188: AI and the Future of Education with Priten Shah

aarmau@gmail.comNovember 1, 2023Uncategorized

In this episode, I speak with the the incredible Priten Shah.

Priten is motivated by a simple, powerful idea: to better prepare our future generations for the complex world they’ll soon inherit. Recognizing the challenges that rapid advances in artificial intelligence, escalating climate change, massive inequality, and a fractured public discourse present to educators, he is committed to creating meaningful change in education.

His varied endeavors, from building a non-profit dedicated to interdisciplinary civics education to launching a company that harnesses the power of education technology, reflect a desire to move education beyond traditional confines. His efforts also include addressing these looming global challenges directly within the education sector. He understands the critical need to equip our educators and students with the knowledge, skills, and mindsets to navigate these global issues effectively and ethically.

Priten’s principles are founded on the idea that preparing for tomorrow involves a deep commitment to learning today. He invests in today’s educators, recognizing that they play a crucial role in shaping tomorrow’s leaders. His slogan, ‘Preparing Educators For A Dynamic Tomorrow,’ encapsulates his vision perfectly: a vision of readiness, adaptability, and evolution in the face of our rapidly changing world. His work represents an understanding of education as not just an isolated field but a tool with which we can equip future generations to brave the greatest challenges of their time.

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Challenges & Goals

We discussed several challenges including overcoming fears about AI, navigating rapid technological changes, addressing ethical implications of AI in education, information overload, and teacher burnout. Our goals revolve around helping educators navigate these issues and preparing them for a future where AI plays a significant role in education.

Surprising Takeaways

Despite thework with AI, Priten emphasized that fundamental principles of teaching do not have to change due to new technology. We suggested that repetitive tasks could play a role in preventing burnout among teachers. Finally, we encouraged individuals not to feel overwhelmed by information overload but engage in dialogue as part of their learning journey.

Emerging Patterns

  • Focus on long-term solutions rather than short-term fixes when integrating AI into education
  • Emphasis on maintaining core educational values while adapting teaching methods to suit new technologies
  • Importance of accessibility and integration of AI technologies into everyday life
  • Active engagement in learning processes and social interactions when grappling with complex subjects like AI
  • Collective willingness to learn playing a significant role in understanding intricate topics

Key Moments

  1. “We want our students to flourish in the external world and no one across the country who is a teacher will disagree about that.”
  2. “There’s gonna be three buckets of changes that are going to happen because of A I…existing philosophical norms and ethics…what will society look like…the philosophy of building these systems.”
  3. “I think there’s so many exciting things…there’s great potential for it [AI] to increase how we interact with other folks.”
  4. “If our solution to teacher burnout right now is let’s free up teacher time by allowing them to use this [AI]…then I think we’re going to be in the back of the same cycle.”
  5. “I think there’s like a good three-step process maybe of like reading as much as you possibly can about it… And then spend some time writing about it… And then there’s the talk and teaching part.”

RESOURCES

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