Chad, love this piece. Early career focus is a fine option for many -- even if it proves irrelevant in the long run. But what seems never to be said is that if a child is not a competent reader and proficient in math by the time he or she graduates, everything else pales in significance.
"The lesson for education is to keep focusing on developing solid basic skills in reading, writing, and arithmetic."
While that's absolutely true in early grades, I think so much of the national conversation assumes that's what the majority of people working in schools do. They don't, and that's not what we directly hire them for either. Teachers in secondary grades are largely focused on not-so-basic disciplinary literacy or content instruction. The fact that many of these courses are not tested doesn't make them any less popular with local voters or employers.
As a broad system, should we focus on those basic skills? Yes, and that would be a significant change to make in several states from a policy standpoint. Just take a look at the agendas of SEA and State Boards to see that.
It's always worth asking whether current or emerging technologies can help us improve at what we need to do most. The fact that the answer is often "not really" doesn't make the question less worthy to ask.
My granddaughter is a high school junior, I muse about her job future … she’s an excellent soccer player.. probably not a career, unless she gets an NIL deal .. or has a really grandpa 👴
Ha, well, my history may be a bit foggy, but I recall Mr. Newton's work taking a while to be accepted?
More seriously, I'm arguing for prudence and humility here, not a permanent ban. I think of AI as a tool more like a calculator--certainly useful, but kids still need to understand addition, subtraction, and multiplication first.
What I was suggesting, tho is, that just as we put more emphasis on math & science after Sputnik, we should probably work a lot harder at getting more people to understand what AI is.
Confession: I don’t. Even though I first used an AI in 1978. Even though I studied vector analysis & numeric methods. Even tho one of the fathers of machine learning was my professor. And even tho I interned with a true father of robotics.
The way to learn to use AI well is to know how to write good solid sentences, and have a rich, deep vocabulary that fits the domain you want to ask about.
So, solid ELA instruction, plus science, plus history, plus…
But I’m also concerned about raising citizens who will make good decisions about deploying these things.
I think that should mean you no longer get to quit learning math & science in college just because you wanted to get a French Lit degree.
One is not going through any engineering, math, or physics major without learning to code.
Chad, love this piece. Early career focus is a fine option for many -- even if it proves irrelevant in the long run. But what seems never to be said is that if a child is not a competent reader and proficient in math by the time he or she graduates, everything else pales in significance.
"The lesson for education is to keep focusing on developing solid basic skills in reading, writing, and arithmetic."
While that's absolutely true in early grades, I think so much of the national conversation assumes that's what the majority of people working in schools do. They don't, and that's not what we directly hire them for either. Teachers in secondary grades are largely focused on not-so-basic disciplinary literacy or content instruction. The fact that many of these courses are not tested doesn't make them any less popular with local voters or employers.
As a broad system, should we focus on those basic skills? Yes, and that would be a significant change to make in several states from a policy standpoint. Just take a look at the agendas of SEA and State Boards to see that.
It's always worth asking whether current or emerging technologies can help us improve at what we need to do most. The fact that the answer is often "not really" doesn't make the question less worthy to ask.
My granddaughter is a high school junior, I muse about her job future … she’s an excellent soccer player.. probably not a career, unless she gets an NIL deal .. or has a really grandpa 👴
Agree with the basic point. Yet leaving it there?
I can hear the same thing being said when people wanted Mr. Newtons’ work included in the curriculum.
Ha, well, my history may be a bit foggy, but I recall Mr. Newton's work taking a while to be accepted?
More seriously, I'm arguing for prudence and humility here, not a permanent ban. I think of AI as a tool more like a calculator--certainly useful, but kids still need to understand addition, subtraction, and multiplication first.
Indeed.
What I was suggesting, tho is, that just as we put more emphasis on math & science after Sputnik, we should probably work a lot harder at getting more people to understand what AI is.
Confession: I don’t. Even though I first used an AI in 1978. Even though I studied vector analysis & numeric methods. Even tho one of the fathers of machine learning was my professor. And even tho I interned with a true father of robotics.
The way to learn to use AI well is to know how to write good solid sentences, and have a rich, deep vocabulary that fits the domain you want to ask about.
So, solid ELA instruction, plus science, plus history, plus…
But I’m also concerned about raising citizens who will make good decisions about deploying these things.
I think that should mean you no longer get to quit learning math & science in college just because you wanted to get a French Lit degree.