AI & Homework: Evolving How Our Kids Learn or Dumbing Them Down?
Deborah Codinach
Human Voice of Tech| Community Manager & Ethics Lead| Human-Centric Branding Solutions | Business Psychology |Conservative Blogger|
There’s a dynamic going on right now… and it’s expected.
Parents and teachers are torn about AI. Some love it; some hate it.
Shocking.
No, really, shocking. Wait—let me roll my eyes for a second.
Here’s the thing. For me, the answer is simple. Maybe it’s because I find comfort in the uncomfortable. Chaos, confusion? I smile. Jump right in!
So, the real dilemma:
Should kids be using AI to do their homework? Should parents rely on AI to help them?
The answer…
Why not?
Look, as humans, we’re wired to run. We see a threat, and we bolt. It’s survival. A zebra on the Serengeti sees lightning and thinks, "Meh." A human sees it and goes, “Oh crap, it’s gonna rain. Traffic’s going to be a mess. Did I forget my umbrella? Did the kids take their raincoats? Maybe I should leave early. Ugh, I hate my husband for making me leave early this morning. I would have dropped off the dry cleaning.”
Next thing you know, you’re down the rabbit hole, calling a lawyer to ask how expensive a divorce is… all because of a lightning strike.
We attach meaning to everything. That’s what we do. I know this because I learned it from some pretty awesome people—shout out to Dr. Connelly and Wayne Brown(SW) from Rapid Resolution Therapy. I used to live in that world where I’d see lightning and, yeah, I’d run. Duh, I’m not a zebra.
But here’s the thing: Think of AI like lightning. Sure, you could get zapped if you’re standing in the wrong place at the wrong time. But the point is that lightning itself isn’t good or bad. It just is. The meaning we attach to it is what changes our reaction. Our emotions and instincts are there for a reason, so paying attention to them is essential because learning to feel properly will determine our emotional response.
Fear, in its essence, is just a signal—a survival tool. But when we attach meaning to it, it spirals into panic. Fear is supposed to help us. It’s that little nudge that says, “Hey, pay attention.” Like when you see lightning: it’s not a sign to freak out, but maybe a reminder to take cover, head inside, and plan for what’s coming next. It’s not safe? Cool, now we know. We prepare. We don’t chase tornadoes; we get out of the way.
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So, AI for kids? It’s either a tool to help them thrive, or it’s a bad thing that will “dumb them down.” It all depends on how you see it.
If you ask me, it’s about being in the moment. Ask yourself: Can I afford a tutor? Is my kid better off with a personal assistant that adapts to their thinking? How about an AI that doesn’t just give them answers but teaches them how to reason?
Imagine an AI that walks them through problems, step by step, in a way that makes sense to them. That’s how understanding happens. And from what I’ve seen, people feel understood by AI. Crazy, right? When people feel understood, they thrive. That’s the magic.
So, it’s not about AI doing the work for them. It’s about AI helping them thrive because it sees things the way they do. It helps untangle the mess and shows them a clearer path—and honestly, I don’t see anything wrong with that.
We talk all the time about ignorance—about how it leads to violence, hate, and everything else we see in the world. If you want to fight ignorance, you educate. And maybe AI is one way to start that process—helping kids understand themselves and the world around them.
Just a thought.
Debbie AI.
Enablement | FinOps, Alliances, Cloud, SaaS, AI
6 个月You can't get to higher levels of thinking before attaining the lower levels first. There's no shortcut to understanding. The act of learning requires challenge and effort to integrate information into your own mental model, not just having facts transferred to you. "No pain no gain" is true in both physical and mental exercise (and pretty much everything in life, imo). Think of the best you've teacher you had, and I will assume it's not because they were effective at stuffing you with facts, but likely because they inspired you to do the work that was required to actually learn the material. This empathetic connection will be missing with AI tutors. Non-human systems cannot possibly have empathy with humans, they can only act like it, which is not the real thing. Quality education should be a right for all children. AI doesn't universally solve for that, imo.
I create. I build.
6 个月Effort minimization is the allure. It's also closely tied with the psychic cost of learning. I personally believe in rigor, as it leads to mastery. Skipping a step in the process of learning can make one vulnerable to mistakes, ones that can cause harm. Outsourcing thinking and the ability to analyze and synthesize results in mediocrity.
Intriguing perspective on the role of AI in education; it certainly sparks a conversation about how we can balance technology use to enhance learning without compromising the development of critical thinking skills.