Artificial intelligence is shaping the school of the future

Zaki: “Hey there! That’s me, Zaki, teacher of the future! Welcome to my futuristic classroom! Come in!” (Created with AI | Midjourney v6).

Welcome Zaki, I am happy to meet you! First, tell us five exciting things about yourself!

Zaki: “Hey there! Yes, of course: I’m Zaki and I’m 43 years old. I’m a teacher, or as they say today, a ‘mentor’. I’m really into silver – not just the color, but also as a symbol of the new and undiscovered. My culinary passion is microalgae. I’m crazy about them! Spirulina and chlorella are not just my superfoods. They’re my little green heroes in everyday life. I love playing exo-basketball in my free time. In case you haven’t heard of exo-basketball yet: I wear an exoskeleton when I play basketball. An exoskeleton is a power suit that supports and optimizes my body. This takes basketball to a whole new level. I can not only jump higher with it, I can also shoot more accurately!”

Why did you become a teacher?

Zaki: “Actually, I just wanted to be the person that I myself missed so much as a teenager. I wanted to be the person in young people’s lives who turns the most boring math formula into a secret mission. I wanted to show kids that learning can be fun and infect them with my own curiosity about the world.”

Sounds like a wonderful goal. What did you like best back then?

Zaki: “Even back then, these ‘aha moments’ were the best. That moment when the children’s eyes start to shine and you feel that they really got something. It feels like you’re playing a video game in which the heroes – the children – get bigger, stronger and smarter with every level. Each new piece of knowledge gives them superpowers that allow them to take on the next challenge with even more enthusiasm.”

Were there any downsides to being a teacher back in the day?

Zaki: “In the past, inflexible curricula and a lot of paperwork kept my time for the pupils very short. I couldn’t support the high-achievers, nor could I take care of those who needed more support. This was quite frustrating for both the students and us teachers. That’s why we dropped the standardized curricula bit by bit. This shift was far from easy, but it created room for innovative and, above all, personalized approaches. Another big challenge was to get the children excited about real life. Sometimes they were lost in their smartphones. It was almost like a mission impossible. But we found new ways here, too!”

It was ALMOST like a Mission Impossible!? Meaning you managed it after all? What did you do?

Zaki: “It was actually easier than we thought! ‘Taking the bull by the horns’ we just actively integrated smartphones and digital technologies into the classroom instead of seeing them as an obstacle. By using apps and online platforms that make learning fun, we have caught the students’ attention. Together, we developed projects and tasks. We explored the surroundings through the lens of a smartphone. We once had a science project in which the children used apps to classify plants and animals in their surroundings. That motivated the children so much! Connecting digital and real life has sparked students’ interest in the world around them. Instead of cutting themselves off from reality with smartphones, they understood how to use the phones for discovery and learning. That was a real game changer for all of us.”

How has AI changed teaching in recent years?

Zaki: “Remember the hype on AI at the beginning of the 2020s? That really was a turning point! AI went from being an underground to a mainstream topic. With the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022, AI has been made widely available to everyone. We all started experimenting with AI on our own laptops from home. That was insane! It was a time of change and we also felt this in the education sector. AI didn’t just make teaching more effective. AI has opened the door to a new era of learning. This progress has been particularly evident with the use of intelligent tutoring systems. Since then, we have been sending students on customized learning journeys! Instead of the ‘one size fits all’ approach, each child gets their own learning routes and customized learning games that are tailored to individual learning levels and progress.”

Can you please tell us more about these intelligent tutoring systems?

Zaki: “Sure! An intelligent tutoring system is actually just a computer program. It uses artificial intelligence to give kids personalized learning tasks and feedback. It’s like having an AI backstage crew so I can rock the stage every day.

Thanks to AI, the tasks adapt to the child’s individual needs and learning speed. A student who struggles with math gets extra tasks exactly where they need them. And another who does well in history is challenged with more in-depth questions. Meaning students get their own puzzle tailored to them with both content and learning level using AI.

The AI-based tutors use AI to analyze children’s facial expressions and gestures. Insights are collected anonymously using pseudonyms. The information is used to optimize the learning interfaces. Learning has become more intuitive and personal! AI provides just-in-time feedback and individualized assistance to the kids. It reaches each child where they are at the moment. The tutor playfully adapts the explanations to the communicative needs of the students! By the way, only the students receive feedback on their learning success. They are the ones who decide whether or not they want to transfer their data when they change schools or go to university. Teachers and parents do not have any access to the data at the detailed level. We can only see trends. Sounds strange at first, but it encourages personal responsibility and makes things so much easier!”

So your role as a teacher has also changed a lot in recent years?

Zaki: “Yes, absolutely! Knowledge sharing has moved into the background. I now team up with AI into a hybrid trainer team. And I finally find time to be a mentor and advisor to the children. AI has taken over the day-to-day business. For me, it’s no longer so much about teaching facts, but much more about training life skills, sparking curiosity and awakening dreams. I’m there to encourage passion, offer a helping hand or support when things get challenging.”

How has AI changed the job profile of a teacher?

Zaki: „There is no longer any frontal teaching, lesson planning or exams and grading. You know, I used to spend days lost in corrections and grading. That totally kept me from engaging with the children! Today it’s different: AI takes over a large part of the corrections and assessments. I step in when things are not clear or in cases of doubt. However, I need expertise today just as much as I did back then in order to engage in objective discussions with the children.

Communication skills and soft skills are more important than ever. Building trust and relationships! As mentors, we ask the right (even unpleasant) questions at the right time, address problems and encourage self-reflection. We listen actively and empathically! Listening is so important! In addition, we identify the kids’ resources and needs, understand their wishes and translate them into individual goals. We boost self-confidence and demand personal responsibility. And we provide support with planning, sometimes questioning the plan gently, sometimes more sharply. We help them develop strategies for difficult phases and knockbacks.”

Hand on heart! How did you feel about this?

Zaki: “Getting into AI was not easy. At first, I tried to ignore it. But the children took to it like ducks to water. They are little technical geniuses, digital from birth! Children are flexible, curious, enthusiastic, sometimes a little too quick for their own good, but always ready for the next innovation. That’s impressive, but sometimes frustrating. I have to admit that in the beginning, the children were always two or three steps ahead of me when it came to using the tools. That was a real challenge. They were bored, and they questioned my skills. It was actually clear that I had to get to work quickly. But: no sooner said than done!

In the beginning, we learned together with the students, did group work and presentations in order to get into AI together. In an interdisciplinary way. For me, it was and still is important that the kids not only understand how to use the tools and their benefits, but also the mechanisms behind them and how they work. Because only by doing this they will develop critical thinking – in general, but also in relation to AI and its output.”

That's an important point: Do you see any disadvantages to learning with AI?

Zaki: “Of course, no light without shadow, right? Three come to mind right off the bat:

One of the biggest challenges is probably that we have to be careful not to become too dependent on AI. Sure, it’s quite tempting to solve everything with AI! However, it remains important not to forget how to think critically and question information. We should all have a certain level of basic education on various topics! Of course, AI can be wrong from time to time or provide incorrect or discriminatory information. Things have improved quite a bit, but it still happens. And that’s where human judgment is very important!

Also, data protection is still an important issue! We shouldn’t forget it! It’s a balancing act to fully take advantage of the benefits of AI without jeopardizing privacy.

And: we have to work on giving equal access to these technologies to everyone! Access to education has to be equal across classes and borders! It’s a fundamental right. Let’s preserve it! I say: No gaps in education allowed due to the fact that some people have better access to AI and the devices than others.”

Ok, there's one thing I'm still very interested in: have working hours or place changed?

Zaki: “Yes and no. There are still fixed times, for me as well as for the children. And we have regular places to meet. At the latest 24 hours in advance, the children have to decide where they want to learn and book a learning location.

So you see, it’s gotten more flexible in terms of content and location. Learning takes place everywhere. We organize learning groups – digitally from home, in the park or in the museum. We also offer our Co-Working Spaces in our partner companies and at school. We have been able to forge strong partnerships with research and business. This allows us to push innovation and critical thinking, lifelong learning and practical experience. Children learn in virtual classrooms and with interactive modules on their devices. We provide one-on-one coaching with each child. There are also group meetings in the school rooms where we work together and discuss what we have learned or structure and reproduce it in writing exercises such as essays. And there are group projects that we use as team-building at the same time, like the community tech workshops. The teenagers organize these themselves. The aim is to teach digital skills to people who are less familiar with the digital world. The aim is to teach digital skills to people who are less familiar with the digital world.

How about you teachers? Are you better and happier today than in 2024?

Zaki: “Happiness is such a big term. Maybe satisfied is enough!?

Let me put it this way: personally, the social aspect of my work, that is, working with the children, makes me more than happy! And it makes me happy to observe their curiosity and their growth. When these criteria are met, I can confidently say that I have a fulfilling job!”

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Interview with Zaki, a teacher of the future