Tag: pedagogy

Social media is teaching children how to use AI. How can teachers keep up?

GenAI:N3
A split image contrasting two scenes. On the left, three young children are engrossed in tablets and smartphones, surrounded by vibrant social media interfaces featuring AI-related content and hashtags like "#AIforkids." On the right, a teacher stands in a traditional classroom looking somewhat perplexed at a whiteboard with "AI?" written on it, while students sit at desks, symbolizing the challenge for educators to keep pace with children's informal AI learning. Image (and typos) generated by Nano Banana.
While children are rapidly learning about AI through pervasive social media platforms, educators face the challenge of integrating this knowledge into formal learning environments. This image highlights the growing disconnect between how children are acquiring AI literacy informally and the efforts teachers must make to bridge this gap and keep classroom instruction relevant and engaging. Image (and typos) generated by Nano Banana.

Source

The Conversation

Summary

Students are learning to use AI mainly through TikTok, Discord, and peer networks, while teachers rely on informal exchanges and LinkedIn. This creates quick but uneven knowledge transfer that often skips deeper issues such as bias, equity, and ethics. A Canadian pilot project showed that structured teacher education transforms enthusiasm into critical AI literacy, giving educators both vocabulary and judgment to integrate AI responsibly. The article stresses that without institutional clarity and professional development, AI adoption risks reinforcing inequity and mistrust.

Key Points

  • Informal learning (TikTok, Discord, staff rooms) drives AI uptake but lacks critical depth.
  • Teacher candidates benefit from structured AI education, gaining language and tools to discuss ethics and bias.
  • Institutional AI policies are fragmented, leaving instructors without support and creating confusion.
  • Equity and bias are central concerns; multilingual learners may be disadvantaged by uncritical AI use.
  • Embedding AI literacy in teacher education and learning communities is critical to move from casual adoption to critical engagement.

Keywords

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URL

https://theconversation.com/social-media-is-teaching-children-how-to-use-ai-how-can-teachers-keep-up-264727

Summary generated by ChatGPT 5

GenAI News

New Horizons for Higher Education: Teaching and Learning with Generative AI

GenAI:N3

Source

N-TUTORR National Digital Leadership Network (NDLN) – Professor Mairéad Pratschke

Summary

This report examines how generative AI (GAI) is transforming higher education, presenting both opportunities and risks. It highlights three main areas: the impact of GAI on current teaching, assessment, and learner-centred practice; the development of emerging AI pedagogy, international best practice, and early research findings; and the broader context of digital transformation, regulation, and future skills. The analysis stresses that while GAI can enhance accessibility, personalisation, and engagement, it also raises critical concerns around academic integrity, bias, equity, and sustainability.

The report positions GAI as a general-purpose technology akin to the internet or electricity, reshaping the nature of knowledge and collaboration in higher education. It calls for institutional leaders to align AI adoption with sectoral values such as inclusion, integrity, and social responsibility, while also addressing infrastructure gaps, staff training, and regulatory compliance. To be effective, GAI use must be pedagogically aligned, ethically grounded, and strategically supported. The future success of higher education depends on preparing students not just to use AI, but to work with it critically, creatively, and responsibly.

Key Points

  • GAI challenges academic integrity but also enables personalised learning at scale.
  • Pedagogical alignment is essential: AI must support, not replace, learning processes.
  • Early research warns of overreliance and “cognitive offloading” without human oversight.
  • AI can widen inequities unless digital equity and inclusion are prioritised.
  • Institutional strategy must balance efficiency with effectiveness in learning design.
  • National and EU regulation (e.g., AI Act) set high standards for responsible AI use.
  • Frontier AI models offer powerful capabilities but raise issues of bias and safety.
  • Educators increasingly take on roles as AI tool designers and facilitators.
  • Collaboration with industry is crucial for future career alignment and skills.
  • Sustained investment in infrastructure, training, and AI literacy is required.

Conclusion

Generative AI represents a transformative force in higher education. Its integration offers significant potential to augment human learning and expand access, but only if guided by values-led leadership, pedagogical rigour, and robust governance. Institutions must act strategically, embedding AI literacy and ethical practice to ensure that this “new horizon” supports both student success and the future sustainability of higher education.

Keywords

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URL

https://www.ndln.ie/teaching-and-learning-with-generative-ai

Summary generated by ChatGPT 5

Gen AI Reports