How is AI shaping the future of education? A Baltimore tech founder weighs in.

CBS News

9 hours ago

Maryland education and tech professionals are weighing in as this Question Everything asks, "How is AI and new technology shaping the future of education?"
There is no generation that is more important for our future than the next one, and the future is changing by the minute, especially with technology.
The heavy focus on artificial intelligence has many parents wondering how it will impact the classroom.
When it comes to education these days, it's not what many of us remember as kids.
Who would have thought that kids would be learning virtually, using laptops and iPads instead of pencils and paper, and also experimenting with artificial intelligence?
"I would say AI is coming whether you like it or not. That's the most direct way I can say it. The best thing we can do is get in front of it," said Brandon Phillips, Future Think Hub Founder, Creator of A.I. Software.
Seventh-grader De'Aria Johnson is embracing every second of it.
"It's a new thing to me, but it's super fun and cool," said Johnson, a student at City Springs Elementary School.
WJZ got an inside look at City Springs' Future Think Edge summer program. The pilot program includes trying out new AI software that was developed by Phillips.
"It's an AI software that gives each student an individual teacher," Phillips said. "That software learns that student and teaches that student at their capacity."
The software caters to the personal needs of every student to teach them subjects like math, science and coding in a game-like setting.
"It'll engage with you almost like a human being. It's a computer, but it's going to learn you and build your profile around you," said Phillips.
It helps students solve problems and think critically, but even more importantly, it maximizes their learning potential.
"I realized by paying attention in school and also being a student that was gifted, that the gifted students get attention," Phillips said. "Even if I was a special needs student or a gifted student, I would still get the same amount of attention."
"I would love to use this during school because if I don't know something that the teacher tells me, I can just go on Future Think and they can like explain it more," said Johnson. "I can ask about the question instead of just asking my teacher."
City Springs Elementary School Assistant Principal Rob Summers sees the importance of having students engage with technologies like this that could soon dominate our future.
"We can't just be preparing our kids for the economy of five years ago or the economy today; we have to be ready for what's next," said Sumers.
"The teacher's still there. The teacher still has their own lesson plan and they push that student, but the computer is assisting them one-by-one to make sure they get the best outcome," Phillips said.
It's a front row seat on how AI and new technology are shaping the future of education. It's even shaping how we do interviews.
We sat down virtually with Dr. Aileen Hawkins, CEO of Inspired Online Schools USA.
She feels her school is ahead of the game as well.
We asked Dr. Hawkins about some of the benefits that students can look forward to at her school.
"The flexibility that online schooling provides is just second to none," said Dr. Hawkins. "The ability for students to engage with their learning wherever, whenever they are, and the ability to take school with them when they're on the go is just, it's fantastic."
Enrollment for the school exploded beyond what started as mostly student-athletes.
It picked up steam post-pandemic, and the school now offers live classes in the U.S. and enrolls students all year round.
"The growth in online schooling says to me that parents are looking for alternatives for their children," Dr. Hawkins said. "They know that their children deserve an education that's built expressly for them, and an online school can do that in ways that brick and mortar schools aren't quite yet set up for. So the future is already here, in my opinion."
At Inspired Online Schools USA, students can interact with classmates all around the world and use augmented reality for lessons, allowing them to step inside a museum or learn about the human heart in a virtual lab.
When asked if she thinks every school will have to catch up to this technology and artificial intelligence, Dr. Hawkins said. "Absolutely."
"In the same way that we all had to wrap our brains around using a calculator to do math when we were all in school, now we have to embrace these technologies because they are essential to the jobs of the future and most importantly, they accelerate students along their own learning pathways and to be able to reason critically, Dr. Hawkins said. "To be able to analyze, to be able to create. Those are higher-order thinking skills and competencies that students today must master in order to be competitive in the workforce tomorrow."
It's uncertain what the future holds, but we have a glimpse. Covered books, chalkboards and other classrooms could soon be history.
Educators say don't resist, embrace it.
"If we try to just bury our heads in the sand, the outcomes are not going to be helpful to us," said Assistant Principal Summers.
"We have an opportunity to jump in front and take control of it, or we can let it take control of us," said Phillips.
Despite the growing trend of artificial intelligence, a new survey by Junior Achievement shows that more than half of teens, 64%, report that their schools or teachers do not encourage the use of AI as learning tools.