“If your teaching strategy can be fully automated, it may already be obsolete. Lynn F Austin”
What if I told you that the future of education is being shaped by artificial intelligence (AI)—not just as a tool but as a catalyst for transformation? AI isn’t just a new feature in education; it’s reshaping the entire landscape. And while many still see AI as a distant threat to traditional teaching methods, here’s the truth: AI isn’t coming to replace educators—it’s coming to expose outdated practices.
After attending The Teaching Professor Conference, I walked away with one undeniable realization: The role of the educator is being redefined daily. We’re no longer just content providers. We are becoming experience designers—shaping personalized, student-centered learning environments that leverage AI to meet diverse needs. The time to adapt is now, and here’s why.
The Intersection of AI and Human-Centered Learning
Let’s get real: If AI can do your job, ask yourself if you are doing it wrong.
For decades, the role of the educator has revolved around delivering lectures, grading assignments, and ensuring that every student has access to the same learning materials. But with AI-powered tools like Otio and Sapien, we’re moving beyond this model. These platforms create adaptive learning pathways for students, offering personalized learning experiences that shift based on each student’s needs, pace, and progress (Teaching Professor Conference, 2024).
AI offers personalized learning experiences on a scale never before possible. It’s like having a personalized GPS for learning, guiding students on the best route for their unique path. But here’s the catch: If your teaching strategy still relies heavily on one-size-fits-all approaches or repetitive tasks like grading, your role as an educator is at risk of becoming obsolete.
Bowen and Watson (2023) explain that educators are no longer just content deliverers. Instead, AI is empowering educators to design human-centered learning experiences that focus on creativity, engagement, and mentorship. By automating repetitive tasks like grading or resource curation, we’re able to free up time to do what we do best: engage students, foster critical thinking, and provide personalized feedback.
Lin (2024) calls this the shift toward self-directed learning. AI tools like ChatGPT aren’t just “assistants” for students—they’re co-creators in the learning experience. ChatGPT enables students to engage in critical thinking by prompting students to ask deeper questions and explore multiple perspectives. For educators, this means moving from content provider to learning guide and mentor.
The U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Technology (2023) emphasizes that AI can help make learning more personalized and scalable, with a focus on improving student outcomes and expanding opportunities for all learners. They stress that AI’s role in education is not just about efficiency—it’s about equity and inclusivity, creating learning environments where every student can succeed.
Hot Take: If your role as an educator can be fully automated, it may be time to redefine that role. AI isn’t here to replace you—it’s here to expose whether your teaching strategy and practices are evolving fast enough.
Action Steps:
- Leverage Adaptive Learning Tools: Platforms like Otio or Sapien allow you to create personalized learning paths tailored to each student’s unique needs.
- Incorporate ChatGPT or other generative AI platforms as a Learning Partner: Encourage students to use ChatGPT or others for brainstorming, generating questions, and critically engaging with content (Lin, 2024).
- Revamp Reflection-Based Assessments: Use tools like AI Assessment Scale (AIAS) to guide students in reflecting on AI-generated content and providing thoughtful critiques.
Call to Action: How much of your current teaching workload could be automated today—and what would you do with the extra time to focus on more impactful aspects of your role?
The Role of Faith in Innovation
If we don’t lead with purpose, AI will be driven by profit—not progress.
With the growing integration of AI in education, we must ask: Whose values are embedded in these tools? Without clear ethical guidelines, AI could easily become a tool for efficiency, reducing learning to mere productivity rather than fostering true intellectual growth. As educators, we have the responsibility to ensure that AI serves our mission—not the other way around.
The Russell Group (2023) urges institutions to develop principles for the use of generative AI in education, emphasizing the importance of AI literacy for both students and faculty. If we don’t educate students on how to engage with AI-generated content critically, they will risk being passive consumers rather than active creators.
At The Teaching Professor Conference, one of the most pressing insights was the need for AI literacy across the board—students, faculty, and administrators. Institutions will need to be bold in establishing clear policies that ensure responsible and ethical AI use as a tool for efficiency and as a method for enhancing learning, creativity, and critical thinking.
The U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Technology (2023) stresses the importance of preparing educators and students for the future of education with a thoughtful and purposeful approach that helps institutions improve efficiency while enhancing and transforming the overall educational experience.
Hot Take: If you’re not part of the conversation on ethical AI in education, you’re part of the problem.
Here’s What You Can Do
- Host AI Literacy Workshops: Teach students how to engage with AI-generated content critically.
- Create Clear AI Use Policies: Establish clear rules for how students and faculty should use AI tools like ChatGPT (Russell Group, 2023).
- Encourage Ethical Reflection: Integrate discussions on the ethical implications of AI in your curriculum. Help students reflect on how AI is shaping their learning and future careers.
Call to Action: Are you leading the charge on ethical AI use at your institution, or are you waiting for someone else to take the reins?
AI as a Bridge, Not a Barrier
Here’s the truth no one tells you: AI isn’t a wall blocking educators—it’s a bridge to something better.
For years, faculty have spent countless hours grading, curating resources, and handling administrative tasks. But with the right AI tools, these tasks can be done more efficiently and accurately—freeing up your time to focus on meaningful interactions with students.
Elicit and Semantic Scholar are two tools that use AI to assist faculty with research curation and resource synthesis. These platforms reduce the time faculty spend searching for academic content, allowing them to focus on designing high-impact learning experiences for their students (Teaching Professor Conference, 2024).
Abrahamsen et al. (2023) argue that AI-powered learning communities create stronger student engagement. Students don’t learn in isolation anymore. With AI-enhanced platforms, students can co-create content, provide peer feedback, and engage in real-time, guided interactions. This is interactive learning at scale—a transformation from passive absorption to active participation.
The U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Technology (2023) stresses that AI when used thoughtfully, can help create more inclusive learning environments by tailoring content to student needs, enhancing access to diverse learning materials, and offering feedback mechanisms that were previously unfeasible.
Hot Take: The most valuable educators of tomorrow won’t be the ones who “do it all”—they’ll be the ones who leverage it all.
Here’s How You Can Use This in Your Classroom Today
- Use AI for Research Support: Tools like Elicit and Semantic Scholar can curate academic resources for you in seconds. Use this to save time and focus on building student engagement.
- Promote Collaborative Learning: Use AI-powered community platforms like Otio to facilitate peer feedback and interaction (Abrahamsen et al., 2023).
- Revamp Classroom Participation: Automate tracking of student participation in digital environments using AI-supported platforms.
Call to Action: How can you use AI to free up your time for the work that matters most—the work that AI can’t do?
Betting on Leading AI in Education with Innovation and Purpose
In charting the path for the future of education, it’s clear that success will depend on leading innovation with intention, a strong commitment to purposeful action, and bold leadership. Embracing new opportunities with intention isn’t just a calculated decision—it’s a chance to revolutionize how we engage, inspire, and empower learners to new heights.
Through our Inspiration Moments, we explore ways to adapt, inspire, and thrive, finding insights and resources that make growth more achievable, even for those juggling many responsibilities. For more inspiration and resources to help you reach your potential, visit bettingonme.com. Together, let’s make the most of the opportunities before us and create a future full of promise.
Thanks for allowing me to join you on this journey. Until next time, keep thriving and believing that ‘Life happens for you, not to you, to live your purpose.’
Respectfully,
Lynn “Coach” Austin
References
Abrahamsen, J., Smith, G. G., & Tsvetkova, V. (2023). Tools to create interactive digital communities as our world embraces virtual learning. Quarterly Review of Distance Education, 24(3), 17–84.
Amin, A. E. (2020). Andragogy: A theory in practice in higher education. Higher Education, 4(4), 54–69.
Bowen, J. A., & Watson, C. E. (2023). Teaching with AI: Concepts and practices for fostering human-centered learning.
Fensie, A. (2023). A conceptual model for meeting the needs of adult learners in distance education and e-learning.
Lin, X. (2024). Exploring the role of ChatGPT as a facilitator for motivating self-directed learning among adult learners. Adult Learning, 35(3), 156–166.
Russell Group. (2023). Principles on the use of generative AI tools in education.
Teaching Professor Conference. (2024). Executive summary: 2024 Teaching Professor Conference on AI in education. Magna Publications.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Technology. (2023). Artificial intelligence and the future of teaching and learning: Insights and recommendations. https://tech.ed.gov
About
Lynn F. Austin is an educator, author, entrepreneur, and doctoral candidate who is passionate about inspiring others to reach their highest potential. With a strong foundation in faith and expertise in leadership, personal growth, and AI in higher education, Lynn is an emerging thought leader dedicated to empowering individuals to embrace challenges.
As a speaker, Lynn shares her insights and experiences at schools, conferences, and workshops. As the author of The Newman Tales children’s book series and other business, motivational, and faith-based books, Coach Austin draws from personal experience and professional expertise to motivate readers to join her toward purposeful living along a “life happens for me (not to me) to live my purpose” journey of faith, growth, and inspiration.
