{"id":158209,"date":"2025-08-19T10:57:15","date_gmt":"2025-08-19T10:57:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/158209\/"},"modified":"2025-08-19T10:57:15","modified_gmt":"2025-08-19T10:57:15","slug":"opinion-artificial-intelligence-phones-and-teaching-today-12-educators-discuss","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/158209\/","title":{"rendered":"Opinion | Artificial Intelligence, Phones and Teaching Today: 12 Educators Discuss."},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Fill in the blank: I feel \u201cblank\u201d about the way things
are going in the country these days. Fill in the blank: I feel \u201cblank\u201d about
the way things are going in
the country these days.<\/p>\n

\"\" \u201cFrustrated.\u201d <\/p>\n

Brandi, 41, N.D., white <\/p>\n

\"\" \u201cHopeless.\u201d <\/p>\n

Jay, 39, Mo., white <\/p>\n

\"\" \u201cOptimistic\u201d <\/p>\n

Danielle, 59, Mont., white <\/p>\n

As millions of American students return to class, major change is afoot. <\/p>\n

There was the interruption of the pandemic and the return to physical classrooms. There is the growing movement to ban phones during instruction time. Most recently, artificial intelligence and chatbots are changing how many people, especially students, approach basic tasks and find information. <\/p>\n

What do teachers make of it? In Opinion\u2019s latest focus group, we spoke with 12 public high school teachers about all of this \u2014 concerns about funding, the long but perhaps now fading effects from Covid and \u201cthe Wild West\u201d of A.I. in the classroom, as one participant put it. We also talked about what they love about teaching and how these public employees from a range of backgrounds felt about the direction of the country, especially the economy. <\/p>\n

The group was particularly thoughtful on the ways teaching has become more challenging, from student preparedness to how teachers can or cannot enforce rules. The biggest changes had to do with cellphones and social media. All the participants said they would ban them from class if they could. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s part of their whole operating schema,\u201d one participant said of how students think of their phones. \u201cThey feel like, \u2018Well, I can look it up on the phone.\u2019 It\u2019s part of them. They\u2019ve connected the phone to their individuality.\u201d <\/p>\n

Katherine Miller, Margie Omero and Adrian J. Rivera <\/p>\n

Ms. Miller is a staff editor in Opinion. Ms. Omero is a pollster. Mr. Rivera is an editorial assistant in Opinion.<\/p>\n

Participants \"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Alex 44, N.C., Latino, independent <\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Brandi 41, N.D., white, Republican <\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Dana 59, Fla., white, Republican <\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Danielle 59, Mont., white, Republican <\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Donyea 45, Md., Black, Democrat <\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Elvionna 47, S.C., Black, Democrat <\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Evan 31, N.Y., white, Democrat <\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Jay 39, Mo., white, Democrat <\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Jeff 33, Mass., white, independent <\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Rachel 46, N.J., white, Democrat <\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Sarah 54, Calif., white, Republican <\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Tom 59, Calif., Asian, Republican <\/p>\n

Transcript <\/p>\n

Moderator, Margie Omero<\/p>\n

Fill in the blank for me. I feel \u201cblank\u201d about the way things are going in the country these days.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Elvionna, 47, S.C., Black, Democrat<\/p>\n

Not good.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Jeff, 33, Mass., white, independent<\/p>\n

Uneasy.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Rachel, 46, N.J., white, Democrat<\/p>\n

Fearful.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Brandi, 41, N.D., white, Republican<\/p>\n

Frustrated.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Alex, 44, N.C., Latino, independent<\/p>\n

I\u2019m at a standstill with how things are going.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Jay, 39, Mo., white, Democrat<\/p>\n

Hopeless.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Tom, 59, Calif., Asian, Republican<\/p>\n

Cautiously optimistic.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Donyea, 45, Md., Black, Democrat<\/p>\n

Concerned.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Dana, 59, Fla., white, Republican<\/p>\n

Dismayed.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Evan, 31, N.Y., white, Democrat<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a complex thing; concerned, I guess.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Danielle, 59, Mont., white, Republican<\/p>\n

Optimistic.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Sarah, 54, Calif., white, Republican<\/p>\n

Resoundingly optimistic.<\/p>\n

Moderator, Margie Omero<\/p>\n

Tell me why, Sarah.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Sarah, 54, Calif., white, Republican<\/p>\n

Economically, we\u2019re headed in the right direction. I\u2019m really pleased that we\u2019re focused on our own citizens, our own people. We got what we were promised, so there was no hidden agenda.<\/p>\n

Moderator, Margie Omero<\/p>\n

What indicators are you considering when you say things are going well economically?<\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Sarah, 54, Calif., white, Republican<\/p>\n

Gross domestic product. And there\u2019s a lot more growth in all of my financial assets, which is reassuring as someone who\u2019s nearing retirement.<\/p>\n

Moderator, Margie Omero<\/p>\n

Tom, you said \u201ccautiously optimistic.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Tom, 59, Calif., Asian, Republican<\/p>\n

We hear a lot of conflicting things in the media, so I\u2019m never sure what take is factual or what the reality is. Economically, there\u2019s some potential for growth and some reassurance about jobs and manufacturing coming back to the country, if that occurs. That\u2019s the caution part.<\/p>\n

Moderator, Margie Omero<\/p>\n

Elvionna, you said \u201cnot good.\u201d Tell me why.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Elvionna, 47, S.C., Black, Democrat<\/p>\n

Because, talking with friends, people are losing jobs instead of getting jobs.<\/p>\n

Moderator, Margie Omero<\/p>\n

Alex, you said \u201cstandstill.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Alex, 44, N.C., Latino, independent<\/p>\n

On a personal level, my wife would love for us to get a new home. But due to interest rates, it\u2019s not a good financial decision. I also teach in a minority-based school. And I am concerned: When I get back, will I have students missing because of deportation or fear of deportation?<\/p>\n

Moderator, Margie Omero<\/p>\n

Jay, you said \u201chopeless.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Jay, 39, Mo., white, Democrat<\/p>\n

I\u2019m an optimistic person. But every day I read the news, there\u2019s just another headline that somebody\u2019s rights are being taken away or science is being dialed back or policies that protect the Earth are being reversed. It just makes me a little hopeless.<\/p>\n

In four years, will things be
better, worse or the same? In four years, will things be better, worse or the same? Things will be better. \"\"\/ Brandi,
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t41, N.D., white \"\"\/ Danielle,
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t59, Mont., white \"\"\/ Sarah,
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t54, Calif., white \"\"\/ Tom,
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t59, Calif., Asian Things will be worse. \"\"\/ Evan,
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t31, N.Y., white \"\"\/ Jay,
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t39, Mo., white \"\"\/ Rachel,
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t46, N.J., white Things will be the same. \"\"\/ Alex,
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t44, N.C., Latino \"\"\/ Dana,
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t59, Fla., white \"\"\/ Donyea,
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t45, Md., Black \"\"\/ Elvionna,
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t47, S.C., Black \"\"\/ Jeff,
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t33, Mass., white \"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Dana, 59, Fla., white, Republican<\/p>\n

I think it\u2019ll be the same. I really don\u2019t see that much change. This is my 29th year in public education. I do have concerns: I work in a Title I School with a special population, and my concern is funding. When you see those students who are from other countries and other places, or who have disabilities or have special needs, and they\u2019re striving for education and they\u2019re graduating, they\u2019re walking across the stage, that\u2019s everything. I don\u2019t know if it\u2019s going to be better. I don\u2019t know if it\u2019s going to be worse.<\/p>\n

Moderator, Margie Omero<\/p>\n

Donyea, you said the same. Tell me why.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Donyea, 45, Md., Black, Democrat<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t see anything drastically improving because I haven\u2019t heard any plan. I don\u2019t look for people to tell me what I want to hear. But I hear about, we need to bring back manufacturing jobs, but what are we planning to manufacture? Who is going to work these jobs? Because all of these jobs that are here now are being worked by the illegal people that we\u2019re sending away. So how does that look? Something could improve; I like to be optimistic. But we\u2019re never given an actual plan. I can only cheerlead for so long. There\u2019s also so much hate that is celebrated now. And it\u2019s like, why \u2014 you don\u2019t even know why you hate these people? But we also have a system of checks and balances, and we can correct course as time goes on.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Rachel, 46, N.J., white, Democrat<\/p>\n

I do feel like we\u2019re going backwards. We\u2019re taking things away from people. We are going backwards in terms of climate as well. They just stopped funding for mRNA vaccine research. Freethinking at colleges and universities is being affected. We\u2019re going to have a lot of issues in the next few years.<\/p>\n

Are America\u2019s best days ahead of us,
behind us or are they happening now? Are America\u2019s best days ahead of us, behind us or are they happening now? Ahead of us. \"\"\/ Brandi,
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t41, N.D., white \"\"\/ Dana,
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t59, Fla., white \"\"\/ Danielle,
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t59, Mont., white \"\"\/ Donyea,
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t45, Md., Black \"\"\/ Sarah,
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t54, Calif., white \"\"\/ Tom,
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t59, Calif., Asian Behind us. \"\"\/ Evan,
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t31, N.Y., white \"\"\/ Jeff,
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t33, Mass., white \"\"\/ Rachel,
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t46, N.J., white Happening now. \"\"\/ Alex,
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t44, N.C., Latino <\/p>\n

Moderator, Margie Omero<\/p>\n

Elvionna, you didn\u2019t vote. Why not?<\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Elvionna, 47, S.C., Black, Democrat<\/p>\n

I\u2019m really trying to think about it. I don\u2019t think they\u2019re ahead of us, but what I would consider America\u2019s best days, I can\u2019t say it\u2019s behind. I\u2019m hopeful that they\u2019re ahead of us, put it that way.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Brandi, 41, N.D., white, Republican<\/p>\n

I feel like they\u2019re ahead of us. We got through Covid and we\u2019re still here. And giving power back to the states; with education, you\u2019re going to find out which states care about their educational programs if that happens.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Danielle, 59, Mont., white, Republican<\/p>\n

I think our best days are ahead of us. Part of it is that I\u2019ve been watching all of the institutions going along the same way. Now things are getting shaken up, and I think there\u2019s a chance for something to happen differently. I don\u2019t think education\u2019s working really well, and if people start changing things, then there\u2019s an opportunity to improve. When I see a shake-up it makes me excited, whether that means money for charter schools or states owning it, or anything people can think of. I think we need some new ideas.<\/p>\n

Moderator, Margie Omero<\/p>\n

What do you like best about being a teacher?<\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Evan, 31, N.Y., white, Democrat<\/p>\n

You have some sort of social responsibility and impact. I teach social studies, and there are very applicable connections. It\u2019s also very authentic.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Tom, 59, Calif., Asian, Republican<\/p>\n

I\u2019ll see kids when they first enter high school as ninth graders in my biology class, then oftentimes they\u2019ll come back to me for my anatomy or my A.P. biology class. So I get to measure their growth throughout high school and see how they mature and change. When they see me as upperclassmen, they buy into my shtick, and they\u2019re on board with the way class works. It\u2019s a really nice experience that way.<\/p>\n

Moderator, Margie Omero<\/p>\n

What\u2019s your shtick?<\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Tom, 59, Calif., Asian, Republican<\/p>\n

Fun class, hard test. That\u2019s my reputation.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Sarah, 54, Calif., white, Republican<\/p>\n

I like the connection. What I really enjoy the most is really teaching them how to be critical thinkers and critical consumers of information. Because what I see happening quite a bit is that these kids on their phones, they\u2019re doing their TikTok and everything else, reel after reel after reel. It\u2019s so passive. There\u2019s no engagement at all. So you take that and you run with it. You say, \u201cWhat is it that you\u2019re watching lately? Oh, what message do you think is behind that? Let\u2019s think about the message that it\u2019s sending, and put out the possible messages.\u201d I like that, having them become more conscious consumers of all of the rhetoric that\u2019s going on.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Elvionna, 47, S.C., Black, Democrat<\/p>\n

So this is my 25th year teaching, and I teach at a school that is 99 percent African American. The school is known to be a rough school in a more rural area. And I love it because I get to share with my students and say, \u201cHey, I came from a similar background as you, and you can do it if I can do it.\u201d I like having these conversations about your life and about your career, and being a robotics club adviser. They know that I do care because I\u2019ve been there so long and I\u2019ve taught brothers, sisters, cousins \u2014 I\u2019m teaching some of my students\u2019 children. They always ask, \u201cYou\u2019re still at that school?\u201d And I say, \u201cGuess what. I love it, they love me, and I feel like I\u2019m making a difference.\u201d<\/p>\n

Moderator, Margie Omero<\/p>\n

What made you want to be a teacher?<\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Donyea, 45, Md., Black, Democrat<\/p>\n

As I got older, I realized I was good at explaining things, that I sometimes explained things better than the teacher. I teach math, and I enjoy getting them to see they can do it. There\u2019s no such thing as you can\u2019t do it. I like that aspect of it.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Jay, 39, Mo., white, Democrat<\/p>\n

I come from a family of educators. It just has always been a part of my life. That idea of teaching people, of spreading knowledge, it just becomes a part of who you are.<\/p>\n

Moderator, Margie Omero<\/p>\n

How does being a teacher compare to how you thought it was going to be?<\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Dana, 59, Fla., white, Republican<\/p>\n

So I went to a private college and didn\u2019t know anything about teaching students who were learning to speak English. I moved to Florida and they put me out in this rural place where I had mostly students that didn\u2019t speak English. Teaching was a lot harder than I thought it would be, but I honed my craft and learned. And I have met some of my students that I\u2019ve taught over the past 28 years, and they\u2019ve come to me and they\u2019ve said,\u201cBecause of you, I learned English and I got a job.\u201d It\u2019s completely different than what I thought it would be, but very rewarding at the same time.<\/p>\n

Moderator, Margie Omero<\/p>\n

What are some of the biggest challenges that you face as a teacher?<\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Danielle, 59, Mont., white, Republican<\/p>\n

I think the biggest challenge is finding a way to interest the kids into wanting to do this. We have to figure out a way to come around the kids and trick them into wanting to learn.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Sarah, 54, Calif., white, Republican<\/p>\n

The biggest challenge for me is to make sure that I am on top of the latest so that they are engaged, that they are invested. Like creating a TikTok or a commercial about this, and be convincing. What arguments are you using? What are your counterpoints? They love the technology. They want to use it. Great. Let\u2019s run with it. Let\u2019s see what we can do.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Alex, 44, N.C., Latino, independent<\/p>\n

As a math teacher, the question that I hear at least once a week is: When am I going to use this in life? I\u2019ve come up with various different answers to it. Some of them they don\u2019t like.<\/p>\n

Moderator, Margie Omero<\/p>\n

What do you feel is your best answer to that question?<\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Alex, 44, N.C., Latino, independent<\/p>\n

The most honest and truthful one is, hey, knowing some of these things, you may not use them, but as Sarah said about critical thinking, it makes you think, makes you analyze, makes you better.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Elvionna, 47, S.C., Black, Democrat<\/p>\n

We must all get those questions. I always say, \u201cHey, you can solve a problem on any job if you know how to use your critical thinking skills. You can think logically. You can do those things.\u201d Some challenges I feel that I face as an educator have nothing to do with the students, per se. It\u2019s just the grading. We can\u2019t give students below a 50 percent for a period of weeks. The students have to take responsibility for their learning. When I was in school, we didn\u2019t get all these extra chances to redo anything; I took responsibility for my learning. As teachers, we have to follow the laws, and we have to go along with what is being implemented. But I feel like we\u2019re holding the kids back a little bit because they\u2019re not going to push themselves.<\/p>\n

Moderator, Margie Omero<\/p>\n

If you could do it all over again, would you be a teacher? Is there anyone who would say no, or who’s not sure they would?<\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Danielle, 59, Mont., white, Republican<\/p>\n

We work harder than most other jobs, and that\u2019s it. Congratulations. You can be a teacher next year. Or: Oh, we\u2019re going to give you a 2 percent raise. There\u2019s no chance for promotion. You don\u2019t get to be super teacher and now make double. There\u2019s no financial reward or incentive except your own sense of achievement.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Sarah, 54, Calif., white, Republican<\/p>\n

I love teaching, it\u2019s just that I\u2019ve been exposed to more and I think I would have liked to have gone into law. There are just so many other interests that I have.<\/p>\n

Moderator, Margie Omero<\/p>\n

Alex, you didn\u2019t raise your hand either.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Alex, 44, N.C., Latino, independent<\/p>\n

Big picture, there\u2019s just financial things that come along with it. Listen, I have a friend that\u2019s a cop that\u2019s retiring now, and he makes a quarter million dollars a year. Not even the principal at my school makes a quarter of a million dollars. I don\u2019t feel like I made the wrong choice because I still do OK, but it\u2019s a lot of work. Moving from a state that has a union and then moving where teachers are not valued the same way, that\u2019s given me a new perspective, too.<\/p>\n

Moderator, Katherine Miller<\/p>\n

Over your years of teaching, have you noticed a difference in your students?<\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Dana, 59, Fla., white, Republican<\/p>\n

I feel kids are less prepared academically. They don\u2019t come with the level of reading that they used to come with. They\u2019re reading far below grade level when they enter, for a variety of reasons. We have a lot of absenteeism. Students are very, very behind in reading.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Tom, 59, Calif., Asian, Republican<\/p>\n

I\u2019m starting my 29th year. Student engagement and motivation has gone way down. At the high school where I teach, the school used to come out for pep rallies. You had a big support system in place. And anymore, it seems like kids have so many other things going on outside of school, that they are not connected, and then that\u2019s translated into lower motivation in class. And then I\u2019m competing with social media. So that part of it has really changed. Everyone blames Covid, but more than just learning loss, it\u2019s been the role of school. We\u2019re asked to take on more and more. Roles that parents used to do, now the school is pursuing.<\/p>\n

Moderator, Margie Omero<\/p>\n

Like what?<\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Tom, 59, Calif., Asian, Republican<\/p>\n

Well, absenteeism. There\u2019s no fine for absenteeism. We just try to coax the student to come to school. Or chronic tardiness. If kids are arriving late all the time, there\u2019s no teeth in our policy. We can\u2019t assign after-school detention.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Evan, 31, N.Y., white, Democrat<\/p>\n

So I\u2019ve been teaching for far less than Tom and Dana, but I also believe motivation has gotten worse in the aftermath of Covid. There\u2019s a few factors, but one is just having to compete with social media versus an undesirable activity, which is going to school and paying attention in class. It only makes sense that student motivation\u2019s going to go down, along with the collapse of the village that\u2019s supposed to motivate them and keep them going to school and doing what they need to do, even if they don\u2019t want to do it.<\/p>\n

Moderator, Margie Omero<\/p>\n

What advice would you like to pass on to your students that you hope they remember when they\u2019re an adult?<\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Jeff, 33, Mass., white, independent<\/p>\n

High school and a lot of life is what you make it. You\u2019ll get what you put back into it. And I see that all the time. I see kids who make the most of their high school experience. They are having fun at the pep rallies. They\u2019re hanging out with their friends. They\u2019re being present in the moment.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Brandi, 41, N.D., white, Republican<\/p>\n

You need to take responsibility for yourself, and you can be as good as you want to be. You need to have the motivation. Nobody\u2019s going to motivate you to do it.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Jay, 39, Mo., white, Democrat<\/p>\n

This sounds a little crazy, but don\u2019t take it so seriously. There is life after high school. Don\u2019t get me wrong. You could argue that some students certainly don\u2019t take anything seriously. But on the flip side of that, some kids take things too seriously. Life is long.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Elvionna, 47, S.C., Black, Democrat<\/p>\n

I always tell them, find an organization that you want to be a part of. Be involved at school, because when you involve yourself with your school and you\u2019re taking pride in your school, then you\u2019re going to do the best things to make that school look better.<\/p>\n

Moderator, Margie Omero<\/p>\n

A couple of people mentioned Covid. How do you feel Covid has affected being a teacher now?<\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Donyea, 45, Md., Black, Democrat<\/p>\n

When we first came back, it was really rough because everybody just came back to school at the same time, and I had ninth graders who hadn\u2019t really been in school since seventh grade. There was a lot of immaturity and misconduct, and some gaps in their knowledge. But now that we\u2019re a few years through, I really don\u2019t notice effects from Covid like I did before. It seems like certain things have been corrected and tapered off.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Danielle, 59, Mont., white, Republican<\/p>\n

I agree. Though one positive change is Covid helped us all be able to do things virtually. There\u2019s a natural disaster. We got a hurricane in Texas. OK, let\u2019s all just teach on our computers. Whoever can show up, show up. Now, if you need extra help, go look on YouTube. If they want to learn, now they realize there\u2019s a lot of different options for them.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Sarah, 54, Calif., white, Republican<\/p>\n

I think the biggest impact that I\u2019ve seen from Covid is the lack of social skills, like face-to-face interaction. It\u2019s easy to hide behind a screen. So much easier to send something than say that same thing to a person\u2019s face. No one\u2019s going to argue that kids didn\u2019t take an academic hit. But the whole social interaction piece \u2014 kids used to have a little more courage about engaging with each other.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Brandi, 41, N.D., white, Republican<\/p>\n

One hundred percent, the socialization. They don\u2019t want to talk to each other. They just want to sit and do their own thing. \u201cDon\u2019t look at me, don\u2019t call on me, and I\u2019m just going to get through this block and be done with this class.\u201d<\/p>\n

Moderator, Margie Omero<\/p>\n

Speaking of technology, let\u2019s talk a bit about artificial intelligence. Fill in the blank: When it comes to A.I. and public schools, I think \u2026<\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Evan, 31, N.Y., white, Democrat<\/p>\n

I think it\u2019s a double-edged sword. It does leverage a lot of opportunity, especially for teachers and students. You have essentially all of humanity\u2019s knowledge at your fingertips. You can ask the computer a question. The computer spits out an answer. But on the opposite side, it really has given way to a whole new level of laziness and academic dishonesty. I teach a writing class. I know my students\u2019 voice, and A.I. generally has a very distinctive writing voice. A lot of my kids just see it as: Oh, I can just type this into chat. It spits out an answer. I can just give it to you.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Alex, 44, N.C., Latino, independent<\/p>\n

I actually just feel bad for teachers that have to read papers. As a math teacher, even before A.I. was big, the students found an app that can take a picture of the problem and then it\u2019ll give them the answer. It\u2019s just like: Hey, I got to do X amount of pages and I can get it done in six minutes as opposed to several hours.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Elvionna, 47, S.C., Black, Democrat<\/p>\n

When it comes to A.I. in public schools, I feel like it\u2019s helping us to become a little bit more creative. I go and I say, \u201cHey, give me a creative way to teach so and so or teach this topic.\u201d Students have a tool at their fingertips just as well as educators, and it can help us all become a little bit more creative and we can learn some things, but you have to be honest about what you\u2019re doing. In my class, my students know I don\u2019t accept any A.I. answers. I\u2019ll tell them straight up, \u201cThis is A.I.\u201d But they have to solve problems and build things in my class, so A.I. can\u2019t help do so many things with that. I also teach teachers in this alternative program. It\u2019s funny: Teachers had to do a reflection about the workshop they were in, and several gave me A.I. answers. And I called them out. I said, in your classroom, would you allow this? That’s not right. So you\u2019ve got to be honest about what you’re doing and teach your students the right way to do it.<\/p>\n

Moderator, Katherine Miller<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s talk about phones. How have phones changed the classroom experience over the last 10 years?<\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Elvionna, 47, S.C., Black, Democrat<\/p>\n

It causes a lot of distraction and brings in problems from the outside. Things are posted on social media; parents get involved. And of course, kids prefer to play games and watch a movie. They think they can multitask, and they can\u2019t.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Rachel, 46, N.J., white, Democrat<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been teaching for 23 years, and I\u2019ve seen a big change in the kids over the years. It\u2019s a lot of apathy in the classroom and lack of motivation. They\u2019re just waiting to just get back on their phone. It\u2019s like class time is almost just a pause in between what they really want to be doing, which is getting back onto their phones. We do have pockets in our school and actually are encouraged to have them in our classrooms. It\u2019s actually made a huge difference having implemented that. It\u2019s out of sight, out of mind for 40 minutes or 45 minutes while they\u2019re in the class.<\/p>\n

Moderator, Katherine Miller<\/p>\n

Are other people in schools that have done this? A few of you are nodding.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Tom, 59, Calif., Asian, Republican<\/p>\n

At my school we\u2019re implementing a new no-phone policy, so it\u2019s going to go in a pocket on the wall. And so I\u2019m looking forward to that change. But stepping back, looking at a bigger picture, I think we look at the phone as a device that\u2019s separate from us, that we can use it as a tool, but kids see it as part of themselves. It\u2019s part of their whole operating schema. So when you try to take that away, they get anxious. They feel like, well, I can look it up on the phone. It\u2019s part of them. They\u2019ve connected the phone to their individuality. It\u2019s a part of who they are. I think A.I. is going to be a similar challenge. It\u2019s the Wild West with A.I. Every teacher at my school has a different policy about it, and so there\u2019s no unified policy, and that\u2019s confusing for kids.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Donyea, 45, Md., Black, Democrat<\/p>\n

What I would say I noticed about how phones have changed is, really, the phone use has changed as the phones have evolved. Back then you had kids sneaking to text each other on their phones, and that was the extent. As social media became popular, they got Instagram. That\u2019s when it got a lot worse. I work at a school with a Yondr policy; the kids still get around it. They sneak on their phones. But when there\u2019s a policy in place, I don\u2019t have kids just on their phones all the time. But as far as how phone use has changed, it really has \u2014 they do all of the same things that the adults do.<\/p>\n

Would you support your school having
a no-phones-in-class policy? Would you support your school having a no-phones-in-class policy? 12 people raised their hands.<\/p>\n

\"\" <\/p>\n

Alex, 44, N.C., Latino <\/p>\n

\"\" <\/p>\n

Brandi, 41, N.D., white <\/p>\n

\"\" <\/p>\n

Dana, 59, Fla., white <\/p>\n

\"\" <\/p>\n

Danielle, 59, Mont., white <\/p>\n

\"\" <\/p>\n

Donyea, 45, Md., Black <\/p>\n

\"\" <\/p>\n

Elvionna, 47, S.C., Black <\/p>\n

\"\" <\/p>\n

Evan, 31, N.Y., white <\/p>\n

\"\" <\/p>\n

Jay, 39, Mo., white <\/p>\n

\"\" <\/p>\n

Jeff, 33, Mass., white <\/p>\n

\"\" <\/p>\n

Rachel, 46, N.J., white <\/p>\n

\"\" <\/p>\n

Sarah, 54, Calif., white <\/p>\n

\"\" <\/p>\n

Tom, 59, Calif., Asian <\/p>\n

Moderator, Katherine Miller<\/p>\n

When people propose a policy like that, sometimes parents will object on safety grounds. How do you think about that?<\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Evan, 31, N.Y., white, Democrat<\/p>\n

So my school has had plenty of experience with this. We had a stabbing in our school\u2019s building a couple of years ago. What we actually found was that cellphones actually made the environment less safe because parents were texting kids being like, \u201cHey, we don\u2019t care if the school\u2019s on lockdown. You\u2019ve got to leave. You\u2019ve got to go home.\u201d Then there\u2019s kids texting rumors and lies about it and stuff like that. It actually made the environment less safe.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Alex, 44, N.C., Latino, independent<\/p>\n

The parents are sometimes worse than the kids with their insistence on phones. It\u2019s just the whole thing where, \u201cOh, you\u2019re not going to take my child\u2019s phone. I got it for them. It\u2019s for me to be in contact with them.\u201d But it\u2019s like, yes, I understand that, but do you really need to be in contact with them at 10:30 in the morning when you should be at work and they should be in class learning? Is there something that can\u2019t wait until 2:00, 3:00 p.m.? Also, sometimes \u2014 and it doesn\u2019t necessarily tie into phones, but some parents have so many responsibilities for their kids. And yes, some of the kids are resilient in that way, but it\u2019s just \u2014 sometimes it seems like they\u2019re having to grow up too fast.<\/p>\n

Moderator, Margie Omero<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s talk briefly about the Trump administration. What do people think about the cutting of funding to the Department of Education?<\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Jeff, 33, Mass., white, independent<\/p>\n

My students are achieving. My students are leading test scores. I live in Massachusetts, and we\u2019re doing really well in education. I think that it would continue if there was no Department of Education and it was up to the states, but I don\u2019t think that\u2019s true across the board.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Brandi, 41, N.D., white, Republican<\/p>\n

I am not concerned where I live. I think that we\u2019re going to thrive. Other states, I think, will take a plunge, and it could cause a further divide as far as the levels of education go. It\u2019s really going to show who cares about education.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Dana, 59, Fla., white, Republican<\/p>\n

So I understand that people in different areas say, \u201cMy kids are doing well.\u201d But overall, when these positions are not funded \u2014 the specialists that support teachers, that support new teachers and mentors and staffing and all that \u2014 teachers and kids eventually are the ones who suffer. Then we all suffer in the long run.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Sarah, 54, Calif., white, Republican<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t know what the purpose of the Department of Education at the federal level was supposed to be. Outside of issuing funding for Title I, Title II, I believe in local control.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Rachel, 46, N.J., white, Democrat<\/p>\n

It\u2019s going to be a detriment to education to dismantle the Department of Education. Schools or programs that rely on federal funding are going to suffer, students with disabilities. It\u2019s going to depend on the state. I think it\u2019s going to cause more of a divide.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Evan, 31, N.Y., white, Democrat<\/p>\n

It\u2019s one thing if one person just believes in smaller government and local control. That\u2019s great. But then it\u2019s a different thing if people in government are trying to intentionally drive a wedge and divide and create inequity and trap people where they are.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Donyea, 45, Md., Black, Democrat<\/p>\n

I\u2019m not overly concerned about this Department of Education cut. I do think it\u2019s a bad thing because the different programs that are funded, if you\u2019re losing money, then that could always affect something. But I\u2019ve also read that the federal government only contributes a small percentage of what those states put towards education. So I think it\u2019s a symbolic shakeup just to say we finally shook it up because we\u2019ve been wanting to do this for so many years.<\/p>\n

Moderator, Margie Omero<\/p>\n

Next July is the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. What do you think America stands for?<\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Alex, 44, N.C., Latino, independent<\/p>\n

It feels like people in other parts of the world don\u2019t understand us. The fact that you have to kind of explain, hey, we\u2019re the only country that this happens in \u2014 it\u2019s tough.<\/p>\n

Moderator, Margie Omero<\/p>\n

What do you mean when you say you have to explain this is the only country where this happens?<\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Alex, 44, N.C., Latino, independent<\/p>\n

Like, gun violence. Like, we\u2019re the only kind of country that has the high amount of gun violence, especially in schools.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Sarah, 54, Calif., white, Republican<\/p>\n

I believe America stands for freedom. It really does. I understand there\u2019s violence. But freedom is what America stands for, and we have a better standard of living than many places.<\/p>\n

Moderator, Margie Omero<\/p>\n

Can you give me an example?<\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Sarah, 54, Calif., white, Republican<\/p>\n

It\u2019s clear we all have some different philosophical backgrounds just from the comments that we\u2019ve made. But we all feel comfortable sharing those. So we have freedom of thought.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Elvionna, 47, S.C., Black, Democrat<\/p>\n

So I think that America is perceived to a lot of people as the place of the freedom, the melting pot, the American dream. But we really don\u2019t have that. America is a place where people take sides. It\u2019s supposed to be free. But it\u2019s all in what you consider free.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Jeff, 33, Mass., white, independent<\/p>\n

I think America stands for advancement. We started as a place to come to advance our freedoms. Then it was advancement of where we\u2019re living and westward expansion. And then people have the ability to advance their incomes, advance their beliefs, advance really just any aspect of their life. We\u2019re making technological advances, we\u2019re making medical advances, we\u2019re making philosophical advances. We want better.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Evan, 31, N.Y., white, Democrat<\/p>\n

I think that America stands for confidence, regardless of whether it\u2019s actually justified. I believe that Americans truly believe that we are the best. It gets us far, but it can veer into delusion.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Tom, 59, Calif., Asian, Republican<\/p>\n

I think I\u2019d like to believe that America stands for opportunity, that if you have the will and the wherewithal you can take advantage of that opportunity. You can pull yourself up, move across social class and strata. I don\u2019t know if that\u2019s actually true, but I think that I\u2019d like America to stand for that.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Dana, 59, Fla., white, Republican<\/p>\n

I still believe in America, even though I might be upset or dismayed or concerned about some things, especially with education. I believe in America; I have hope. I believe it\u2019s still a shining city on a hill. I believe in the promise of America.<\/p>\n

Moderator, Margie Omero<\/p>\n

And what do you see as the promise of America?<\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Dana, 59, Fla., white, Republican<\/p>\n

We will succeed. We will overcome our challenges. We will overcome all this intolerance and hate, and I want to be specific. Antisemitism. Racism. You have groups that are just out there just hating to hate. I have hope that this will end.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Fill in the blank: I feel \u201cblank\u201d about the way thingsare going in the country these days. Fill…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":158210,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[691,738,407,91924,5704,10740,91925,158,67,16852,132,68],"class_list":{"0":"post-158209","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-artificial-intelligence","8":"tag-ai","9":"tag-artificial-intelligence","10":"tag-education","11":"tag-education-k-12","12":"tag-polls-and-public-opinion","13":"tag-smartphones","14":"tag-teachers-and-school-employees","15":"tag-technology","16":"tag-united-states","17":"tag-united-states-politics-and-government","18":"tag-unitedstates","19":"tag-us"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115055078000119855","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/158209","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=158209"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/158209\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/158210"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=158209"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=158209"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=158209"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}