For this project we focused on how the transition to online schooling during COVID-19 affected students’ learning. This presentation was made by Charlie, Lola, Hannah, and Julia.
AI in Elementary
AI is a pretty consistent topic in our course, so, I decided to look through our Mattermost chat and found this poster that really interested me. I find it weird to think about the fact that this poster is used in an elementary setting. When I was in elementary school, this was never something that was talked about because it wasn’t affecting us as much, and that was less than a decade ago. Now there are posters telling kids to keep their information private, use AI as a “helper,” check if it’s wrong or biased, and ask teachers if they’re confused. It really hit me how fast things have changed and how deeply AI has become a part of everyday school life.
In one of our classes we all had the chance to share our opinions on AI being used in an elementary setting, and I found it really interesting to hear everyone’s perspectives. I noticed that my own opinion kept changing as I listened to other poeple. Some people were excited about the possibilites and how it could be used, and others strongly disagreed with the idea and said AI should not have a place in elementary schools. I can’t fully agree or disagree because on one hand you don’t want kids to lose their creativity and thinking skills, but AI and technology are everywhere now so pretending it doesn’t exist isn’t realistic either.
I think that this poster is age appropriate and a helpful tool for kids. It reminds kids to be safe, use other tools, and still add their own ideas instead of just copying what AI says. But at the same time, it kind of shocks me that we need this in schools now. It shows how much AI has impacted not just society in general, but education specifically. As a future teacher, it honestly worries me a bit, because it’s something I will always need to look out for and teach my students how to use AI properly and safely. I won’t just be teaching them subjects like math and writing, I’ll also be teaching them how to question what AI tells them, use it as a tool instead of a shortcut, and still trust their own ideas and thinking.
Dr. Bonnie Stewart Presentation on Datafication
This week I watched a presentation from Dr. Bonnie Stewart about datafication. Before this, I didn’t know what datafication was at all, but i found her presentation really interesting. She talked about her own career journey first, how she started out as a teacher, then did her master’s, and kind of fell into running an online education program. I thought it was cool that she basically learned how to use a computer by having to do the job, not because she was “a tech person” from the start. She also talked about how she had a background in humanities, and she kept connecting technology back to people, power, and how we live.
One of the main points that stuck with me was how every time we touch a device, we leave traces behind. Our clicks, searches, and actions become data that can be turned into patterns, be monetized, and sold. I use my phone all the time without really thinking about what I’m leaving behind, so hearing that was a shock. She said datafication promises to get rid of human error and make everything more “efficient,” but it also means a lot of decisions get made based on data about us, not by people who actually know us.
I also found it interesting when she talked about how so much has been digitized now, that people who don’t have cell phones or easy access to the internet are at a real disadvantage. Things that used to be more accessible face-to-face are now behind a screen. That made me think about students and families who might not have the same access, and how that can impact their opportunities in school and beyond. It also made me think about seniors. I know my grandparents struggle using technology and the internet, so this can make it harder for them.
Something I found interesting was when she talked about tests and teachers. She talked about how in the US, and sometimes in Canada, teachers can lose their jobs if their students don’t do well on standardized tests. Because of that, teachers end up teaching just for the test and stop spending time on experiences, discussions, and exercises that aren’t going to “show up” on a written test. As someone going into education, that worries me, because that’s not the kind of classroom I want.
Near the end, she mentioned how coding used to be the big thing schools were pushing for, kids had to learn it early, and now a lot of coding work can be automated. I remember my grandpa always wanting my sister and I to work on our coding because he told us it would be helpful in the future. That really showed how fast things change. I liked her line about literacy: “Literacy is the ability to take skill to the next level so you can make meaning out of it.” It’s not just about knowing how to use technology, but understanding what it’s doing and what it means for people.