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Spotlight [10] is a podcast feature series that highlights sound storytelling through fiction, non-fiction and comedy productions. Learn more about the world around you, or dive into a new reality built on sound storytelling.
Welcome to Spotlight 10. We share our favorite stories with you, spreading the full range of fiction, non fiction, and comedy. Learn more about the world around you or dive into a new reality built on sound storytelling. Each of these feature episodes has been crafted by a different host with a different style. Let's jump into this week's episode.
Speaker 2:In classrooms across the world, a new kind of teacher's assistant is emerging, one made not of flesh and blood, but of data and algorithms. Artificial intelligence is becoming an everyday part of how students learn, how teachers teach, and how education itself is evolving. From elementary schools to universities, AI is helping adjust lessons to individual offering instant feedback and easing teachers' workloads. But what does it really mean to have AI in the classroom? How much can technology support education without taking the human touch away?
Speaker 2:In many classrooms, teachers are already integrating AI into daily learning. Professor Jared Henderson, a visual journalism professor at Michigan State University, explains how these tools are beginning to show up in real lessons.
Speaker 3:So one of the ways that AI, artificial intelligence, has shown up in my classroom is that students will often use AI as a way to inspire creativity. And so it's not uncommon I think for me to see students who have gone to AI first to help them generate ideas for stories or for images. Now, it hasn't shown up in the way that a lot of people think as a person that teaches video and photo storytelling, I haven't seen like AI generated clips show up in assignments or anything like that yet, but I definitely can tell that students are using AI to their advantage when it comes to creating thoughts and ideas about things that might be newsworthy, things they should point their cameras at. And in that way AI has been beneficial for students. Now the analogy I often give people is that if you give up your license to learn how to think creatively, then you will go out into the world only knowing how to prompt and not knowing how to have critical reasoning skills or critical thinking skills or negotiation skills.
Speaker 3:And so while AI has become a tool that's really beneficial for people, it also can handicap you in a way that if you over rely on it, will have you leaving college less prepared than when you came in.
Speaker 2:AI has become especially valuable in adapting lessons for different learning styles. Some students absorb material best through visuals, others through repetition, and some through discussion. AI programs can track these patterns and modify exercises automatically, something even the most attentive teacher can't always do for a large class. Take language learning apps for example. Tools like Duolingo and Grammarly use machine learning to detect errors and guide students step by step.
Speaker 2:The same technology is being integrated into classrooms to provide personalized tutoring and support. For teachers, AI systems can also grade quizzes, create lesson summaries, and even generate sample test questions. This automation allows educators to focus more on mentoring and less on paperwork.
Speaker 3:When students use AI responsibly, you can definitely tell a increase in the breadth of ideas that they have available to them. AI is fantastic at giving you a lot of different ways to think about things and although it is a fantastic tool for that, it's terrible when it comes to taste, right? And actually having good ideas and so just because you have a lot of ideas it doesn't mean that any of them are good and that's where AI kind of falls short in a lot of ways. That said, I do think that, when it's used responsibly, AI can be a fantastic tool to collaborate. AI can help level the playing field in terms of what information you have access to because it helps you think about things that you didn't even know to ask.
Speaker 3:And I think that's the best thing about AI is when you can use it to scrutinize your ideas, to find ways to poke holes through your theories, or help substantiate and bolster your ideas. And that's what AI is really good for.
Speaker 2:But while many educators see the benefits, they are also aware of the challenges. Critics worry that too much reliance on AI might make learning feel impersonal. Algorithms can detect progress, but they can't sense frustration or celebrate effort, two things that make teaching so uniquely human. There's also the issue of accuracy and bias. Because AI systems are trained on existing data, they sometimes reflect the biases found in that data, whether in grading, language, or cultural context.
Speaker 2:That's why most teachers stress that AI should be seen as a tool, not a replacement. Students often see AI's benefits firsthand, but they also experience its limitations. Griffin Macroics, an MSU student, talks about the challenges that come with using AI in schoolwork.
Speaker 4:The main concern would be people just using it to complete all their assignments in in its entirety. It's good to have you use it to help you and assist you along with things, especially if you're stuck. But if it completes the whole assignment for you and then you're just having it, hey. This is my assignment. This is I need this many words in my essay, and you just have it do the whole thing for you, not only are you gonna get caught and probably, you know, face consequences academically for that, but you're just learning nothing yourself.
Speaker 4:You know? And and what if one day you have to do your job and all you've ever relied on is this AI? You know what I mean? They they're gonna know when you when you get to your job, so that stuff kinda matters.
Speaker 2:Despite these concerns, schools are continuing to experiment. Some classrooms use AI chatbots to answer student questions about homework or assignments. Others rely on predictive tools that identify when students might be at risk of failing behind, allowing teachers to step in before grades drop. AI increases education by making it more inclusive. Students with disabilities, for example, benefit from voice recognition, real time captioning, or adaptive reading software powered by AI.
Speaker 2:These tools can make learning accessible to students who might otherwise face barriers in a traditional classroom. But for all its advantages, experts agree that technology alone can't replace connection. The classroom is more than just a place for lessons. It's a place for collaboration, creativity, and human understanding. AI may analyze data, but only people can inspire curiosity.
Speaker 2:The future of AI in the classroom will depend on how responsibly it's used. As schools integrate new technologies, the goal is not to let the algorithms take control but to let them assist. Helping teachers reach more students and helping students learn in ways that truly work for them. Education has always evolved with technology from chalkboards to computers. Now with AI, we're witnessing the next step in that journey, one that could make learning more personal, more engaging, and more effective than ever before.
Speaker 2:This has been Smarter Learning AI in the Classroom, written and produced by Jeff Wong. Special thanks to Professor. Henderson and Griffin.
Speaker 1:Like what you hear? Rate us on Spotify, give us a like, and follow AudioVideoLand on Instagram where you can find more Spotlight 10 updates, teasers, and behind the scenes content. Spotlight 10 is an AudioVideoLand production by digital storytelling students of Michigan State University in collaboration with Impact eighty nine FM.