As much as we need to and should support students with adopting new technologies such as AI, educators from primary school to universities are being thrown into the deep end and expected to swim with very little instruction or support. From working with educators while at GitHub, it is clear that we ask much of our teachers. They are expected to roll up their sleeves to learn not only basic computing and software development, but also version control, and industry-wide best practices for collaborative software development. More recently, teachers are ALSO expected to know about generative AI, teach about practical and ethical use of AI in the classroom, figure out how curriculum evolves because of AI, all while technology rapidly evolves. While they show enthusiasm for AI’s potential, e.g., generating quizzes or lesson plans, there is not an easy path to onboarding.
Wikipedia, GitHub, and arXiv show us that free and open access can be transformative, providing free knowledge, peer review, and opportunities to collaborate easily, lowering barriers of access to entry to new skills and careers. We can also learn from offline Internet-in-a-Box (IIAB) deployments in rural African schools that have enabled students to develop research skills through Wikipedia, fostering collaborative and self-directed learning. We share perspectives on how to do the same for education and AI.
Questions remain on how to make technology and AI resources more collaborative:
- Can we learn from past models to create a system where teachers work with existing tools like Wikipedia and perhaps even develop their own networked, open, peer-reviewed system to collaborate?
- By expanding offline-ready resources like IIAB-compatible content, fostering educator collaboration networks akin to Wikipedia’s editing communities, and partnering with grassroots organizations, can we support teachers worldwide so they harness AI ethically and inclusively?
- What does an ecosystem, which enables teachers to ‘photocopy’ lesson plans in a digital world, look like in practice? What can we learn from offline-first platforms, like IIAB, to inspire such networks?
- Is AI lowering barriers to entry to software development careers?
- Will AI completely change the role of educators by 2035, and if so how?
We will share educational experiences with GitHub, Internet-in-a-Box, and AI and our work to provide online and offline tooling and content to remote regions worldwide. A model of federated ecosystems can empower educators, learners, and community organizers everywhere, turning passive learners into active creators in the AI era.
