7 Ways Schools Are Stunting Children’s Prospects In An AI World
Dan Fitzpatrick
Bestselling Author on AI in Education. Teacher. Forbes contributor. Education Strategist. Trained in Philosophy, Innovation & Design Thinking.
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Why is education immune to innovation??
In schools around the globe, we're teaching as if the world outside the classroom window is standing still in time. This disconnect isn't a problem. It's a crisis.
John Taylor Gatto, the late educator and philosopher, identified this disconnect in his groundbreaking critique, "The Seven-Lesson Schoolteacher." His essay exposes the hidden curriculum holding our education systems back, the practices stunting the development of our children.?
As AI becomes ubiquitous, Gatto's insights are more relevant than ever. Let's break down his seven invisible lessons, penned in the 1990s, for the AI world of today.
1. Confusion
Gatto observed that school schedules are a mess of disconnected subjects. Math, then history, then art. There are no threads tying them together. This fragmented approach leaves students unable to see the big picture. In an AI world where connecting disparate ideas is crucial to an innovative mindset, we're teaching the opposite.
2. Class Position
Schools sort and label our children. Through relentless testing and tracking, they reinforce social hierarchies. The message? Know your place. This flies in the face of a world where AI can level the playing field. Anyone with Wi-Fi and determination can learn almost anything.
3. Indifference
Bell rings. Switch subjects. Repeat. This constant interruption teaches kids not to care deeply about anything. They become human task-switchers, bouncing from one thing to the next without engagement. But as AI handles routine work, human success will hinge on passion and deep focus—the very things our system undermines.
4. Emotional Dependency
Gold stars. Red marks. Constant praise or criticism. Schools create kids hooked on external validation. This breeds adults who are easily swayed by others' opinions. In a world of AI driven persuasion and targeted manipulation, we need people with unshakeable internal values.
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5. Intellectual Dependency
Most classrooms still follow the "sage on the stage" model. Teachers speak and students absorb. This passive learning creates minds that wait to be told what to think. It's a recipe for disaster in the AI era, where critical thinking and the ability to challenge decisions are essential.
6. Provisional Self-Esteem
In school, your worth is determined by your grades. This shaky foundation crumbles in the real world. As AI redefines traditional careers, we need people whose sense of self isn't tied to outdated metrics. Resilience and adaptability stem from genuine self-worth, not report cards.
7. Surveillance
Constant monitoring in schools normalizes a lack of privacy. This mindset is dangerous as AI-powered surveillance becomes ubiquitous. We're raising a generation unprepared to protect their digital rights and set boundaries in an always-watching world.
The result? We're churning out confused, compliant workers for a world that no longer exists. The AI world demands creative problem-solvers, lifelong learners and independent thinkers.?
Our schools are producing the opposite.
Gatto's critique, 30 years on, is a wake-up call we still haven’t heard. Our schools are teaching lessons that diminish the potential of students in the AI era. With vision and courage, we can rebuild an education system that empowers all children to thrive alongside intelligent machines.
AI is here. Our schools must catch up. Our children's futures depend on it.
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PD and books for teaching together with the 4 Cs.
3 个月To make things different we need a basis of care ethics - the teacher as role model, on a quest to nurture students based on their personal needs, earning trust. We need a new paradigm, like student as explorer. The OECD's Learning Compass 2030 envisions students inter-disciplinarily solving problems, creating value for their communities. Evaluating this vision will be incorporated into the PISA tests. So eventually guidance for agency and creative problem-solving will come from above. Meanwhile teacher professional development should include the humane side of amplifying students agency with AI. Teachers need to find their personal continuing professional development toward growing as caring role models with agency themselves.
A Generalist | AI Enthusiast | Educational Leadership & Technology | Creative & Entrepreneurial
3 个月#5 Intellectual Dependency is spot on. While I taught undergrads at university students lamented how unprepared they were to search for answers online. They were talking about their lack of Internet skills. If students weren’t being taught searching skills how will school leaders understand the importance of prompting skills?
There’s an easy fix for #5 Intellectual Dependency. It’s called HIGH QUALITY. AUTHENTIC Project Based Learning. Unfortunately, the other factors Gatto listed have proved to be insurmountable barriers to doing this.
PhD Student and Graduate Teaching Assistant at UGA ?? Advocate of student-driven learning: Personalized Learning and Universal Design for Learning
3 个月Yes! I love how this article can be used as a “why” behind change. Also so glad you mentioned the harmful practice “tracking”- I’m also hopeful AI provides opportunity to finally end it
Founder/CEO Educated AI ~ School Principal (Retired) ~ LearningGarden.ai
3 个月By the look of it, after 30 years, the form and function remains constant for most educational systems. It will be interesting to see the impact of AI in the next 30. I suspect it will in many ways, both positive and negative. How AI impacts broader society will be the tipping point for schools most likely.