1. Teacher Presence: A knowledge rich curriculum in the age of AI.

Teacher Presence: A knowledge rich curriculum in the age of AI.

Much has been made (not least by myself[1]) of the polarising nature of the debate about knowledge versus skills. The new Labour government has brought a welcome swing to the left in the education discourse that. I suppose it is perhaps predictable that in this context and an increasingly uncertain world- not least in relation to generative AI and the question of how it may transform schools and workplaces, that old conversations about what was, for a while, pejoratively termed ‘21^st Century Skillz’ return to the fore. It’s easy I think, particularly for adults not raised with the internet or social media, to kneejerk a response in these conversations. It seems that, from a place of fear or partial understanding, we either over privilege the role of technology or underplay it. We should not devolve our responsibilities to the tech companies, we cannot buy in a solution from Apple or Microsoft that’s for sure (however benignly and seductively they might market themselves), but neither can we avoid it because frankly ‘it wasn’t like that in my day’.

I have written before about the power of a knowledge rich well sequenced curriculum as an instrument of progressive social change. Specifically, I am concerned with how we might move beyond thinking about what the economy needs, or ‘cultural capital’ as teaching poorer kids what rich kids learn at private school, to something that gives them a meaningful stake in the complex and wondrous society, ecology and universe that we all share. The best route to navigating an uncertain future is surely to have a sure footing in the present.

I certainly don’t believe in unendingly doing things how we’ve always done them for the sake of tradition. Technological tools implemented well can offer the education sector huge opportunities, particularly in relation to workload.  Nor do I think we shouldn’t respond to the challenged raised by AI and unrestricted algorithm dictated content. This technology comes with significant threats, (not least in relation to safeguarding), however I also welcome the opportunity, that this moment brings, to have a conversation about the true purpose of education. I think the fundamental question at this stage is really: What is it that teachers can offer that AI cannot?

For me, this is the ineffable human bit. In my book Leading Mindfully for Healthy and Successful Schools (2022), I write about the embodied experience of being in the classroom and the rationale (rooted in current neurobiological thinking) of engaging with our own nervous systems, in order to be effective teachers and leaders.

The curriculum we teach should ensure a sure footing in the present for our young people. In order to facilitate this we, the adults, need a sure footing in the present too.  How we show up matters. We are living in scary times. If we’re not emotionally regulated ourselves, our pupils (particularly the most vulnerable) will pick up on this. This is related to a neurobiological process involving our ‘mirror neurons’ which Teacher Toolkit offers a useful introduction to here. Simply put though, these neurons fire off and mimic the neural processes of those close to us, particularly attachment figures (including figures of authority). There are therefore very clear benefits to teachers being calm and focused in the classroom. Beyond the relational benefits there are rich pedagogical, (and therefore attainment), benefits to attending to our own emotional state when teaching. Being present in this way also makes you have presence and this supports good attention and concentration from pupils. The first section of my book ‘Leading Yourself’ and the final part ‘Leading in the Classroom’ go into more details about the science of it all and offer some practical suggestions for how you can support yourself in this.

However, I am not saying it ‘ain’t what you do it’s the way that you do it’. Deep disciplinary knowledge and getting the curriculum right matters hugely, but so does how we show up and deliver it. New technologies raise the question of what which responsibilities we can devolve and which we cannot. I don’t think AI can or should write the curriculum – it’s far too political and partial an act, requiring debate and moral choice. Something that teachers absolutely have to have a stake in. We cannot devolve these responsibilities to an exam spec, text book or chat GPT, (though by all means use the tools available to help with resourcing once planning is underway).

However, even if this was not the case and we suspended reality and imagined that we had the curriculum so neatly sown up. No amount of online learning has or will ever replace a teacher in the classroom with their students. That’s the magic. The online engagement gap during Covid showed us this starkly. As someone who reaps the benefits of hybrid working but absolutely needs her days in school, I know very sharply the reality of this in my own life too.

I think the AI question points to a deeper question. Which is to get us to think about what the purpose of education truly is. It is not just to ingest knowledge. We do want kids to know/remember stuff but this is so that they build schemas that help them understand, appreciate and make their way in the world. To inspire, learn and create; to make meaning and new things.

It is welcome that the curriculum review is very evidently not throwing the baby out with the bathwater, (as a child protection professional I fear I should find a better idiom), as Becky Francis has gone on record to describe it as “evolution not revolution”, but there is also a clear recognition that, I quote, “In an era of rapid technological change, it is imperative that the curriculum prepares young people to face challenges and seize opportunities.”

I’ve been hugely inspired by Christine Counsell’s thinking about curriculum as narrative but in this ‘post-Truth’ world it is vital that curriculum leaders (across a range of subjects) build a certain criticality into our teaching and drawing on diverse views and are explicit about the dangers of a single story.  

Now therefore, more than ever, is time for a conversation about what a knowledge rich curriculum for the 21^st century really means.

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[1] (Reid 2018, 2022 https://streamlinedsendco.com/2017/10/11/first-blog-post/; https://www.routledge.com/Leading-Mindfully-for-Healthy-and-Successful-Schools-Beyond-the-Traditional/Reid/p/book/9781032056364?utm_source=individuals&utm_medium=shared_link&utm_campaign=B025321_te1_1au_7pp_d875 )