I have been thinking a lot about the role AI can play in professional development and learning. As AI tools become more integrated into education, they present both opportunities and challenges for educators.
As AI tools become increasingly integrated into education, educators must cultivate new mindsets to navigate and leverage these advancements effectively. The intersection of AI and education is not about replacing teachers but enhancing their ability to foster meaningful learning experiences. Here are four key mindsets that define the AI-enabled educator:
1. Rigorously Reflective
Teachers must engage in continuous self-reflection to assess how AI is shaping their pedagogy. This means critically examining AI-generated feedback, identifying biases, and refining instructional strategies to ensure student growth remains at the center of learning.
2. Courageously Curious
Curiosity fuels innovation. Educators should be open to experimenting with AI tools, asking deep questions about their implications, and exploring new ways to use AI to enhance learning outcomes. By embracing curiosity, teachers can guide students in becoming inquisitive learners who seek knowledge beyond conventional methods.
3. Creatively Collaborative
Collaboration remains a cornerstone of great teaching. AI can serve as a powerful co-teacher, offering real-time data and insights. However, human collaboration—among educators, students, and AI—ensures that learning remains dynamic and responsive to individual needs.
4. Constructively Critical
AI is a tool, not an unquestioned authority. Educators must critically evaluate AI’s role in the classroom, ensuring that its use aligns with pedagogical goals and ethical considerations. This involves maintaining a balance between AI-generated efficiencies and human-driven learning experiences.
Co-Intelligence in Action: Blending AI Coaching with Collaborative Reflection
The most effective educational environments do not treat AI as a standalone solution but integrate it with relational teaching. This blend of relational teaching & collaboration and AI tutors creates an educational landscape where both students and educators thrive.
The Intersection of AI and Human Connection
A successful AI-enabled classroom combines the structured support of AI tutors with the personalized, relational aspect of human teaching. Educators can harness AI to:
- Provide instant feedback on student work
- Adapt learning pathways based on student progress
- Support differentiated instruction
However, AI lacks the human ability to build relationships, offer emotional support, and inspire students in ways only teachers can. That’s why the future of education lies in co-intelligence, where AI complements rather than replaces the role of the educator.
Moving Forward: Rethinking the Educator’s Role
As we continue integrating AI into our classrooms, we must constantly ask: How can AI amplify human connection rather than diminish it? By embracing these four mindsets and recognizing the synergy between AI and relational teaching, educators can create more meaningful, personalized, and impactful learning experiences.
Hi Justin – I like these four mindsets a lot. At Shad we are looking to increase our use of and integration with AI. From what we do centrally, to having our students engage with it, we are just starting to dip our toes in.
The concept of co-intelligence, especially when combined with the creatively collaborative mindset is most interesting to me, and yet I sometimes wonder how far along folks have to be in their own journey around collaboration and leading from a place of vulnerability to embark on this journey of co-intelligence when it comes to AI? Would be curious to hear if you have noticed any patterns in this regard and/or have any thoughts about working with an incredibly wide spectrum of beliefs/thoughts about AI. Thanks for your work in this area – it’s pertinent and important.
Thank you for this, Justin.
This got me thinking about when I first came back to Canada and was given a laptop, I said thank you and used it mostly to create lesson notes. Then a Smartboard was put in my classroom, and again I said thank you and for a while it was merely a whiteboard where I could save my notes. But over time, it became a great tool that did enhance the learning and teaching experience. Now we have AI.
With the other tools, in some ways, it felt like we had time to explore and learn and integrate the new tools into our teaching. With AI, it feels like we running to catch up. However, these four mindsets provide a pathway that I think is clear and super helpful. Here is to jumping into the new possibilities.
Thank you.