Since ChatGPT launched in November 2022 and exploded into public discourse, the emergence of generative AI tools has raised both expectations and concerns across virtually every industry, ideology, and age group.
Today, the use of this technology in educational settings is ongoing, and states are beginning to issue guidance on how to navigate AI in schools. Over the past year, the tone of the guidance has shifted from skepticism and resistance to acceptance and optimism, according to an analysis by the Center for Reinventing Public Education.
The excitement surrounding AI was on full display at the SXSW EDU conference held in Austin, Texas in the first week of March. At least 20 sessions included the term ‘AI’ in the title.
While much of the conversation about AI in education is focused on K-12 and higher education, few have considered the potential of these innovations in early care and education settings.
The conference will bring together a panel of early education leaders for a session titled “ChatECE: How AI can support the early educator workforce” exploring the potential of AI to support and empower adults serving our nation’s youngest children. proceeded. .”
A summary of the discussion follows: To see the full conversation, listen here.
As early childhood educators face a variety of challenges, including burnout, low pay, and understaffed programs, panelists discussed how AI can safely and effectively free up educators' time and provide more support.
Michelle Kang, CEO of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), a professional membership organization that promotes high-quality early learning for all children, noted that AI can save educators time by helping them write weekly newsletters to families.
Isabelle Hau, executive director of the Stanford Accelerator for Learning, said this practice is already happening in K-12 settings.
Hau shared that K-12 educators are using the technology to improve efficiency in a variety of ways, including drafting Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), creating templates for communication with parents and administrators, and in some cases, helping create lesson plans. I did.
(Hau, who is not a native English speaker, used ChatGPT to improve his written communication and shared that friends and colleagues have discovered and praised it.)
“If we can save early educators time and spend more time with young children, it will benefit all of us,” Hau said.
Kang also pointed out that using generative AI can overcome language barriers. Examples include providing real-time translation services during meetings or translating written communications into the language spoken by the child's family before sending them. She pointed out that this is important for early learning because many educators serve families who speak multiple languages.
The technology can also help educators support families by searching publicly available community resources and identifying relevant library events, food banks, free clinics and more, Kang added. Or, if a child is fascinated by dinosaurs or trees, AI could provide parents and educators with prompts for further learning or even connect them to the nearest natural history museum or arboretum.
Celia Stokes, president of product at Teaching Strategies, said her company, which provides early childhood curriculum, assessments, professional learning and family engagement solutions, is focused on the real-world applications of AI so early childhood educators have more time to build strong relationships. He shared that he can concentrate. With children who cannot be replaced by any technology.
Still, few early childhood educators are AI-hungry, the panelists acknowledged, because there are so many other pressing problems in the field.
“It’s a bit like asking people before the iPhone was created if they wanted to put all their songs in their pocket,” Stokes said. “It’s hard to imagine what’s possible until you have a very concrete victory that moves the needle.”
“A lot of educators don’t have that in mind,” Kang acknowledged. “There’s a mix of curiosity and fear of, ‘Is this another thing I need to get my mind off of now?’ We’re all still trying to figure it out, and many educators are thinking, ‘How could this actually impact my daily experience right now?’”
Hau thinks that might change.
“I think educators are generally innovators,” Hau said. “They want to do the best for their kids. They are looking for ways to improve their practices and ways to improve their skills.”
Therefore, if early childhood educators see that AI can save them meaningful time, which saves them time to have direct, high-quality interactions with the children in their care, they are likely to be interested in AI. .
Panelists agreed that even though there are opportunities for AI to benefit early childhood educators, any steps toward incorporating AI must be measured, intentional, and appropriate.
Stokes said his company already follows a slow, thoughtful approach.
“We were able to do a lot of things much faster,” she explained. “What we do is [taking] Roll it out internally, slowly and carefully, and then have pilot testers check it out as teachers ask questions. [to a chatbot]She’s getting the right answer back.”
Panelists also raised concerns. What are the ethical guidelines? What source data is being used? What are the implications for privacy and safety of adults and children? With so many other technologies and so many existing systems in America already inherently unequal, will AI make that even worse?
Despite their concerns, Kang, Hau and Stokes acknowledged that AI is not going away. And there are already simple, harmless applications available to the early years educator workforce.
“There’s nothing to be afraid of, as long as we’re talking about real, non-controversial possibilities,” Stokes said. “You don’t put a robot in front of a child and lose control of everything. It’s about very practical ways to help adults do difficult things better, faster and easier.”