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How was this future of education inspired by your observations in the present?

In the present, we see a lot of overcrowding (due to budget cuts, understaffing, etc.), and we were inspired to create a world where AI and human teachers work side by side to deliver lessons, mark assignments, and be a support system in schools
To achieve this, we imagined a world where AI holograms act as independent teachers, and are treated the same as “human teachers”
We created a Virtual Reality space called the “Vivarium”, where AI and technology makes learning more vivid and hands-on (i.e. in a history class, being able to travel back in time to see a WW1 battlefield, or other significant historical events)

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What process did you go through to construct your future narrative?

As a group, we discussed our own personal biases related to our own educational journey, and found the common themes among things we liked and things we did not like.

We then decided how these problems would look like 75 years from now, (and if they would even exist!). We then decided how technology and a “futuristic” world, would deal with these issues.

Our main concerns were: education, social aspects, environmental aspects, and technological aspects, and how these shape our version of “New Toronto”

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What challenges did you face in imagining the ‘future’ of education?

One of the challenges we faced was simply deciding on how to not get “too ahead of ourselves”. We wanted to come up with a city where the solutions and ideas we propose are realistic and attainable, but not too “dystopian” where we are proposing ideas that have 0 realistic chance of ever occurring.

One challenge that was difficult was envisioning how the world of education would look like 75 years from now. We all agreed that the COVID-19 pandemic changed our education system dramatically, but how would technology and AI change our system.
We asked ourselves: “What would AI improve or worsen in our educational system?”, “Would AI teachers be a positive or negative solution to overcrowding in classes?” and “How would AI push students to be better versions of their academic selves?

Antonella

Key Points Summary

Environment and Sustainability

Climate Change Impact: Global warming has made the planet universally hot, but New Toronto thrives as a resilient, livable city.
Clean Energy and Net-Zero Emissions: Pollution is eliminated through clean energy adoption, and all buildings are energy self-sufficient with solar panels and wind turbines.
Eco-Friendly Infrastructure:

Public spaces, parks, and streets prioritize greenery, shade, and airflow to combat heat.
Freshwater stations provide hydration during extreme heat.

Transportation:

Eco-friendly vehicles, magnetic levitation trains, bike lanes, and pedestrian walkways keep the city active and pollution-free.

Housing and Urban Adaptations

Housing adapts to family sizes for comfort and sustainability.
Urban designs balance technology and nature, using AI to regulate energy, air quality, and waste management.

Education and Technology

Outdoor Learning:

Classes often take place outdoors in parks, rooftop gardens, or shaded plazas, integrating nature-based lessons like ecology and science.

Learning Options:

Students attend either in-person classes in a Vivarium or through virtual holograms.
Holograms support students unable to attend physically or virtually, offering inclusivity for those with disabilities or in remote areas.

AI in Education:

Teachers remain central but collaborate with AI for personalized support and enhanced teaching.
AI holograms assist students outside class hours, ensuring equitable access to education.

Extracurricular Activities

Students engage in sports and extracurricular activities both physically and in virtual formats, promoting new skills and global collaboration.

City Identity

New Toronto is a global model for livability, sustainability, and innovation, achieving high life expectancy and fostering human-nature coexistence

Individual Narrative

My Individual part is in a first person p.o.v, in a diary entry format. I've written it as a parent (Mother) and her reaction to the new world. She is a working parent and her children are directly involved with the new educational system. Already living in the world for a year, she is concerned for the future and you can tell in her tone because it shows a level anxiousness.

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Which course ideas/texts (may have) guided your thinking in some way?

Benefits and limitations of Chat GPT : One of the course ideas that helped us was our assignment with exploring ChatGPT.

This was a good introduction into how AI can help us in our own teaching fields, and what are some of the flaws that come along with AI (not necessarily ChatGPT in general).

The discussion we had in class, following this assignment, helped us structure our own questions on AI, and what would happen if we “dial it up”.
Reflections upon the discussion of the readings
We also felt that the first course we had, where we discussed the image of the teacher shredding the books, and the ideas that came to mind during our class-wide discussion

* Personal story → application as a teacher candidate

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Did thinking critically about the future help you think critically about the present? If so, in what ways?

Thinking critically about the future helped us be more mindful of the problems we are currently facing (housing prices, inflation, educational concerns, etc.) By thinking of the future ways to solve these problems, we were able to critically highlight the current present issues, and how they would look like : 5 years, 10 years, 15 years, … down the line.

In addition, we were able to self-reflect and understand our own impact and our own roles we play in these areas of concern. As teacher college students, some of these issues will impact us directly, but also our future students and their families. This assignment helped us be mindful of ways to keep in mind critical issues affecting us and our city, as well as potential remedies.

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Take away points

AI has a stigma around it, similar to mental health. People think if you act like it doesn’t exist, then it wont. In reality, AI is a helpful tool, and will be here for years and years to come. As we discussed last week with the introduction of “Gemini”, we can already see the AI framework being put in place to have AI be our “companion” for daily activities.