From spirit duplicators to genAI in education: Have we lost the plot?

Students play games, so we gamify learning.
Students have ever shorter attention spans, so we give them micro and nano learning.
Students are used to high-quality colourful graphics, so teachers become graphic designers with the help of AI and platforms, and design colourful websites and interactive worksheets with branded colours.

BUT are we doing our students a disservice by trying to compete with their entertainment world?

Students are increasingly less engaged at school and more depressed.
They are constantly overstimulated with the flood of AI and human generated videos, images, and meaningless content (aka ‘slop’) streaming in front of their eyes for hours.
They are drowning in a digital ocean.

Are we, educators, making it worse?
Isn’t it time to stop and think?

Technology helped open the walls of the classroom.
It helped bring the real world to the students.
It helped to connect students with peers around the world.
It gave students agency, allowed them to create rather than consume.

Technology in education has changed.
Technology was rare; it was special.
Now, it’s pervasive.
Its quality has changed.
With ever more questionable personalisation, self-paced learning, data collection
AI as conversation and learning partner,
AI as tutor,
AI as the creator (and the learner as mere ‘human-in-the-loop’ fact-checker and editor),
and, as a bonus, AI as a friend or even lover!
Who is prompting and who is prompted?!

And soon it will be another technology that is pushed and shoved into the classroom,
not through educator’s choice, not through students’ choice, not for their best interest.

Students are disengaged not because of a lack of technology in the classroom.
They need a break… and a brake.
They need a safe and quiet place.
(And so do teachers).

If we as educators want to stay relevant, attract and motivate students, we need to provide them this space.

It’s not about not using technology.
It’s about using it thoughtfully…
more thoughtfully then ever,
for the sake of our students
for the sake of the future of learning
(and the environment, but that’s another topic).