Since the emergence of generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI), and in particular ChatGPT, the world of education has been profoundly disrupted, prompting us to adapt. Many of us are still seeking to understand how Gen AI works and how we can use these powerful tools to support our educational practices.
This session will provide an overview of Gen AI, how it functions, and the challenges it poses in our society and within our educational system. It will also present practical applications of Gen AI for teachers.
Meet your Presenter
Originally from Smooth Rock Falls in northeastern Ontario, Daniel Dubé is an experienced educator and trainer based at École secondaire catholique Algonquin in North Bay. With over 20 years in secondary education and 18 years in distance learning, Daniel specializes in supporting educators with technical and pedagogical resources, including managing the Brightspace Virtual Learning Environment and Google for Education suite.
A father of three, Daniel is also an avid sports fan and outdoor enthusiast. His journey in education, philosophy, and family life is highlighted in episode 39 of the Inspire Leadership podcast and the TV show À fond de train on Unis TV. For Daniel, “To accept being good is to refuse to be excellent.”
Key Issues and Takeaways
- AI Literacy vs. AI Fluency: It’s no longer enough to understand what AI is; teachers and students need to learn how to collaborate with it and use it critically.
- Impact on Education:
- Educators are challenged to rethink academic integrity, authentic assessment, and the student learning process.
- Teachers must adapt by shifting toward process-oriented evaluation rather than just assessing products.
- AI Usage by Students:
- A growing number of students use AI tools for schoolwork.
- Some students trust AI for clarification more than their instructors.
- But students don’t believe that AI alone boosts their grades.
- Risks & Concerns:
- Inaccuracies, hallucinations, bias, and lack of regulation.
- Ethical dilemmas like deepfakes, voice cloning, and AI-generated art/music.
- Environmental impact: AI uses significant power and water resources.
- Data privacy: Especially for minors, remains under-addressed.
- Assessment Challenges:
- Detection tools (e.g., GPTZero, Turnitin) are unreliable.
- Need for authentic assessments (e.g., interviews, podcasts, presentations).
- AI as a Tool, Not a Crutch:
- AI is likened to a hammer in a woodshop—useful, but not a replacement for craftsmanship.
- Educators must critically evaluate and adjust AI output.
Key Concepts by Category
🔍 AI Fundamentals
- Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- Machine Learning
- Deep Learning
- Generative AI
💬 Tools & Technologies
- Text generation: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini
- Image generation: MidJourney, DALL·E
- Voice generation: Suno, RunwayML
- Video generation: Blueberry, AI Shorts
- Productivity: Canva Magic Design, Copilot, Gamma
- Custom GPTs: Assignment Strengthener, Gemini Gems
🔐 Ethics & Safety
- Voice cloning
- Deepfakes
- Hallucinations
- Intellectual property concerns
- Personal data usage
- Environmental costs of AI usage
- Misinformation and disinformation
📚 Education Impact
- AI Literacy vs. AI Fluency
- Process vs. Product in assessment
- Authentic assessment strategies
- AI’s role in student motivation
- Teacher role transformation
- Prompt engineering
- Responsible AI use in the classroom
🌐 Online Resources Mentioned
| Assignment Strengthener GPT | ChatGPT Custom GPT |
| Genially Presentation Slides | Genially Presentation |
| Pause Giant AI Experiments (Open Letter) | Future of Life Institute |
| Environmental Impact – MIT News | MIT News (exact URL not provided) |
| AI Literacy and Fluency – Faculty Focus | Faculty Focus |
| Ditch That Textbook – 50 AI Tools | Ditch That Textbook – AI Tools |
| CAVLFO AI Resources (French) | CAVLFO |