“In times of rapid change, experience could be your worst enemy.”
- J. Paul Getty (1892-1976), American businessman and museum founder
How has AI already changed university student expectations for their English classes? How have AI tools opened up new possibilities for learning writing and speaking skills in English? What are some other blessings of AI for teachers? What problems has AI disclosed or deepened for both students and teachers? How is AI a curse for universities and a blessing? How else has AI changed academic studies in American universities?
I will have a chance to share some of my experiences, good mistakes, and perceptions this weekend at an ISEL—India conference focusing on AI and Education. I’m speaking on a symposium panel Teaching with AI: Possibilities, Puzzles, and Perils with USC Professor Robert A. Filback, the founder of the Global Executive Ed.D Program, and Edtech podcaster and Irvine Valley Community College Professor Brent G. Warner. The moderator, Professor Tarun Patel of Gujarat Technological University, Ahmedabad will pose poignant questions that examine how AI – in its infancy – has already changed instructional methods and learning outcomes.
Questions – including some tough questions
Here are some tough questions that I hope we explore:
- How has AI changed your understanding of teaching and learning in the last two years?
- What excites you the most about AI in education, and what worries you the most?
- What are some meaningful classroom activities where AI adds real value?
- How can AI help students improve creativity, communication, and critical thinking?
Of course, many teachers – in many disciplines and in many countries – feel overwhelmed by AI tools.
- Where should educators begin?
- How do we distinguish between productive AI use and overdependence on AI?
- Are current assessment methods still relevant in the age of generative AI?
- How can teachers verify the accuracy of AI-generated content?
- What skills should teachers develop to become effective AI-integrated educators?
- How do we encourage students to think independently when AI can instantly generate answers?
More questions leading to still more, deeper questions!
Naturally, ethical, practical, and philosophical questions will probably come up too.
- What are the biggest ethical concerns surrounding AI in education today?
- Can AI help recenter students in classrooms?
- Or will excessive use of AI lead to more student loneliness in schools?
- Are we preparing students for the future — or making them too dependent on technology?
We’re just at the beginning of the beginning of the AI era. Educators – from elementary to university – have been reviewing the introduction/ invasion of AI in schools.
- What policies should schools and universities create regarding AI use?
- How do we discourage students from off-loading their intellectual development?
- How can teacher education programs prepare future educators for AI-integrated teaching?
- What advice would you give to educators who are skeptical or fearful about AI?
Can I still dwell in the positive possibilities of AI?
I have chosen to explore and deploy AI tools in my own classrooms. We live and teach in 2026, n0t 1926. I’m also trying to dwell in the positive possibilities created by this astonishing technology. Yet I do I worry about surplus student trust in rapid, falsely confident AI answers. Consider me psyched to think out loud with my symposium partners as we seek healthier ways forward.
To learn more about the ISEL-India conference, please visit https://isel.education/2026/04/15/ai-symposium-2026-faqs/