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Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Hi and welcome to School Shorts with me Melissa Chan-Green, journalist and mum of two with a passion for education. Today we're talking a bit about social emotional skills with a sought after speaker on this topic, Kara Zelas. We're not just talking about these skills rather in isolation though, we're talking about How do you bring that in across an education system?
Or as parents, how do you introduce those skills at home and equip students with those kinds of skills when we're living in a world that is so fast moving in the tech space? So we've spoken a lot in this podcast about AI and the potential benefits possibilities for that, the potential challenges.
I guess this is looking a little bit about how do we balance that with real human-centred and student-centred education and skills. So here is Kara Zelis. Hi, Cara.
Chapter 2: What social-emotional skills are essential for children?
Thank you so much for being with us. I mentioned that you are a sought after speaker on this topic and you have been at South by Southwest at the education conference this year. I imagine AI was a bit of a topic of conversation there too. What did you learn from that? What kinds of things were coming through on that?
Yeah, there's a lot of discussion on AI. That was definitely at the forefront. Now there's a pullback. So it kind of is this juxtaposition of AI is coming, but now we see the research that phones and laptops may not be the best learning, outlead to the best learning outcomes. We know that phones affect things like concentration, attention span, causes social issues.
And the laptop really can't replace, you know, writing. That important connection between writing something down and retaining facts and recall. And also I've heard from schools that children are losing the ability to write. So that aside, it was an interesting sort of juxtaposition.
What are you seeing in terms of... the general feeling towards AI as an opportunity or a disruptor of the way we learn to think and to learn?
Yeah, I feel like that we need less more AI versus education and where can we use it when it's appropriate.
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Chapter 3: How can parents introduce resilience and manners at home?
So I see AI being very, very helpful in things like school administration and helping teachers with their workload, I can see that really being a positive effect and, you know, just being more proactive than ever to just try and keep learning human-focused first. I think that's what's really important.
Yeah, and I think that's why I asked you because it's not really a ā this is anti-AI, what we are discussing now, right? It's just saying, okay, so this is the case and this is what is happening in schools in terms of technology and how the way we teach and the tools that we have to teach are changing.
What do we need to do to make sure we don't lose all of those amazing human-centered and relationship-focused skills and experiences in the classroom as well, right?
Yes, I think it's about keeping a balanced approach. So not being a Luddite and saying being anti-technology because that's not the future. And that's not the future our kids live in either. So it's like, how can we use it in an appropriate way that can enhance learning and not take away from learning?
The Alpha Schools model is something that has been
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Chapter 4: What impact does technology have on children's learning?
quite significant interest when it's been mentioned on School Shorts before. And for anybody who hasn't caught that previous episode, a very quick summary is that it's kind of online AI-centred learning where it's a few hours a day of the kind of academic skills and then the idea is that it allows you the time to
um go off and do other skills that are perhaps i don't know physical or in your subject interest area through the rest of the day and because it is ai centered and tailored and individualized that that academic learning theoretically happens a lot quicker was this discussed at south by southwest and what is your take on that kind of model yeah i really get the appeal
And I think it's really exciting. It's like a new frontier. You know, many things in traditional education are just not working for a variety of reasons. And we see that in the test scores in Australia, in America, something in traditional education isn't working. And so how can we address that through technology?
And I think the Alpha schools offer a really interesting model of how schools are gonna look in the future. And, you know, AI is here. So how can we take it and use it for our advantage in education? And what I really like is that the AI tutor meets your child where they are. So if you're in a room of 30 children,
you're teaching to the middle or you're helping your, a lot of your concentration is going to be with students who may need extra help. So I think that the AI tutor offers that really personalized learning, which I think is great. And they also pair it with project-based learning. So they're learning real life skills. They're learning how to put an Ikea bed
furniture together they're looking at how to run a business they have a lot of outdoor time so it isn't just this full tech based school it has a really balanced approach and they're getting the kids ready for life like how is AI going to change how the job market's going to look. So what skills are we going to be giving our kids where they're going to go into a job market that we're unsure of?
They're going to need skills, like maybe creating a business, thinking outside of the box. So I do think it's quite an exciting model. And also it's flexible. Like I have a friend who homeschools their child and they use the AI tool. Like you can purchase just the technology from Alpha Schools. So I think it opens up a lot more school choice. And it may not work for every kid.
That's kind of how I say, like, every child is different. What works for one child may not work for another. But I think it's a really exciting new frontier. And I'm excited and curious to see the outcomes. My only gripe is that it's really expensive. 40,000 US dollars.
Wow. I mean, and that's actually quite a significant gripe or concern, I would say, because if it is so wonderful, it's really only available to those who have the resource to use it, which creates massive inequity in education.
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Chapter 5: How can AI be integrated into education without losing human connection?
And yeah, those who would subscribe to what you're saying. And I actually think that I have changed in my approach or my thinking and that initially, yeah, I wanted to see what are they up to? And, you know, I was sometimes like, oh, I want to get more photos home. And then I realized just because I'm not getting loads of photos every day doesn't mean she's not having an amazing time.
In fact, it probably means that the teachers are able to focus on that. They've got so much else on their plate. Do we want them just to be taking photos all the time? No, I don't.
Is it apparent or do you want them to be present with your child? I would pick being present over taking a photo for like my benefit. That's just going to be like, okay, that's one photo and the next photo and, you know, yeah, so that there is that push and pull between like what parents want and meeting those needs, but then shouldn't we be meeting the needs of the kids?
Then I guess the discussion around how your child is going and how they relate to other children, how they play, I mean, that can be a conversation that happens outside of that playtime or at another scheduled time. And, you know, the photos aren't telling you how are they behaving anyway.
You need to hear those stories from the teacher so you're not really missing out by not getting the photo of it, as long as you're still having that relationship with the teachers, right?
Yeah, and I think that's an important piece. It's like, how can you create that bridge? Because it's so important because what you're... you know, you want to translate what you're learning in the classroom to home and keeping that line of communication open. I think that's important.
Do you think, and this is a hard question to ask and maybe to answer because I don't want it to come across as critical in any way, but is EdTech being used as a babysitter in some cases, in some classrooms? Yes.
I would say it very much depends on the school. I would say that, yes, in some schools, I would say that that definitely happens. And sometimes you look at an app and it looks like learning, but it really lacks that depth that depth when you have a conversation and a discussion and the social practices that you're taking away from using an app.
So yes, you may be doing a reading app, but wouldn't it be better just to read to that child and answer their questions and have a conversation? It kind of lacks depth. And also, and this is not at fault to teachers because as I mentioned, teachers are really under the pump.
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Chapter 6: What is the Alpha Schools model and how does it work?
Yeah. And I think critical thinking, like just think about the skills that kids are going to need to have in a job force that we don't know what's going to look like in 10, 15 years when our young kids are going to be there. Like what skills are they going to need? They're going to need resilience. They're going to need creativity.
Um, they're going to need problem solving skills, growth mindset, all those good things. And, um, that starts, I think in early childhood, um, I think that the more advanced our technology becomes, the more intentional we have to be about teaching basic human skills.
So you are intentionally teaching those skills with your work through World of Little Dude. And so I just wanted to go over some of the social skills specifically that you teach and that you focus on. Because you look at manners as a skill. How do you teach that and why? Well, I premise this to say that
I always say that parents are their children's first teachers and children even as small babies, they're observing, they're watching you. They are seeing how you carry yourself, how you speak to others, how you treat your partner. And from this, they learn their cues.
So I think it's really important to say like the way you carry yourself through the world is like how your kids are going to carry themselves because that's, you're their first teacher. Um, and yeah, That brings me back to the manners piece of it's not just about please and thank yous, which is important to say.
It's about sort of just having respect and an awareness of others and just modeling it yourself. Like how do you navigate the world that you live in? Are you saying please and thank yous? How can you expect your children to have manners if you don't carry the same manners? So I think modeling is really important. when it comes to manners.
And I guess the same could be said for kindness, which is another social skill that you include as your programme. What about growth mindset? I was interested in what you mean by this and how you work with schools to teach this.
Yeah, sure. I think it's about... teaching kids that they can do hard things and building that resilience. And the way I teach my kids and even in the class is relating it back to me when I'm doing something hard and they see me practicing resilience and doing hard things. For example,
I had to do this pitch competition, which is like my idea of a nightmare to stand in front of 150 people and memorize something and get knowing that I'm going to get peppered with questions. And it's like, I was really anxious and my kids could see that. And I was like, yeah, I'm really nervous. This thing's coming up and just letting them see you do hard things.
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