By Jeff Simmons, IDLA Superintendent
Over the past few days, I have had the opportunity to attend the ASU + GSV Summit, one of the largest education technology conferences in the country. This conference is unique, because it is a convergence of technologists, looking to create technology tools that will support student learning, and the educators using those tools to help students learn critical concepts. Everyone attending the event is invested in the common purpose of making education better.
Conferences like this one can be quickly overwhelming. Seeing where technology is today, where it is headed, and what we’re currently doing in our classrooms always makes me feel like I’m walking in the 100-yard dash. The tone of this conference was definitely impacted by changes to federal grant funding and the disruption of changes to policy and structure at the federal level. The same culture war issues that our country is wrestling with are impacting our classrooms from all sides, as well.
I’m encouraged to see progress in the middle of these challenges. Many of the AI tools that were here on display last year have changed or disappeared. But new tools have emerged, reflecting lessons learned from the first phase of tools, and they are beginning to make a positive impact on student learning. I see promise in the collaboration and innovation on display over the last few days. The classroom of today is not the classroom of yesterday, and it won’t be the classroom of tomorrow, either.
One of the best conversations I had was with our partners at Agilix. We are working with Agilix to create AI tools that will support teaching and learning within the online classroom. While many of the tools I saw at the AI show do things we’ve discussed with Agilix, I didn’t see one tool that is flexible and adaptable to support all of the AI integration we want to see in the online classroom. We are taking the right approach to integrating AI into the learning process and we are moving at the right pace. I believe the IDLA classroom of the near future will properly prepare students for the future workforce, while still teaching students to think critically, create, collaborate, and persevere through challenges.
IDLA has a strategic goal to “Prepare students for the AI-supported workforce.” I believe our collaboration with Agilix will help bring us the tool we need to support that goal. I believe the educators and students we provide the tool to will meet the goal. With all of the innovation I saw at this year’s ASU + GSV Summit, I didn’t see any technology that can effectively replace a caring teacher. I saw a lot of technology that can help increase the impact of a caring teacher, though. I believe IDLA is leading the way by preparing students for the workforce by supporting teachers and learners with innovative online classroom technology.
I’m also encouraged by the people I interacted with at the ASU + GSV Summit. I didn’t see people walking around defeated with their heads down. I saw people who are determined, resolved to continue to do the hard work for the right reasons, and sharing successes and failures with each other for the greater good. I saw a community that is more motivated than ever to be the spark that lights a fire within each student. Educators of all ages, colors, backgrounds, and places are still working hard to support quality learning for students. Educators are resilient, inspired to work even harder, and lift each other as tough times push them down. People are still coming together, putting aside agendas, political party differences, religious affiliations, and anything else that divides us to unite around learning. There are many things that try to divide us, but those things that unite us are still holding us together.
I’m grateful for the larger community of educators that we all belong to. Rural or urban, east coast or west coast, industry or educator, the community is still thriving. There is still hope for the future because a united, empowered community of educators working together produces a confident, educated generation that cannot be stopped.
