With the potential of such powerful tools at hand, I could readily imagine the scope of application to the betterment and detriment of humankind and wondered—are we prepared?
Within the space of 24 hours, I then went on to watch ChatGPT-4o reason across audio, vision, and text in real time as it guided a learner through understanding a math concept. I was fascinated to observe how GPT-4o affirmed the learner's attempt at problem-solving and just how responsive and intuitive the communication was (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sq1QZB5baNw ).
I was also equally interested in some of the comment’s viewers had posted. The remarks followed along some familiar themes: firstly, the threat to our outdated model of education— “Traditional education will be destroyed in a few years because of this and that's a good thing.” Secondly, the accessibility of anywhere/anytime learning— “This means every kid can have a personal tutor who is infinitely patient and guides them in exactly the way they need at any time day or night.” Thirdly, the stark reminder that while technology affords us accessibility, leisure, and timesaving, it also comes at the risk of job losses— “…now my son can do his homework on his own! One job down for me, waiting to lose my real job soon!”
I acknowledge feeling at once both impressed and uneasy by the pace of technological acceleration in our midst. Once again, I wondered—are we prepared? AI is banging at the door and shaking the foundations of our entrenched and outdated education model, presenting the biggest challenge and accelerant for transforming education. What will it mean for all of us in education? How must we change (and how quickly) to navigate this unknown terrain? More importantly, what readiness measures are we putting into place to equip young people with the competencies they must have to thrive in a world of accelerations?
To prepare students for future success, schools must prioritize the development of creative intelligence. This multifaceted ability to generate novel and valuable ideas, adapt to new situations, and solve complex problems in innovative ways is essential for personal and professional growth in an increasingly complex and dynamic world. Creative intelligence is not confined to artistic fields but is applicable across all domains, including the humanities, mathematics, science, business, technology, and everyday scenarios. It is also crucial that students have opportunities to build creative intelligence within interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary learning contexts. It is a vital component of progress, enabling individuals and organizations to adapt to change and discover new opportunities, making it imperative for principals and teachers to integrate this focus into the bedrock of school culture and educational practice.
