AI in Education: Preparing Students for the Future Workforce

Author

Michael Meechin
June 25, 2024

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Deep Dive 🤿

AI in Education: Preparing Students for the Future Workforce

This week, we’re diving into a topic hotter than a mid-July playground slide: AI in education.

With the recent Microsoft and LinkedIn 2024 Work Trend Index Report giving us a glimpse into the future, it’s time to have a little chat about how we are preparing our students for a workforce that is changing at an incredible rate of speed.

AI Skills: Your New Best Friend (Seriously)

Brace yourselves: 66% of leaders say they wouldn’t hire someone without AI skills. That’s right - AI skills are like the new driver’s license. Yet, many schools have put a big “No Entry” sign on tools like generative AI. As educators, you play a crucial role in preparing our students for a world where AI is THE skill that will impact so much for the future workforce. We must ask ourselves, how are we supposed to do this if we shy away from the very tools that will shape their futures?

I am reminded of a quote from an Edutopia article I read recently, “Schools should be places where students learn to use technology responsibly and effectively, not environments that shy away from the very tools that will shape their futures.” This quote serves as a reminder that we are not advocating for the blind adoption of AI but for its responsible and effective use in our schools.

Jobs: They’re Changing Faster Than Trends on TikTok

Here’s another fun fact: 68% of the jobs in the report did not exist 20 years ago. That’s right - back then, no one dreamed of being a social media manager or data scientist. Our goal shouldn’t be to prepare students for specific jobs (because those jobs may be extinct by graduation) but to equip them with sustainable skills like critical thinking, creativity, and adaptability.

It’s kind of like teaching them to dance at any party, no matter the music. #IYKYK

Making Learning Relevant: Because Copy-Paste is So Last Season

We all know students who use AI to copy and paste answers. Why?

I think there is something behind the relevance of what they are learning. It’s like trying to convince someone to eat kale chips when they don’t even like regular chips. When students find their work meaningful, they’re more likely to engage with it and use AI to innovate, not cheat.

A We Are Teachers article I just read drew from this point, “When students find their schoolwork meaningful, they are more likely to engage with it authentically and less likely to rely on AI for easy answers.”

Call to Action: Let’s Get to Work

Alright, it’s time for us to roll up our sleeves and make some changes. Here’s what we can do:

  1. Revise Curriculum: Make AI and technology skills as standard as PE class.

  2. Professional Learning: Give our educators the tools and training to wield AI like pros.

  3. Promote Ethical Use: Teacher students that with great power (of AI) comes great responsibility.

  4. Engage Students: Create projects that make students go, “Wow, I can actually use this in real life!”

By embracing AI in education, we’re not just preparing our students for any future - we’re preparing them for a future they can shape. Let’s turn our schools into innovation hubs where students are more than just consumers of knowledge - they’re creators and trailblazers.

The future is bright, and our students are ready to shine.

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