In this episode, Alex dives into the complex world of Artificial Intelligence in education with guest Bianca Farthing. Bianca, a practicing UK teacher and founder of AI Edify, challenges common assumptions about AI, questioning whether we're focusing on the right things. They discuss the practical realities of using AI in the classroom today, the critical importance of ethics, why AI won't replace teachers, and how we should be preparing students for a digital future, moving beyond AI as just an efficiency tool to seeing its potential as a cognitive aid.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Reframe the Question: Instead of asking "What can AI do for education?", we should ask, "What should education look like in a new digital era?" to evaluate our systems more broadly.
- Focus on Practicality: While AI promises future revolutions, teachers need tools and strategies that help now, within the constraints of a standard lesson.
- Options Over Answers: AI's value lies in providing options, perspectives, and challenges to stretch thinking, rather than simply generating answers.
- Ethics are Foundational: Understanding data privacy, potential bias in outputs, and the ethical implications of AI use is non-negotiable before implementation for both teachers and students.
- AI Can't Replace Care: Teaching is more than content delivery; it requires care, belief, and human connection, elements AI inherently lacks.
- Cognitive Aid, Not Crutch: AI should be used to enhance and challenge thinking (cognitive aid), not replace the learning process or critical thought (cognitive crutch).
- Critical Evaluation Needed: Users must be aware that AI outputs can be biased, incomplete, or even factually incorrect (e.g., generating fictitious citations).
- Mind the Equity Gap: Differences in access, school policies, and training can widen existing inequalities if not addressed systemically.
- Assessment Needs Rethinking: Current assessment models (especially memory-based ones) may need re-evaluation in an AI era, potentially shifting towards assessing process, problem-solving, and resourcefulness.
- Involve Parents: The conversation about AI use in schools needs to include parents, ensuring transparency and understanding.
BEST MOMENTS
- "What if we're asking the wrong questions?"
- "When I've got my 45 minute lesson, I want to know what can I do for those 45 minutes?"
- "Ultimately when we think about AI, it doesn't inherently care."
- "We don't need answers. We need options to be able to stretch and challenge ourselves."
- "Ethics in terms of AI... is inherently the most important thing."
- "Use AI not as an answer generator, but something that is a creative aid, ask for options, not answers."
VALUABLE RESOURCES
- AI Edify Website: aiedify.com
- Connect with Bianca Farthing on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/biancafarthing/
ABOUT THE GUEST
- Bianca Farthing: Bianca is a practicing teacher based near London, UK, and the founder of AI Edify, a platform dedicated to the ethical and effective integration of AI into education. Currently also pursuing her Masters (MSci) focusing on AI in education, she is passionate about creating practical tools and training that support teachers in using AI as a cognitive aid to enhance learning and critical thinking, rather than just for efficiency. Her work emphasizes ethics, teacher agency, and preparing students for a technology-driven future.
CONNECT & CONTACT
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/theinternationalclassroom
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandergray84/
- Website: https://deepprofessional.com/
