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AI in the Classroom: A New Ally for Educators

AI in the Classroom A New Ally for Educators

AI in the Classroom A New Ally for Educators

J-M Erlendson, a Transformation Engineering Lead at Software AG, explains how AI can be used in the classroom and why it has the potential to become an ally for educators. This article originally appeared in Insight Jam, an enterprise IT community that enables human conversation on AI.

AI’s role in education is rapidly expanding, generating excitement—and raising a few eyebrows. Just as calculators have become indispensable tools in classrooms, the question arises: Will AI eventually be viewed in the same light?

Today’s educators are not only faced with typical tasks like setting up lesson plans, organizing classrooms, and engaging students but also need to discern how to best integrate AI into the learning environment. While some attention is rightfully placed on regulating student use of generative AI (with 63 percent of teachers reporting incidents of students using generative AI in their schoolwork last year), this is just one piece of a much larger conversation.

Teachers are weighed down by administrative demands that pull them away from hands-on work. Tasks such as grading, scheduling, and tracking student data can take up a significant portion of their time, leaving less room for the personalized, student-facing work that teaching is all about. Now is the time for schools to embrace AI in an administrative capacity and acknowledge its potential as a tool to empower educators. By thoughtfully weaving AI into teaching practices, educators can elevate the classroom experience and free up teachers to focus on what they do best: teaching.

Elevating the Teaching and Learning Experiences

AI should no longer be viewed as mere “magic” in education but as a practical tool that can empower educators if approached with rigor and understanding. AI’s capacity to offer real-time insights and automate administrative tasks not only relieves teachers’ workloads but can also enrich the student learning journey.

One of AI’s core strengths is its ability to process vast amounts of data, making it an invaluable tool for tracking student performance and uncovering patterns that might otherwise go unnoticed. AI methods like process mining can analyze how students engage with educational content, giving educators ready-made insights into areas of strength and improvement. For instance, AI can recommend specific resources for further study or flag disruptions in student engagement. With this increased visibility, educators can better understand each student’s learning trajectory and adjust their teaching methods to better meet individual needs, fostering a more personalized and effective learning environment.

AI can also transform how content is delivered. Through aggregated and curated data sets, it can accelerate the development of new learning materials and create programming tailored to students’ responses in real-time. Interactive and reactive repositories of course information, enriched with personalized tools like trained chatbots, offer students immediate, relevant support for their studies.

Additionally, AI assists in scaling expertise across emerging fields by forming new “tribes” of knowledge, enabling the development of novel curricula and adaptive lessons tailored to student needs. This adaptability allows educators to shift assessments away from rote memorization toward evaluations that measure understanding, critical thinking, and application. With the right tools, students can be empowered not only to use AI but to critically evaluate its outputs and even train their own AI models, taking charge of their own learning journeys and growing their capacities for self-education.

AI as an Aide, Not a Replacement

At the same time, school leaders must recognize that technology alone is not a cure-all. AI should be viewed as a powerful ally that complements teaching rather than replacing it. Despite the valuable insights and efficiencies that it can offer, AI cannot replicate the empathy, creativity, and critical thinking that human educators bring to the classroom, which goes a long way in defining students’ attitudes toward school.

AI should, therefore, act as a supporting tool, allowing teachers to focus on mentoring students and cultivating a positive learning environment. Schools can achieve this synergy by using frameworks like process modeling to define how AI can complement educators without undermining their roles. For instance, streamlined data collection can expedite personalized learning plans while teachers lead activities that require deeper thought and one-on-one engagement.

By establishing clear boundaries for AI’s role, schools can avoid overreliance and build trust among educators, students, and parents. This transparency ensures that technology enhances, rather than overshadows, the human touch that is essential to meaningful learning experiences.

Promoting AI Literacy Across the Board

Despite the endless opportunities that AI presents, it’s important to ensure that it’s used safely and ethically in schools. For this to happen, teachers must be equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to promote and engage with it responsibly.

Integrating AI literacy into K-12 education is more than just teaching students how to use AI tools—it is about helping them to understand its ethical considerations, potential pitfalls, and societal impacts at a level consistent with their grade levels, a fine line that teachers will need to walk. Some districts, like the Iowa Community School District, are embedding these lessons into their curricula, preparing students to engage with AI responsibly and thoughtfully.

However, it’s not just students who need to be educated on AI—teachers and faculty also require continuous professional development to stay ahead of rapid advancements. With the proper tools to train and critique AI systems, educators can empower students to use AI and think critically about its results. Students can be taught to train their own AI models, effectively becoming the “teachers” themselves in an interactive learning process. This develops both technical literacy and a deeper understanding of AI’s role in society.

Future-Proofing Schools for AI Evolution

As schools continue to lean into AI, they need agile process solutions and ongoing education on the technology aimed at equipping teachers to navigate and find advantages in this new paradigm. Adaptability will remain crucial as AI tools become more sophisticated.

By treating AI as a trusted aide rather than a standalone solution, educators can ensure it enhances, rather than disrupts, the learning environment. With thoughtful integration, AI can create more personalized and engaging learning experiences, freeing teachers to focus on what matters most: nurturing the next generation of learners and thinkers. As AI continues to evolve, its role in education should not be as a disruptive force but as a powerful tool that augments the learning experience for both students and educators.


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