NYC Schools Chancellor Addresses St. John’s Audience on Classroom AI Use

The question is not if artificial intelligence (AI) will transform education, but, rather how—and what the next generation of educators can do to employ it in a way that complements classroom learning, but does not substitute for it.

Those points and more were the subject of a professional development conference sponsored by The School of Education on October 1 that featured a keynote address by outgoing New York City Schools Chancellor David C. Banks ’93L. Acknowledging that AI is “here to stay,” Chancellor Banks outlined to an audience of 120 his vision for the ideal implementation of AI in the classroom.

According to Chancellor Banks, AI’s unique technologies can help teachers better understand student performance, customize instruction, and prepare students for a future beyond high school.

“Early on, we realized we could run, but we could not hide from this technology,” Chancellor Banks said. “So, we thought, ‘How can it be used to solve real challenges in our public schools?’  Pay close attention to what AI represents as a real possibility for change in how we assess our kids.”

Titled “The Future Is Now: AI in New York City’s Schools,” the annual conference brought together faculty, administrators, and students from The School of Education for a three-hour panel discussion on the best use of ChatGPT, generative AI, and other technologies in the classroom.

Joining the chancellor were industry professionals Jared T. Bloom, Ed.D., Superintendent, Franklin Square (NY) Union Free School District; Lauren Maguire ’96Ed, Director of Technology and Innovation at Garden City (NY) Public Schools; and Xiaojun Chen, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, The School of Education.

Welcomed by James D. Wolfinger, Ph.D., Dean, The School of Education, Chancellor Banks delivered a 30-minute presentation on the value of AI in the classroom, then entertained questions from an audience that included about three dozen current students and members of the School of Education Alumni Advisory Board. 

Students recognized in the chancellor a subject-matter expert on AI classroom integration, which they called essential for the next generation of educators.

“This is an emerging element of what we are going to be doing in the future,” said Kaitlyn Klampert of Danbury, CT, who is in her fourth year of the five-year Childhood/Special Education dual-degree bachelor’s and master’s program. “It is an opportunity to learn from someone who is a thought leader on the subject.”

“The way the technology is developing right now, you have to assume students are going to be using it in the classroom,” added Gabrielle Amalfitano, also in year four of the five-year Childhood/Special Education dual-degree program. “It’s incumbent on us to make sure they use it ethically and properly.”

AI is a collection of technologies that allow computers to perform tasks that mimic human intelligence. In addition to ChatGPT, popular AI technologies used in education include Carnegie Learning, Duolingo, and 360Learning. Critics worry that AI tools encourage academic dishonesty, undermine critical thinking, and reduce the student-to-teacher interactions at the heart of learning.

Chancellor Banks, however, supports the technologies and believes that, if managed properly, they can reshape classroom education.

“Schools across the country have been using a centuries-old approach to student assessment, picking a single point in time to evaluate a narrow set of skills,” Chancellor Banks explained. “But AI can analyze in real time all the work children are producing, from homework to classwork, to unit tests. All that information taken together can give teachers a daily, accurate, and comprehensive picture of a child’s progress. Think about that.”

AI tools also can help teachers to personalize instruction, the chancellor said, challenging some students while offering direct instruction to those who need it.

“If you have a class of 25 kids, there are wide ranges of ability in those students,” Chancellor Banks said. “It is a tough feeling for a teacher when you are not reaching every child. In that way, AI can be a special assistant for you. It represents the opportunity to deliver personalized learning assistance.”

Overlooked in the debate over AI’s learning advantages is its practical use as a high school guidance tool, the chancellor said. For example, AI can curate volumes of college data quickly, customizing it for students in search of the best fit and for scholarship opportunities.

“As they plan for a future beyond high school, students need access to comprehensive, up-to-date, and actionable information on the options they have,” Chancellor Banks said. “These include which jobs require certification, which colleges post strong employment outcomes for graduates, where industry demand is growing, and more.”