Ohio Educators Use AI to Further Education

In early July, Triad had the privilege of hosting a roundtable discussion on the topic of AI in education. We were thrilled to welcome education officials from public, private, and charter schools, who shared valuable insights and perspectives on how this rapidly evolving field is impacting their schools. As a firm that designs schools for the modern age, it is important to us that we understand how schools are tackling this new technology.

The event fostered engaging conversations, with participants recognizing the undeniable growth of AI and its impact on education. As we delved deeper into the topic, the prevailing sentiment was clear: whether we embrace it or not, AI will continue to shape the future of education.

The key takeaway from our discussion centered around finding ways to leverage AI’s potential to advance education, while being mindful of the potential risks it poses. We collectively acknowledged the importance of using AI responsibly to enhance learning outcomes, while also ensuring that it does not negatively affect our children’s educational journey. Yes, students could use AI to plagiarize a paper, but in contrast, teachers can use AI scanners to catch them. If this behavior is dissuaded, there’s infinitely more room for the benefits of learning with AI. As Dan Garrick, Principal of St. Frances DeSales, said “The genie is out of the bottle. It’s not going back in.”

How do we embrace AI? The field is constantly changing. When calculators became mainstream, there was a knee-jerk reaction to ban it, according to several attendees who were around to see it. Looking back, it seems crazy to have wanted to ban calculators. Will AI seem like that in ten years? Our attendees weren’t sure, but one thing was clear: students who go into the world knowing how to use AI and how to conform to this changing reality have a stark advantage over those students who were stunted in that knowledge.

It was heartening to witness the dedication and commitment of the attendees in exploring the possibilities and challenges of integrating AI into our educational systems. The exchange of ideas and experiences highlighted the need for ongoing collaboration and shared responsibility among educators, policymakers, and technology providers.

It was brought to the attention of the group that a large portion of students using ChatGPT are using it just to keep up. Student athletes, students with part-time jobs, students who have to take care of their families – they’re using it as a resource to quickly gather the information they need. It doesn’t necessarily make their homework easier, but it does make it quicker. If these high-performing, involved students have this resource to keep up with their work, is it right to stop them?

As a firm who designs a large number of projects in the K-12 field, Triad is captivated by the transformative potential of AI in education. We are excited to explore how AI can revolutionize teaching and learning methods, enabling us to design innovative educational spaces that empower students, optimize resources, and personalize learning experiences. We aim to create environments that foster curiosity, critical thinking, and collaboration, preparing students for the challenges and opportunities of an ever-evolving world.

With schools heading back into session, we’re interested in seeing how the world of AI and education grows even further. Our attendees seemed hopeful for the future of education in the rise of AI, and if we know anything, it’s that we must trust our educators.

Thank you to all the attendees of our AI Roundtable and for your engaging ideas. We all left with something to think about.