TEXARKANA MAGAZINE
like, but it looks like it’s going to change the way we do things completely.” There are many advantages to AI that many haven’t even considered. With older generations retiring and younger generations joining the workforce, gaps in learning can occur. Artificial intelligence can help answer questions and identify problems for newly hired employees. “It could help them identify students who may have needs that they didn’t recognize right off the bat, particularly for younger teachers who aren’t as experienced,” Ogburn said. “That’s a big deal because we have a lot of people retiring, and a lot of your baby boomers are leaving, and over the next five years, that gap is going to have to be filled. And the numbers don’t quite add up. So, there’s going to be problems filling positions, and it’s not just in teaching; it is coming in every aspect.” Debates over the pros and cons of advancing technology will continue to persist, even once we’ve moved past the hype surrounding AI. A new form of technology will inevitably come to take its place; that’s simply how the world of innovation works. “Over the years, technology has gotten a lot faster. It’s gotten to the point where technology is no longer about convenience; it’s really more about connection,” said TISD technology teacher, Mark Ahrens. “If you’re going to use technology in any capacity, it is EVOLVING ELECTRONIC EDUCATION EXAMINING CHANGING TECHNOLOGIES IN TEACHING BY SOPHIE KELLER AND NASHITA KALAM THS CLASS OF 2024
I n 1983, the clacking of typewriter keys filled classrooms for the first time, gradually replacing the steady scratch of graphite against paper. By 2010, sleek, portable laptops had replaced bulky monitors and desktop computers. Fast-forward to 2022, and the generation of words across a screen has become effortless, saving countless hours of work. Both students and educators alike wonder what’s next in this world, rapidly overtaken by technology. In recent years, artificial intelligence (AI) has taken the world by storm. It has weaseled its way into every facet of society, from creative expression to information systems and everything in between. “Basically, [AI is] trying to make a computer do what a human mind can do,” explained Rusty Ogburn, Texarkana Independent School District’s (TISD) Director of Information Technology (IT). “It’s trying to make software that mimics people’s thinking and learning processes.” Almost everything we do online can be linked back to AI. Predictive text in writing platforms and tools like Grammarly, which check for grammar and readability, are just a few examples of AI’s pervasive presence. “AI has been around for decades, but what we have seen emerge in the last couple of years has been generative AI, which is AI that is able to generate brand new content–images, text, video, etc.–based
upon the data it was trained on,” noted Emily Szymanski, TISD’s IT coordinator. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated society’s dependence on technology. During the height of the pandemic, the use of technology became an absolute necessity and now people cannot imagine life without it. “I think the biggest change since COVID is that it forced everybody to be technologically savvy,” said TISD English teacher Kara Wicks. “People who never even used G-Suite before had to learn how to use Google Forms and other tools. And so, when everybody went remote, I think that was a huge shift in education.” Physically, classrooms have transformed dramatically. Chalkboards have given way to whiteboards, which have further evolved into projectors. Students have replaced pencils and paper with Chromebooks. However, the actual content students learn, regardless of the technology used, remains mostly the same. With AI’s increasing use, its future impact on society remains uncertain, though it is clear that it will significantly alter how we function. “You know how the Industrial Revolution really changed the way governments were run, changed the way we interacted with each other, and changed what we considered a job,” Wicks said. “I think AI will be that, possibly. I don’t know what it’s going to look
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