I think about learning quite a bit. My lens is usually K12, but my thinking has evolved to view K12 as a particular use case of overall learning. This is helpful because it means that general learning innovations are not held hostage by the relatively slow pace of change in K12 schools.
Let’s say a student is interested in a certain topic. A teacher would be hard-pressed to create a lesson plan for each student for a Friday “passion project” that is scheduled for one hour. Imagine a “learning journey generator” that provides students with a learning journey that is appropriate for their age (i.e., background knowledge and skills) and the time they want to commit. The time element is important because sometimes students (and me too) don’t know how much time they want to spend on a topic until they start their inquiry. The “learning journey generator” doesn’t just provide raw, unleveled content like a search engine. Rather, it provides a more complete learning pathway that approximates a fully formed lesson plan.
Many of the components of the “learning journey generator” are available today. Over time, the other components will become available as AI tools learn how to map inquiries to learning resources:
- A summary of content (available today)
- Questions about the content (available today)
- Reading level analysis (available today)
- Additional lesson plan components that include standards, Big Ideas & Essential Questions, Learning activities (e.g., think-pair-share, K-W-L charts, brainstorming prior knowledge, Frayer models, RAFT, etc.), metacognitive reflection, student feedback on the learning quest components, teacher feedback, and formative/summative assessment.
