Learn fast and move slow
The AI gap in UK schools, little language models for little kids, children's data lives in their own words, trusting AI web searches (or not) and much more....
What’s been happening
We’ve got a great Connected Learning Q+A this week – Christian Turton, edtech lead at Chiltern Learning Trust, describes how he uses AI in school, including creating bespoke GPTs, enthuses about the versatility of NotebookLM and shares the principles that guide his decision-making process when it comes to edtech. Read on for more…
The Connected Learning Q+A with Christian Turton, edtech lead at Chiltern Learning Trust
I don’t outsource the thinking to AI but it helps me progress more quickly
What does your role involve?
I lead on the strategic vision for edtech and AI at Chiltern Learning Trust as well as supporting schools directly, working with our diverse range of schools to help them make effective use of technology to support positive outcomes for pupils and students.
What developments in digital education are you excited about?
In a scheme of work we’re developing around serious youth violence I’ve created a GPT which is a virtual version of the central character of story so that students can interact and ask questions
It’s an obvious one but I have to say AI. However, I’m most excited about getting past the workload-saving tools and really exploring how it can improve outcomes for young people. We’ve already explored creating GPTs – for example, in a scheme of work we’re developing around serious youth violence I’ve created a GPT that’s a virtual version of the central character of the story so that students can interact and ask questions. At the moment a lot of the tools out there are expensive and, of course, while we’re aiming to be pro-innovation we also need to be very careful about how the data is used. I also really like the term from UNESCO’s Framework of a ‘human-centred mindset’ – these tools are there to amplify effective practice and create opportunities but the teacher-pupil relationship needs to remain at the core of education.
What developments in digital education concern you?
Again, the potential for AI to do good is mirrored in its potential harms. Young people need to understand this and, at Chiltern Learning Trust, we have a multi-disciplinary team working on digital character education, which incorporates online safety, digital citizenship, digital literacy and character education. A lot of work has gone into defining this and looking at what progression looks like in this area. It’s so important to safeguard our next generation, more important than the emphasis put on it within the national curriculum currently. There is also a need to develop safeguarding further, there are many stories such as schoolchildren in Spain being sentenced for producing deep fakes of a sexual nature of their classmates, and we need to be prepared to deal with and understand these situations. A recent Ofcom report highlighted how children aren’t able to discern misinformation/disinformation/malinformation easily, which highlights the need for education around this.
What new digital tools or apps are you finding useful or appealing?
NotebookLM’s podcast feature is great for engaging with written content / research while driving from school to school!
NotebookLM has so many uses and is very versatile and an example of an AI tool that can really save a lot of time, allowing you to ‘ground’ the AI in authoritative sources to reduce the chance of hallucinations. The podcast feature is great for engaging with written content / research while driving from school to school! The Padlet AI features are also incredible and although limited, the free version can be very helpful especially in a primary classroom where you only teach one class. Canva is also a great tool and completely free for schools, I particularly like the class whiteboard tool in Canva for collaboration.
When it comes to choosing or using technology for learning, other than budget, what principles or philosophies guide your decision-making process?
Evidence – from school audits, questionnaires, research. Also, the school’s context being very important and the staff skill level and capacity for change. Aligning the technology with a teaching and learning need is vital as well. I did a research project led by Rob Coe in the summer and what I always remember is how he kept bringing things back to what changes it will make to the young person. It’s easy to get carried away with tech, but we need to remember what the end goal is and how these young people are relying on everyone entrusted with their education at all levels. Equity is also a guiding principle, especially in our 1:1 programme where each student has a Chromebook. It’s about digital equity, access to learning materials and sites.
What’s a problem you are trying to solve?
The design of CPD to enable teachers to engage with upskilling in digital technologies. We have some good solutions, though – Google’s Skills courses help with the fundamentals and are flexible and I’m currently building up a repository of rich practice to support the sharing of effective edtech practice across the trust. As a trust we offer a huge range of CPD, including what is known as social CPD, such as the Chai and Chat sessions, so we are in a good place to solve this problem.
How have your views on the role of technology in education evolved over the course of your career so far?
I heard a phrase from Rose Luckin that reflects the approach that often works best with technology – learn fast and move slow
I think the most important thing that I’ve learnt is that every context is different and I heard a phrase from Rose Luckin that reflects the approach that often works best with technology – learn fast and move slow. That time to embed is very important.
Has AI changed how you work yet and, if so, how?
I don’t outsource the thinking to AI but I use it to help me progress more quickly during tasks.
Yes, I use it regularly to perform tasks such as taking a summary in note form and writing text. NotebookLM is also great for picking out key themes from documents and creating bullet points. I don’t outsource the thinking to AI but I use it to help me progress more quickly during tasks.
Apart from AI, what do you see as the most significant technological trend/s impacting education in the next couple of years?
Accessibility and inclusion features are always developing and I find are often under-used. Many are simple features but are being built into systems and devices as default and I would love young people and teachers to be aware of these features and promote their use to enable everyone to access learning on a more level playing field. VR and AR are technologies that have come on loads recently, we just need to make it affordable, safe and useful for schools and I believe it has the potential for great impact.
What have you read or listened to (about education and technology) recently that you would recommend to other educators?
I’m listening to Exam Nation by Sammy Wright because someone told me Bridget Philipson is keen on it (disclaimer: I don’t know if this is true!). The EdTech podcast did a great series on AI with Rose Luckin so I’ve listened to that recently as well.
AI roundup
AI gaps in UK schools
Educate’s new AI report, Beyond the Hype, presents findings from a self-assessment of 256 English educational institutions regarding AI integration in education. Key findings reveal a significant gap between AI awareness and practical implementation, with independent schools outpacing state schools in AI readiness. Only 30% of institutions have AI policies in place, highlighting a lack of formal guidance. The report also notes the importance of AI-focused professional development and the need to address ethical challenges. Students are found to be more likely to use AI tools for learning at home than in school, raising concerns about potential inequalities.
AI: a human-centred approach
A two-day event in Strasbourg gathered over a hundred experts in AI and education to explore creating a legal instrument guiding the practice and development of AI systems.
Also in AI news:
ChatGPT can now search the web for up-to-date answers to a user’s queries
Children are learning how to make their own little language models in an MIT Media Lab project. (See also Give it a Try below for more information)
Veen Bosch & Keuning, the largest publisher in the Netherlands, has confirmed plans to trial the use of AI to assist in translation of commercial fiction
Can we trust AI web searches?
In this LinkedIn post Keri Facer highlights how confidence and critical reading of AI will be distributed differently across student populations
Quick links
A new Revealing Reality/ICO report explores children's data lives - in their own words
A Dutch school is barring parents from a marks-sharing app in a bid to lower pupil stress
An excellent new research database from LSE’s Digital Futures for Children offers good evidence about children and young people’s digital lives and rights
A judicial review of the decision to turn the online Oak National Academy into a government quango has been put on hold while discussions between the British Education Suppliers Association, the Publishers Association, the Society of Authors and the DfE continue
French parents whose children took their own lives are suing TikTok over harmful content
A new report on the environmental impact of edtech advocates for integrating sustainability into the edtech ecosystem, while the Guardian tried to assess the carbon footprint of an average day of emails, WhatsApps and more
From Schoolsweek, 10 things schools need to know after Labour’s first budget
The Edtech Strategy Lab wants to hear views from across the edtech landscape to help build stronger partnerships and a more trustworthy edtech ecosystem. Here's the survey
A two-year study, Toddlers, Tech and Talk, has looked at how tech is influencing 0- to three-year-olds’ early talk and literacy in diverse communities across the UK
Give it a try
CoCo
CoCo is a communities-centric co-creative learning platform designed to empower educators to support young people in both physical and remote settings in being creative. It was created by Manuj Dhariwal and Shruti Dhariwa, PhD candidates at MIT Media Lab in the Lifelong Kindergarten group who received the LEGO Papert Fellowship for research at the intersection of creativity, learning, play and new technologies. Join their invite list to give CoCo a try with your community of young learners.
Connected Learning is by Sarah Horrocks and Michelle Pauli
