A recent episode of “Education Matters,” a podcast hosted by Ray Pinney, the chief membership engagement officer at the New Jersey School Boards Association, delved into artificial intelligence and how students, school boards and teachers should be approaching it.
Dr. Peter Hughes, superintendent of the Cresskill School District, a preK-12 school district with about 1,700 students in Bergen County, sat down with Pinney for a wide-ranging discussion about AI.
Pinney began the segment by observing that many school administrators, board members and educators are “a little unsure of ourselves” when it comes to AI but that it’s important to look at it carefully.
“It’s a tool – and you can use a tool for positive or you can use a tool for negative,” Hughes said, likening AI to the internet, which there was some pushback on when it first came out, as people could use Google to look up answers.
Burying your head and the sand and pretending that AI does not exist is not the way to go, Hughes said, noting that adapting to it is the better option.
“I think in general, that will lead to better outcomes for our kids,” Hughes said. “It’s about preparing our kids for the future.”
Pinney and Hughes talked about a wide range of topics, such as how AI can be used in a classroom setting, what school administrators and board members can use AI to do, what pitfalls to watch out for when using AI, what AI should not be used for, and what schools should think of when crafting policies surrounding AI.