Amsterdam
PÄIVI LIPPONEN
Teacher, student in the age of artificial intelligence
“I can’t teach anyone anything anymore, I can only make them think.”
I participated in the Erasmus training on Artificial Intelligence and Critical Thinking in Amsterdam. The training was excellent and inspiring. It has had a strong impact on my teaching.
Teaching is in a state of transition. The paradigm of teaching and learning is changing. Artificial intelligence does not change the core work of teachers or take away their work. It enhances the quality of teaching when used correctly. Applying artificial intelligence is not the end result, but the starting point. The role of the teacher is changing from a distributor of information to a facilitator. Students need an adult who can master the big picture.
One of the benefits of the course was the realization that we no longer know the world of the students we teach. Today’s students live in the midst of enormous technological and social change. Our classes are filled with a variety of age groups: from boomers and Generation X to millennials and Generation Z. The youngest, Generation Z and the beginning of Alpha, are especially digital natives who have grown up in a constant flood of stimuli. Capturing their attention is challenging – sometimes it’s hard to concentrate for even 30 seconds.
Social media and algorithm-driven content shape students’ identities, bodies, self-esteem and worldview. TikTok’s fast rhythm locks users into a passive dopamine rush in a matter of seconds.
Many young people even experience strong emotional bonds with virtual characters.
The world created by artificial intelligence creates threats. The mental health challenges of young people have increased, and the amount of information is unprecedented. In 2024, humans will be exposed to approximately 10,000 advertisements per day. The population will be polarised by AI skills.
Artificial intelligence strengthens the teacher's work and the student's thinking. At its best, it serves as a starting point on which understanding is built. An important skill is the ability to talk to artificial intelligence. You need to know how to ask questions to artificial intelligence. Then artificial intelligence does not do the thinking for the student, but opens doors to understanding, application and comparison.
School prepares young people for the world of the future and provides them with the skills they need in working life. Automation and artificial intelligence increasingly handle routine tasks in working life, and the role of humans is emphasized in skills that machines cannot master: critical thinking, creativity, digital literacy, empathy, leadership, continuous learning and ethical consideration. These are the core competencies of the future.
A teacher can build their own artificial intelligence strategy by answering the questions:
Goal – What do I want AI to do in the classroom?
Steps – What concrete things will I do to achieve the goal?
Resources – What tools do I need?
Timeline – When will I do something?
Evaluation – How will I know the plan worked?