Final thoughts

 Welcome back! 

During my practicum, I had many opportunities to reflect on what I have learned over the past three years. My greatest takeaway from this course is that technology is not as intimidating as it may seem. With a little guidance, students are both capable and confident when using it. Most importantly, it is essential to establish clear guidelines and expectations before handing out any learning tools, whether that be a computer or a textbook.

One of the biggest challenges I faced was that many of my students struggled to read a piece of information or watch a video and extract the key ideas from the source. This surprised me because, at their age, I was creating presentations, formatting documents in Microsoft Word, and being introduced to Excel. However, times change, and so do educational expectations.

After viewing The Social Dilemma on Netflix, I became much more aware of the amount of technology I personally consume and the technology used in my classroom. Some forms of technology can be highly addictive and can actually dysregulate children. This has made me more intentional about the kind of media I choose for students. Rather than using highly stimulating, flashy videos, I now prioritize calm, purposeful content that does not overwhelm their nervous systems.

My mentor teacher and I worked together to create a safe and welcoming environment for all students, using simple, low-tech brain breaks such as Around the World, Silent Ball, and Who’s Missing?. These activities supported movement and focus without overstimulation.

To contribute to the learning of others, I regularly shared resources with my peers, whether that was documents and slides I created or simply friendly advice. I was always willing to share what I had. This was surprising to me at first because most other professions do not collaborate the way teachers do, but I found the sense of community to be incredibly welcoming. From my peers, I learned that it is okay to ask for help and clarification. There is no benefit in struggling alone when you are confused or feeling lost—simply ask for support.

I also used ChatGPT during my practicum to help plan the flow of lessons. I tried not to rely on it too often because I wanted to feel connected to the content and the students I was teaching. I experimented with Canva’s AI tools but did not enjoy the experience, as I found it took longer to use than creating my own materials. ChatGPT was most helpful for translating ideas into student-friendly language, planning quiz questions, and supporting rubric development. I believe AI has the potential to be a powerful support tool, but it also carries risks, such as promoting learned helplessness if overused.

In response to my question about how young is “too young” to be introduced to AI, I believe that students in K–12 are still in crucial formative years and should primarily be learning how to think independently rather than relying on machines for answers. Retrieving information, analyzing it, and thinking critically are essential life skills. I am not suggesting that AI should be completely banned; rather, I believe it should play a very limited role in academic work until students have developed strong foundational thinking and learning skills.