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Generative AI platforms have sent shock waves through the K-12 education sector since the public release of ChatGPT nearly three years ago. The technology is taking hold under the belief that students and teachers need to be proficient in these powerful tools, even though many concerns remain around equity, privacy, bias, and degradation of critical thinking among students. As a professor who teaches future educators and is part of an AI-focused working group, I have observed the potential for artificial intelligence to transform teaching and learning practices in K-12 schools. The trends I am seeingand that I encourageare for K-12 educators to use AI to shift from memorization and rote learning to instead emphasize critical thinking and creativity. Jumping in the deep end After the public release of ChatGPT in late 2022, some large school districts initially banned the use of AI due to concerns about cheating. Surveys also reflected worries about chatbots fabricating information, such as references for school papers, in addition to concerns about misinformation and biases existing in AI responses to prompts. Students, on the other hand, tended to jump into the deep end of the AI pool. Common Sense Media, which offers recommendations on childrens media consumption, published a report in 2024 showing that students were using AI-supported search and chatbots for homework and to stave off boredom as well as other personal reasons, including creating content as a joke, planning activities, and seeking health advice. Most of the teachers and parents of the students in the study were unaware that students were using the technology. In my work at Drexel University teaching graduate students who are aspiring school principals or superintendents, I found that in 2023, K-12 students were afraid of using AI due to the policies implemented in their districts banning it. However, it quickly became apparent that students were able to mask their use of AI by instructing AI to insert some mistakes into their assignments. Meanwhile, despite teachers initial concerns about AI, approximately 60% of K-12 teachers now admit to using AI to plan lessons, communicate with parents, and assist with grading. Concerns over students cheating still exist, but time-strapped teachers are finding that using AI can save them time while improving their teaching. A recent Walton Foundation and Gallup study revealed that teachers who used AI tools weekly saved an average of 5.9 hours per week, which they reallocated to providing students more nuanced feedback, creating individualized lessons, writing emails, and getting home to their families in a more reasonable time. Opening up new ways of teaching I recommend that my graduate students use AI because I think ignoring emerging trends in education is not wise. I believe the benefits outweigh the negatives if students are taught ethical use of the technology and guardrails are put in place, such as requiring that AI be cited as a source if students use it in coursework. Advocates say AI is changing teaching for the better, since it forces teachers to identify additional ways for students to demonstrate their understanding of content. Some strategies for students who rely too heavily on AI include oral presentations, project-based learning, and building portfolios of a students best work. One practice could involve students showing evidence of something they created, implemented, or developed to address a challenge. Evidence could include constructing a small bridge to demonstrate how forces act on structures, pictures, or a video of students using a water sampling device to check for pollution, or students designing and planting a community garden. AI might produce the steps needed to construct the project, but students would actually have to do the work. Teachers can also use AI to create lessons tailored to students interests, quickly translate text to multiple languages, and recognize speech for students with hearing difficulties. AI can be used as a tutor to individualize instruction, provide immediate feedback and identify gaps in students learning. When I was a school superintendent, I always asked applicants for teaching positions how they connected their classroom lessons to the real world. Most of them struggled to come up with concrete examples. On the other hand, I have found AI is helpful in this regard, providing answers to students perennial question of why they need to learn what is being taught. Thought partner Teachers in K-12 schools are using AI to help students develop their empathetic skills. One example is prompting an AI to redesign the first-day experience for a relocated student entering a new middle school. AI created the action steps and the essential questions necessary for refining students initial solutions. In my own classroom, Ive used AI to boost my graduate students critical thinking skills. I had my students imagine that they were college presidents facing the loss of essential federal funding unless they implemented policies limiting public criticism of federal agencies on campus. This proposed restriction, framed as a requirement to maintain institutional neutrality, requires students to develop a plan of action based on their knowledge of systems and design thinking. After each team developed their solution, I used AI to create questions and counterpoints to their proposed solution. In this way, AI becomes a critical thought partner to probe intended and unintended outcomes, gaps in students thinking, and potential solutions that might have been overlooked. AI researcher Ethan Mollick encourages educators to use AI as a springboard, similar to jazz msicians improvising, as a way to unleash new possibilities. Mollick advises people to partner with AI as co-intelligence, be the human in the loop, treat AI as a coworker, albeit one that needs to be prodded for evidence, and to learn to use it well. I concur. Changing perspectives on AI Some early studies on the effects of using AI in education have raised concerns that the convenience of generative AI will degrade students learning and erode their critical thinking skills. I think that further studies are needed, but I have found in my own work and in the work of my graduate students that AI can enhance human-produced work. For example, AI-powered teaching assistants, like Khanmigo or Beghetto Bots, use AI to help students solve problems and come up with innovative solutions without giving away the answers. My experiences with other educators on the front lines show me that they are beginning to change their perspectives toward students using AI, particularly as teachers realize the benefit of AI in their own work. For example, one of my graduate students said his district is employing a committee of educators, students and outside experts to explore how AI can be used ethically and in a way that wont erode students critical thinking skills. Educators are starting to realize that AI isnt going away anytime soonand that its better to teach their students how to use it, rather than leave them to their own devices. Michael G. Kozak is an associate clinical professor of educational administration and leadership at Drexel University. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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People become leaders by first becoming effective managers. They create cohesion and consensus among their team. They maintain an atmosphere of predictability so everybody knows what to expect and focus on executing a plan with excellence. Thats how you consistently deliver value to customers, partners, and other stakeholders. Yet when you are pursuing change, none of those things will help you. When something is new, untried, and untested, you cant expect an immediate consensus to form around it. You cant expect predictability either, but need to embrace uncertainty. Instead of focusing on execution, you need to explore and find new answers through some trial and error. Thats one of the things that makes transformation so hard for so many leaders. You need to mode shift away from whats made you successful up to this point and do things differently. That requires you not only to change actions, but to adopt new mindsetsfrom persuasion to empowerment, differentiating values to shared values, and from a heros journey to strategic conflict. 1. From persuasion to empowerment Tony Soprano, the ruthless mafia boss from the iconic TV show, was a master of coercion. Yet sensing that he could benefit by exploring alternative strategies, he often sought the advice of Dr. Jennifer Melfi, who encouraged him to take a more collaborative approach. Tony thought about it for a minute and asked, Then how do I get people to do what I want? As much as we might not like to admit it, every manager faces some version of this dilemma. We want to motivate employees, to inspire them to actualize their potential and achieve great things. But at the end of the day, we have goals we need to reach, plans to get there, and we really just want the people who work for us to do what we ask them to. Yet in a transformational initiative, you need to operate in an atmosphere of uncertainty and, almost by definition, you dont really know what the final solution will look like. You have to experiment, try things out, see what works, what doesnt, and iterate your way to designing a new model. There are no hard and fast rules. So instead of trying to get people to do what you want, identify people who want what you want and empower them to succeed. Work with them to design an initial Keystone Change and, when you find one that works, arm them with resources they can co-opt so that they can empower others, who can bring in others still. 2. From differentiating values to shared values Everybody is taught in Marketing 101 that the first rule of selling is to differentiate your product with a unique value proposition to cut through the noise. After all, if you are no different than the competition, why would customers choose you? An undifferentiated product is, by definition, a commodity and commodities dont command high margins. So it makes sense that managers preparing to launch a change initiative want to focus on what differentiates the idea, because thats what makes them passionate about it. They often use adjectives like disruptive, innovative, and revolutionary to create excitement. Yet what might seem exciting to some, might feel threatening to others. The problem is that large-scale transformation in an organization usually involves collective action, which makes getting traction very different than marketing a product like, say, a car or a bag of chips. Consumers can choose among competing products, but organizational change requires collective buy-inand resistance is inevitable. Differentiating values invite backlash. Thats why you want to create a sense of safety around the change by focusing on shared values. For example, when people come back to the office after Agile training, they often tout the Agile Manifesto and are surprised to find that they dont get much traction. A much better strategy would be to focus on things everybody already believes in, such as better products, done faster and cheaper. Focusing on shared values doesnt mean watering down your visionit means framing it in a way that resonates with what people already care about. You have to meet people where they are, not try to force your passions on them. 3. From a heros journey to a strategic conflict Leaders often see change as if it were a heros journey in which there is some alternative future state. They believe that if they are good enough, do all the right things, and if their cause is righteous, they will eventually get to that place. Much like Luke Skywalker, who had to face himself before he could face Darth Vader, their struggle is largely internal. Yet just like Star Wars, thats mostly a fantasy. The true story of change is that of strategic conflict between a future vision and the status quo. There are sources of power keeping the status quo in place, and those sources of power have an institutional basis. If you are ever going to bring about genuine transformation, thats what you need to influence. Once you understand this story, you can begin to build an effective strategy. Power is embedded in institutions, and real change requires mapping out which ones reinforce the status quo, which align with your vision, and which could go either way. Those institutional targets will determine how you develop tactics. One of the most powerful moments in our Transformation and Change Workshops is when we identify these sources of power and map them on a power matrix. Thats when the leaders we work with can begin to see a path forward and shift from seeing change as an abstract goal to a concrete, strategic processone where power dynamics can be mapped and influenced. Adopting a changemaker mindset Leaders are trained to operate with a manager mindset because consensus and predictability are essential to execute complex operations. Everyone needs to know their role to carry out their responsibilities and be able to trust that everyone else will do the same. Thats how you deliver for customers, partners, employees, and other stakeholders. When you need to change course, however, you need to discard the manager mindset and embrace a changemaker mindset, and that means that the usual best practices wont work. Change isnt predictable, but uncertain. You cant expect a consensus, so you need to identify a coalition thats willing to believe in the change vision and explore possibilities. What makes that so difficult is that adopting a changemaker mindset requires leaders to abandon what made them successful in the first place. Persuading people that you have the right vision is unlikely to succeed, so you need to identify people who are already enthusiastic about it. Instead of emphasizing how the change is different, you need to focus on values that are already widely shared. Whats perhaps most challengingand humbling for leaders to understand is that transformation is not a journey in which they get to play the hero, but a strategic conflict with the status quo in their own organization, which is supported by sources of power that have had yearsand sometimes decadesto take hold. Effective leaders need to master both the manager mindset and the changemaker mindset and learn to effectively switch off between the two. Just because you need to pursue change doesnt mean you can just ignore everyday operations. On the other hand, if you try to pursue change with a manager mindset, you are almost guaranteed to fail.
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When I entered the workforce, I remember trying to appear constantly available to my bosses. It was the height of hustle culture, back when phrases like Ill sleep when Im dead actually sounded cool. Prioritizing work above all else felt like a prerequisite for climbing the corporate ladder. It was also a fast-track to burnout. Now, as the CEO of my own company, I appreciate when employees and candidates are honest about their boundaries. To me, it signals a well-rounded person who is more likely to thrive and stick around. Im more interested in how they think, whether theyre solution-oriented, and what kind of energy they bring to the team. For a long time, putting in more hours was the unspoken rule for proving your commitment to your job. But thats changing. Todays workplace increasingly values outcomes over hours. The always-on era is giving way to something very different. Employees are prioritizing a holistic sense of well-being, and I think thats a positive shift for individuals and organizations alike. Heres why. Looking busy doesnt equal productivity The rocks, pebbles, and sand metaphor is a useful way to rethink how we measure productivity, for ourselves and for our teams. The rocks are the priorities: the high-impact tasks that inspire employees and energize them. For me, the rocks are writing and strategizing how to simplify our users lives through automation. The sand, on the other hand, is the low-value busyworkthose draining tasks that clutter the day without moving the needle. Think: expense reports, invoicing, unnecessary meetings, or chasing status updates. Its easier than ever to fill our calendars with sand and convince ourselves were being productive. But when our teams are overloaded with the trivialthe sandtheres no room left for meaningful work. Leaders are tasked with protecting time for the rocks, in our own schedules and across organizations. That means setting an example about clearly and regularly outlining priorities, encouraging employees to streamline or eliminate busywork, and valuing outcomes over hours. Just because someone is still online at 6:30 p.m. doesnt mean theyre being effective. And just because someone has to cut out early doesnt mean they havent had a productive day. Create a culture that values deep and smart work, and youll see not only better results but also more energized employees. Focusing on outcomes encourages efficiency Constraints often spark creativity. Deadlines, for example, force us to figure out the most efficient way to get something done. If youve ever pulled off a last-minute project under the gun and surprised yourself with how quickly you accomplished it, you know the power of time pressure. You might have even thought afterward: If only I could always work with that kind of momentum. By contrast, when organizations focus on hours worked, with face-time requirements and mandating that employees be on for a certain number of hours each day, tasks tend to expand to fill the time available. Thats the antithesis of true productivity. Consider law firms, where clients are billed by the hour. Lawyers must track every minute of their day. Those who work quickly and efficiently are often penalized, with fewer hours to bill. Its a system that rewards time spent over value delivered. When leaders shift the focus to outcomes, employees are naturally motivated to work smarter, not longer. This requires setting clear expectations for what success looks like on a project or task, beyond just the time spent. As Georgia Dawson, senior partner at global law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, puts it: It would be ideal for the industry if we can start to move toward more of a focus on outputs and the value that is being delivered by lawyers. That supports a drive toward efficiency, a drive toward the use of technology, and it can help to support a better focus on mental health, well-being, and diversity in the profession as well. The same logic applies beyond law. Outcome-oriented environments lead to smarter work, better tools, and healthier teams. An output-focused culture resonates with Gen Z Recent research from Deloitte shows that younger generations, especially Gen Z, highly value flexibility in when, where, and how they work. But many arent experiencing that flexibility in practice. Instead, they report high levels of anxiety about work-life balance, with long hours being a significant contributor to that stress. Adopting a more outcome-focused approach helps bridge that gap. When employees are trusted to deliver results rather than log hours, they gain the autonomy to structure their schedules around their lives. That flexibility supports higher levels of well-being, stronger performance, and boosted engagement. It creates the kind of work atmosphere that younger employees gravitate toward. Ive seen firsthand how Gen Z thrives with more flexibility, and it benefits our company too. Theyre tech-savvy and automation-minded. Give them a goal, and theyll often find faster, smarter ways to achieve it. When leaders focus on outcomes instead of hours, they unlock that productivity potential.
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