Eagles,
As we navigate the ever-evolving world of technology and education, it is crucial to reflect on past innovations to guide our understanding of the future. Today, I was privileged to deliver professional development to IB educators on the Pros and Cons/Possibilities and Perils/Ethics and Responsibilities of artificial intelligence at the TCIS conference. I used an analogy I remembered from an educational conference I attended that correlated the invention of the washing machine to literacy rates.
Many of you may wonder what washing machines have to do with literacy. It's all about the unintended consequences of technological advancements. When washing machines were introduced to households widely in the 1950s, they alleviated the time-intensive chore of cleaning clothes by hand. This shift led to some profound societal changes:
- Women's Empowerment: The 20th century marked an era where women, liberated from domestic responsibilities, dove into the workforce, sought higher education and played pivotal roles in public life. With the washing machine automating a time-consuming task, it inadvertently played a part in these strides.
- Shift in Roles: This newfound time meant women could invest in personal self-improvement, reading, community involvement, and, most crucially, furthering their education and that of their children.
- Focus on Children's Education: With fewer domestic responsibilities, parents, especially mothers, could pay greater attention to their children's education, ensuring they not only attended school but also derived the most from it. Such emphasis undoubtedly has contributed to heightened literacy rates.
Now, let's think about AI. Just as the washing machine transformed society unexpectedly, AI promises (or threatens, depending on your perspective) to bring about even more profound shifts. Students today will undoubtedly interact with, work alongside, or even be at the helm of AI-driven initiatives in their future careers. It's an exciting time, but the need for preparedness comes with it.
We must equip our students with the skills to harness AI's power and the ethical framework to use it responsibly. It is imperative to stay ahead of emerging technology, understand its implications, and approach it with a sense of equity and justice. We want to prevent AI from exacerbating societal divides and instead use it as a tool for positive transformation.
The washing machine's tale teaches us that technological advancements can have wide-reaching, often unanticipated effects on society. As we stand on the precipice of the AI age, let's ensure we guide our students to be not just consumers or passive bystanders but informed, ethical leaders of this brave new world.
