AI Can Help Educators Avoid the Mistakes of the Past or Repeat Them

• By Daniel Obregon
• 03/13/25

Generative AI is already shaping the future of education, but its true potential is only beginning to unfold.

Despite the many unknowns in the ether, the promise of gen AI's transformative power becomes evident when there are intentional spaces to experiment and learn. Last fall, I attended the first of several similar AI hackathon experiences for educators co-hosted by Leading Educators and Playlab. More than 100 participants from across the United States — teachers, system leaders, philanthropists, and nonprofit executives — came together to build and experiment with new AI-powered solutions to improve education.

Over just two days, participants developed tools ranging from policy navigators that simplify the search for school guidelines, to family communication chatbots and instructional coaching solutions that directly enhance teacher practice. The Playlab platform, designed to make AI accessible without coding skills, enabled rapid experimentation and ideation. It underscored how easily AI tools can empower educators to create solutions they hadn't previously imagined. The event was a powerful reminder of the possibilities when educators are empowered to drive change with AI.

Yet, it also served as a cautionary tale: While the availability of AI is novel, we've seen how new technologies in education have faltered before. Previous attempts at integrating educational technology often failed due to a lack of alignment with instructional goals, insufficient training, and a lack of thoughtful planning. If we're to realize AI's full potential, we must ensure it is deployed strategically to avoid repeating these mistakes.

In my work at Leading Educators, where we focus on creating support structures and meaningful opportunities for educators to practice new teaching approaches, I see an important opportunity for support providers to help systems navigate these complexities while keeping AI efforts and policy focused on new possibilities for instruction.

The Value-Add of AI-Enabled Instruction: Do More, Do Better, Do New

AI holds tremendous promise to strengthen teaching and learning. It offers educators the ability to do more, do better, and achieve things they never imagined. But as we embrace this new era, we must reflect on the past and ask critical questions about AI's ideal role:

• How might we use AI responsibly and in alignment with learning science?
• How do we ensure use cases and governance policies do not exacerbate barriers to access and student success?
• How might leaders use AI to reimagine, redistribute, and reconfigure the daily work of educators to more effectively and sustainably meet a range of student needs and strengths?
• What steps can school leaders take to ensure AI adoption aligns with a challenging, real-world instructional vision?

Educators on the cutting edge — like those in the School Teams AI Collaborative — are already experimenting with generative AI to enhance productivity, improve access to information, and creatively engage with students. However, the widespread application of AI in classrooms still faces significant hurdles.

A survey by Educators for Excellence (E4E) found that over a third of teachers are already using AI in the classroom. However, only 17% felt confident using AI, and 58% said they needed more training. This gap points to a familiar pitfall: rapid adoption without adequate support.

In past waves of educational technology, transformative promises often fell short due to poor integration, lack of teacher support, and disconnection from instructional goals. The current AI boom runs the risk of repeating these missteps, with tools adopted without coherent strategies or sufficient professional development, leading to fragmented implementation and underuse. The easy accessibility of AI tools could lead to inconsistencies across classrooms, deepening existing inequities.

Addressing the Dangers of AI in Education

AI also poses some real risks that educators and leaders must address proactively. If not managed thoughtfully, AI could exacerbate inequalities, compromise student privacy, and introduce ethical dilemmas in decision-making.

• Equity Concerns: AI systems often reflect biases in their training data, potentially leading to unequal outcomes. For example, performance algorithms may inadvertently favor certain demographics, reinforcing systemic disparities. Developers and educators must prioritize transparency and ensure diverse representation in datasets.
• Privacy and Security: AI use in education involves collecting large volumes of student data. Without strict safeguards, this data is vulnerable to breaches or misuse. Schools must implement robust governance policies and ensure compliance with privacy standards.
• Human Connection: Over-reliance on AI risks eroding teacher-student relationships, which are crucial for engagement and emotional well-being. AI should supplement, not replace, personal interactions.
• Ethical Concerns: AI systems may generate inaccurate information, and educators must critically evaluate outputs. Ethical guidelines are needed to govern AI's instructional role, ensuring transparency and accountability.

Embedding AI in Your Instructional Vision

To avoid these pitfalls, educators and school leaders must co-create a clear vision for how AI fits into teaching and learning. This approach should prioritize alignment with instructional goals, ongoing professional development, and constant feedback from educators. For example, Denver Public Schools transitioned from broad workshops to intensive coaching, focusing on how to integrate technology — including AI — into teaching practices. This targeted approach has led to tangible improvements in classroom instruction and school culture.

As educators experiment with AI and consider new technology products, it's crucial to establish clear goals and criteria that align instructional strategies, learning science, and technology. Educators and leaders must be discerning consumers and users of technology, with an eye toward maximizing impact: efficacy, classroom performance, ethics, and the closing of achievement and opportunity gaps.

Improving Teaching and Learning with AI

AI offers new ways for students to interact with curriculum and content, providing more differentiated instruction and immediate feedback that can deepen understanding. However, careful consideration must be given to how AI solutions are implemented to ensure equity, privacy, and alignment with instructional goals.

Past technology integrations often ignored these factors, resulting in uneven access and inconsistent usage across schools. AI, if not thoughtfully integrated, risks repeating this history — especially for marginalized students. Addressing equity concerns early on can ensure that AI enhances, rather than hinders, learning for all students.

Building Classroom Culture and Community with AI

AI can help foster supportive learning environments where all students feel valued and included. By connecting students' learning to their interests, identities, and perspectives, AI can help build stronger classroom communities. However, AI tools must be designed with inclusivity in mind, meeting the diverse needs of all students, including multilingual learners and those requiring differentiated support.

Looking back on the misuse of technology in the past, educators must evaluate how AI tools will impact classroom dynamics and student interactions. The goal should be to enhance — not replace — the human elements that make learning meaningful.

Enhancing Teacher Practice with AI

Teachers deserve professional development that supports their growth, and AI can provide quick access to resources, personalized learning pathways, and collaboration opportunities. But these resources must align with organizational goals and instructional practices.

Effective professional development should go beyond technical tutorials and focus on pedagogical strategies that help teachers integrate AI into their teaching. History shows successful technology adoption depends on helping educators use tools effectively to support teaching and learning.

While we don't yet know the best ways to leverage AI in classrooms, ignoring its potential could exacerbate inequity, lead to incoherent practices, or spread misinformation. With curiosity and intentionality, we can create innovative solutions for students.

Technology alone is not a cure-all. Tools without strategies risk being unused or abandoned. As AI becomes more integrated into education, adoption must be purposeful, driven by clear strategies, strong professional development, and constant feedback. Thoughtful alignment with instructional goals enables AI to support personalized, effective, and innovative teaching and learning.

By co-creating a shared vision, educators and school leaders can harness AI to do more, do better, and do new things, fostering richer learning experiences for all students.