February 2024: Checking in after a year of Generative AI progress

In this month's edition of EdTech Evolved, we're taking a look at how artificial intelligence and its capabilities have grown exponentially in just over one year. We've now seen what it can and can't do, giving us the clearest answer yet as to whether AI will be able to replace teachers one day. We've also created a handy questionnaire template to guide you in evaluating AI vendors, plus a custom GPT you can use to craft efficient teacher-parent communication.

One exciting year of Generative AI evolution

Remember in 2022 when traditional graded essays seemed to become obsolete overnight? Fast-forwarding to today, the plagiarism issue hasn’t gone away, but it does feel like a much smaller deal.

The exponential growth of generative AI has introduced new innovations, new opportunities, and plenty of new challenges – check out some of the highlights below.

The biggest wins for K-12 educators:

• Saving teachers time: Teachers are going directly to the source (ChatGPT), while also exploring apps that tailor Gen AI to specific needs. The most popular teacher time-saving use cases for Gen AI include lesson planning, quiz creation, presentation builders, and these recommendations from OpenAI .
• Deeper differentiation and personalization: When we surveyed district tech leaders last year, 44% said the aspect of AI they were most excited about was "the ability to personalize learning based on student levels, needs, and interests.” From 1:1 AI tutors to playfully personalized decodable readers, we're already seeing this innovation happen before our eyes.

The biggest challenges:

• The darker side of Gen AI: We all know about the cheating issues with ChatGPT. But ongoing AI evolution has introduced even more variables to the conversation. The threat of deepfakes looms large – the same technology that can support higher levels of student engagement and expand the possibilities of digital exploration will also make it harder for all of us to distinguish facts from misinformation.
• Keeping pace with change: At the end of 2023, only 4% of surveyed district tech leaders reported having a formal, documented policy governing the use of AI. Another 39% said they were working on it. That left more than 65% feeling like they were behind the curve in addressing the use of AI. As the technology continues to evolve, the hope is that most districts can at least find their footing before the start of next school year.

Read the full breakdown to learn what other advancements have been made in the world of AI so far and what you can expect to happen next.

Will AI replace teachers? Finally, a definitive answer

In the words of Vox technology correspondent Adam Clark Estes , “You thought 2023 was a big year for AI? Buckle up.”

While Gen AI shows no sign of slowing down, we're at least facing 2024 with a much clearer idea of what AI can and can't do. And while today’s headlines are aglow with visions of AI-powered classrooms – where computers dispense knowledge and personalized learning paths to rows of attentive, independent students – it’s clear that AI cannot, and will not, replace teachers in the classroom.

Find out why AI isn't capable of filling teachers' shoes.

The K-12 AI Vendor Questionnaire Template for Admins

One of the first steps toward AI readiness for K-12 school and district leaders is establishing awareness of where and how AI is being used.

At first glance, it can be difficult to tell which products are using the technology and which aren’t. What’s more, the context you need to do an effective impact assessment is rarely readily available. Fear not: this AI vendor questionnaire template can help you gather the data you need to make informed decisions for your team.

Questions to ask vendors:

1. Does your product use artificial intelligence (AI)?
2. Which large language models, AI image generators, and/or other AI models does your product utilize?
3. For what purpose(s) is AI used in your product? Please list all use cases.
4. Is AI used to create profiles of any users within your product? If yes, what are the profiles used for? Do users have the option to opt-out of profiling?

Find the full questionnaire template here.

How to use ChatGPT for efficient teacher-parent communication

You've already learned that one of the best applications of Gen AI in education is the ability to save teachers time. But what does this look like in practice? Our writers figured out a way to turn ChatGPT into your own personal School-to-Home Liaison, so you can make your teacher-parent communication more efficient and comprehensive than ever.

Try it out for yourself using the links below:

Click here if you already have a GPT+ subscription.

Click here if you are using the free version of ChatGPT.

Let us know in the comments below how it works for you!

And that's a wrap on February's EdTech Evolved! Subscribe at the top of this page to make sure you catch next month's edition.

Check out more EdTech Evolved articles here, and comment to tell us which parts of this newsletter you enjoyed so we can keep bringing you the best updates on AI in education.