Our Students Already Use AI. The Problem Is We Haven't Taught Them How.
4 min read
AI Literacy & CurriculumTeacher DevelopmentAI in Schools
Giving students access to AI is only the first step. Helping them build critical thinking, responsible use, and the judgment to know when not to use it — that's the part we're missing.
Teacher DevelopmentAI Literacy & CurriculumAI in Schools
Among teachers whose schools provide AI software, only 35% say there's a formal policy on teacher use. 8 in 10 say schools should teach AI literacy — but most are doing it from scratch.
Ethics & WellbeingAI Literacy & CurriculumAI in Schools
Most of the AI conversation in schools is about tools and productivity. The more important conversation is about ethics – fairness, privacy, bias, and who stays in control. If we teach children to use these systems but not to question them, we've prepared efficient users, not wise citizens.
Paul Penfold is an education and technology consultant based in Chiang Mai, Thailand, with six decades of experience spanning classroom teaching, academic research, government policy, and humanitarian service. He advises schools, ministries, and EdTech companies on AI in education, alternative education, and learning technology, and has published 37 papers on immersive and virtual-world learning. His career includes refugee education on the Thai-Cambodian border, pioneering virtual-world hospitality education at Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and national tourism HR strategies across Asia and the Caribbean.