Welcome to the last day of Appvent 2024.
I could not miss this last day without highlighting something that emphasizes year after year: the importance that educators play in each decision made about the use of technology in schools. So, as it has become the tradition, there is no application, platform or tool on the last day of the #24day Sofepvent, there are only and simply you.
I can barely believe it is a ten -year bone as a classroom to concentrate on supporting full -time educators and schools. At that time, technology has advanced exposed. We have seen the emergence of AI, the integration of devices 1: 1 in the classrooms, more digital platforms than we can tell and survive a global pandemic. However, one thing has remained firm: teachers are still, and they will always be, the most important element in any classroom.
Around the last decade of working with educators and school leaders worldwide, a truth stands out above all: success with technology is less about tools itself and much more about the people who use them. It is easy to get lost in the charm of new brilliant systems or platforms that promise to “revolutionize” education, but reality is much more nuanced.
The phrase often repeated “The problem is somewhere between the laptop and the chair“I could cause a smile, and I have used it myself in the past. However, the more I work with the schools, the more I realize how reductive it is. It simplifies too much the great skill, care and thought necessary so that the work is not a matter of connecting and pressing the game.
Let’s take my 5c: trust, competition, calm, consistency and context. These principles matter because they focus the teacher and their professional experience on discussions about technology. No platform, however intelligent, can replace the nuance decision making and the relational work that educators do every day. It is the educators who know their students, their needs and what will have the greatest impact on the specific environments of their classroom.
The same applies when it comes to the role of AI in education. There is no doubt that AI has made significant waves, particularly in areas such as the reduction of the workload. The tools are based on large language models have helped simplify tasks, saving a beautiful time for teachers and support personnel equally. That said, let’s be honest about what these tools are really. Many of them are simply polished packages built around the systems with which we are already familiar. The difference lies in how they are used. AI is not a magical force that transforms education; It is a tool, one that can be incredibly useful when it is managed reflective and frustratingly useless when it is not.
One of the greatest AI appeals for educators has been their ability to support practical tasks, such as reducing the administrator or generating ideas. That is a good thing. But let’s not lose sight of reality: AI can be incorrect, misleading and frankly unproductive when used without care. He is not human, he does not know anything, and he is certainly not able to do the nuanced professional judges that educators do every day. That is why I always return to my guidance principle of Bananarma: it is not what you do, it is the way you do it, and that is what obtains results.
When we get to the end of another year, I want to leave you with a thought. The tools and platforms that we use not the heart of education, you are. Educators, support staff, leaders, all of you who work in education are what makes the difference in the lives of young people.
Technology is just an act of support.
So, as we finish, I will ask you to do something radical: get away. Close the laptop, place your phone and give yourself the space to really turn off. Notifications, emails and the endless flow of publications on social networks will remain there in a few days. But this moment, this opportunity to rest, is fleeting.
Turn on your answer ‘outside the office’. Use your ‘Do not bother’ configuration to create a protective bubble for you. Limit your notifications only to the most important contacts, your family and loved online really matter. Stay away from LinkedIn, X, Bluesky, Instagram and the rest. Instead, concentrate on people who make your world brighter and the moments that recharge your spirit.
Because the truth: it is you what matters. Much more than the tools you use, much more than the technological trends of the moment. You are the reason why young people thrive. You are who gives life to lessons, guides, support and inspire. And you deserve this time to rest, reflect and re -connect with what he does, you.
Take the time to rest, he has earned it. You are and always be, the heart of education. See you next year!
Still here?
It would be negligent or I do not thank Appent 2024, so thanks to Ronan Mcnicholl for sharing the load of writing the publications this year. Thanks also to Liz Bury, who created the design of the calendar this year and made the most important daily images. Thanks also to Steve Bambury on the other hand in the calendar this year. The impact of the Appvent calendar has extended everywhere this year, and many others emerged turning in the idea; From Edtech’s daily tips, to AI councils, to Advent calendars or Edtech heroes in schools, to exactly the appeases calendar. It is an idea that he won simply disappear, although perhaps next year it could be the time for something different. Who knows?
My last thanks to You To review the publications every day and if you have enjoyed the series, let us know: it could be the inspiration that makes me make another next year and it is always great to listen to the impact of our work and how to fear and work take those tools.
We hope you pay attention to the words shared above and have a really rejuvenated and rejuvenated vacation.
See you next year!
Keep the avant -garde with AI in education:
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