Part 3 Reflection

I think that AI will continue to advance and become more and more integrated into our daily lives. As of now, I use AI maybe once a week to craft simple things like emails. I can foresee with the advancement of these technologies not only will it be useful for mundane things such as emails, but it will be able to transform education in the everyday setting. Teachers can create more engaging lessons and students can use AI as a tool to aid them in learning. I do think there needs to continue to be measures in place so students do not use AI to complete their work, but rather to enhance it. As of now there are many positives of AI and I believe at the moment, they outweigh the negatives. 

As a high school economics teacher, I see AI reshaping industries, jobs, and everyday life in ways similar to past technological revolutions. Just like the Industrial Revolution automated physical labor, AI is automating cognitive tasks.  Predictions for Industry & Life 1. Job Market Shifts – AI will replace some repetitive jobs (data entry, customer service), but it will also create new roles in AI development, cybersecurity, and ethics. Adaptability will be key for future workers. 2. More Automation & Efficiency – Businesses will rely on AI to cut costs, increase productivity, and make data-driven decisions. Expect smarter supply chains, automated financial analysis, and even AI-driven entrepreneurship. 3. Changing Consumer Behavior – Personalized recommendations, AI-powered assistants, and automated shopping experiences will become the norm, shifting how people interact with products and services. We see this at  stores already. 

The Role of Education in AI’s Future: 1. Preparing Students for AI-Driven Careers – Schools must teach skills that AI can’t easily replace: critical thinking, creativity, emotional intelligence, and problem-solving. 2. AI as a Learning Tool – Instead of banning AI, we should teach students how to use it wisely—just like we did with calculators and the internet. AI can assist with research, tutoring, and skill-building. 3. Teaching AI Ethics & Economics – Students need to understand the economic impact of AI, from automation's effect on labor markets to issues of bias, privacy, and fairness. 4. Lifelong Learning Mindset – With AI changing jobs faster than ever, students must develop adaptability and a willingness to continuously upskill throughout their careers.

AI is not something to fear but something to understand and use wisely. The key to thriving in this new era is education—equipping students with the right knowledge and skills to work alongside AI rather than be replaced by it. As educators, we must prepare them for an economy where adaptability is more valuable than memorization

Educators, like every other industry, have a responsibility to grow with the times, and thus grow with advances in technology. It sets our students back if we do not help them understand the growing possibilities of AI and the real-world implications it can offer. 

I think it’s wild to think that AI is starting to basically replicate what the human brain does on its home, minus the motivation and self-awareness that we as humans have. I think moving forward, we need to find ways to use AI in the classroom, because it’s coming whether we like it or not! 

• What are your thoughts and possible predictions on industry and/or life moving forward?
• What role does education have in the use of AI? 

The integration of AI in education is poised to transform both the teaching profession and student learning experiences. With a global teacher shortage, AI can serve as a valuable tool to alleviate the burdens of educators while enhancing the quality of instruction. AI has the potential to revolutionize the teaching profession by streamlining repetitive tasks, thereby allowing teachers to focus on higher-value aspects of education. Currently, much of a teacher’s day is consumed by administrative duties, grading, and lesson planning—tasks that AI can efficiently handle. By reducing this workload, educators can dedicate more time to coaching, facilitating discussions, and providing individualized support to students who need it most. AI-driven platforms can tailor educational experiences to meet the diverse needs of students. Whether it’s assisting students with learning difficulties, identifying areas where a student is struggling, or providing motivation boosts, AI can act as an extension of the teacher’s capabilities. This shift enables a more student-centered approach where educators can spend more one-on-one time mentoring and guiding learners, fostering stronger human connections and deeper engagement.

• What are your thoughts and possible predictions on industry and/or life moving forward

My thoughts are that I need to put more effort in to using AI to benefit me more, because it is not something that is going away. I do like the spins that these videos put on the positive side of AI, because in our industry, it is easy to see it as just a negative tool. I like the importance these videos placed on the need for human interaction, and that AI isn't a tool to replace these jobs, but help mangage them and make them easier. In combined with human thought/interaction/"checking" it can continue to do great things. My only concern is when people don't understand that there is still error in AI- and sometimes the easier way isn't the better way. 

• What role does education have on the use of AI? 

I think education needs to still be weary of AI, but be more purposeful in how we use it. This includes teaching students how to use it as a tool to HELP them, and not a tool to PRODUCE for them. More authentic, "in class" assignments are definitely being given, and I find myself even having students do more of in person speaking about things, rather than simply "written essays". This allows us to also hold students accountable for the work they do and the knowledge they actually retained. 

• What are your thoughts and possible predictions on industry and/or life moving forward. 

More teacher training is needed to know how this technology can be ethically used to improve student learning. Also students need more education about responsible use. I think we'll begin to see more academic use policies regarding academic integrity as well. I'm interested in how AI can help me cut down on administrative tasks and devote more time to human tasks, such as creative problem solving, parent communication, etc. 

• What role does education have on the use of AI? 

"The biggest risk is doing nothing."  We can't ignore that LLM and AI technologies are incredibly accessible and here to stay. Teachers have a duty to understand the world of their students and help best prepare them for that world, even when there is a great deal of uncertainty. Fear and skepticism will only set us back. 

My thoughts are that AI is only going to advance and I believe as with any technological advancement, the more it is around the more uses we find for it and we learn ways to combat and limit undesirable or misuse so that we can have integrity in the classroom. 

• What are your thoughts and possible predictions on industry and/or life moving forward.

After watching the videos, I understand that we are very early in this "new technology"/AI world. AI is growing and changing every day. I think it is almost a similar situations to when iPads/laptops and tablet technology came around. At first, I remember not really thinking that I'd use them a lot however, now I go almost every day using some kind of computer technology. I believe that It will be the same think with AI, we will adjust, and learn how to live alongside this new technology, and use it in a way that is beneficial to us!

• What role does education have on the use of AI?

"The biggest risk is doing nothing." This quote from the video stuck with me. I believe as educators, we need to learn about AI, its benefits and its drawbacks, so we can stay on top of this changing world. They talked in the videos about how we cannot teach the same things in the same ways. I think AI could be beneficial in creating ways to keep students engaged in learning.
I also believe we have a responsibility to teach older students about AI. They will be growing up and working in a world using AI and I believe they need to understand the benefits and drawbacks of AI to help prepare them for the outside world. 

• What are your thoughts and possible predictions on industry and/or life moving forward? 

There's no getting rid of AI. I think that we need to develop better applications to support educators and students in the use of AI. This will only get more involved and easier to access in the coming years as industry leaders adapt and perfect the use of AI.

• What role does education have on the use of AI? 

Teaching perspective: We can use AI to create better activities and assignments for our students. 
Student perspective: They can use AI to assist in creating better work with the use of analyzing data and get more in depth understanding of a topic.

My thoughts on A.I. moving forward is that it will be here to stay, so we need to teach students how to use A.I. to help them learn affectively, create tasks, and to push their creativity or individuality to new levels with A.I. to support them.  There are always advances in technology that changes how we do things, we just need to adapt to the technology and use it to make what humans create better... we still have have authentic human created work.

The video talks about A.I. bringing "equity" to students, obviously as long as they have internet access, we just have to teach students to use it correctly so it is not just used a quick "copy".  This would first require that teachers are properly trained in A.I. and how to use it within their student created work as well as the other educational busy work so that more time can be spent on instructing students.

I have many thoughts about where AI is headed and was relieved to hear I wasn't crazy with the predictions of both the code.org and Khan academy creators.  I know from my own students and children's interactions with technology that AI generated figures who talk and move based on input exists.  Through. my work in the media class that I co-teach, there is even a new news channel - Channel 1 - which is completely AI run and generated.  All news anchors look like real people but they are in fact AI. When we presented this idea to the students, even though many of them don't watch the news already, they were even more intrigued that AI figures would be creating and delivering the news.  This relates to the technological world they operate within.  So I had already thought that this is the way we would be headed in education - with "tutors" who look like real people but are AI.  I think it is entirely plausible to have AI tutors - similar to the text prompts on Khanmigo - in the classroom.  It is like the Khan Academy creator said - it would be like 5 teaching assistants who will do whatever you want them to do!  That would be such a help!  I also think that AI will be taking over many more mundane tasks - from scheduling appointments to tasks at home.  It is incredible how far AI has come over just the past two years.  

Education has a major role in AI.  I say this because the amount of misinformation, disinformation and bias that is out there on the internet is overwhelming.  That all is going into the generative AI in order for it to create something for the user.  To me that is more frustrating than the use of AI in itself.  We have to be good information managers and critical thinkers.  That is what is become more important for educators and students.  To involve families on this conversation as well, since some of our parents believe that AI (ChatGPT) is the answer to everything.  Unfortunately, that parent needs to be educated on the falseness and bias of the information that plagues the internet.  I truly believe our role as educators has changed - it is not how to access the information, rather it is how to manage it once we have it.