foster collaborative and peer-driven education. Young people just learn better from their peers. AI is going to become like a premier dating coach for matching up your best learning partners - locally and virtually.
AI-Generated Learning Landscapes: Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) environments powered by AI will create immersive learning landscapes tailored to individual interests and learning needs, making education a fully immersive experience. I just finished reading Our Next Reality. Wow - it was eye-opening and what is coming will be SO MUCH better than what we see today.
AI as Socratic Questioners: Rather than providing answers, AI will serve as Socratic questioners, prompting students with thought-provoking questions to stimulate critical thinking and self-discovery. What would your Socratic discussions look like if your learners prepared themselves before and after with their own Socratic thinking coach?
Dynamic Curriculum Evolution: AI will continuously evolve and adapt the curriculum based on real-time data, making static curriculums obsolete and ensuring content remains relevant and engaging. Not just personalized learning, but the ability to shift whole sections of learning design.
AI in Non-Academic Skill Development: Beyond academics, AI will play a crucial role in developing non-academic skills like creativity, empathy, and resilience through tailored exercises and real-world simulations. Isn’t this the stuff that really matters in a world where the “ability to know” is becoming far less valuable than the “ability to learn.”
AI-Enhanced Parent-Teacher-Student Triads: AI will facilitate more effective communication and collaboration between parents, teachers, and students by providing insights and suggestions that bridge gaps and align goals. Parents in the alt/microschool space often wonder if they made good decisions for their children. AI can bring the data and the insights.
Ethical AI Debates in Classrooms: Students will engage in debates and discussions with AI entities on ethical dilemmas, encouraging them to develop and articulate their ethical perspectives and reasoning skills. In a world where AI can do so many things faster or better than most humans, one thing that will remain critical is being able to wrestle with ethical and moral decision-making.
AI as a Lifelong Learning Companion: AI will extend its role beyond K-12 education, evolving with the individual to support lifelong learning, career development, and personal growth, ensuring education is a continuous, lifelong journey. This is the basic premise of the vPAL vision - create a collaborative learning partner for life. Still working on making this one better…
WHAT’S NEXT (and worth getting excited about) FOR THE LIFTED COMMUNITY?
When we last met in March, I promised some upcoming workshops - and a push to expand our community of forward-thinking educators. Both initiatives are in the works.
Here are the two workshops I have planned for July and August:
A goal-setting/goal-getting workshop where we will explore a new AI tool that I have been testing and using daily for over 8 weeks now. While the workshop will be a one-time event, I plan to use it to launch an accountability group for those who want to ignite the growth of their school, or take on other ambitious projects. If this is you - and you want an insurance policy on achieving your biggest goals - this will be for you!
And as promised, I also plan on doing a “How to use AI for your own personal growth” based on some of the insights I learned from the Maximize Your Mind program. We won’t go into the full depth, but it will give you enough of a taste that you will know if you want to take the full course for deeper dive.
If #1 or #2 look interesting to you - please drop a note in the comments to let me know. Getting some idea of who is most excited about what, will help me plan what’s coming next for our little community.
If you have other questions - please ask. One thing I am working is developing the tool set and connections for an “Agency for AI in Education” - for myself and other school owners who need custom tools created just for their learning environment. I need this to push vPAL forward, and I am thinking some of you might want access too. My plan is to ONLY offer this to members of the LIFTED community.
If this rings your bell - reach out!