Darton Foundation announces continuing education units for educators

ALBANY — The Darton Health Professions Foundation, in collaboration with Albany State University, recently announced its next continuing education unit: Artificial Intelligence in the Educational and the Learning Landscape.

In recent years, the introduction of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has not only changed the economic and social landscape but also has impacted the educational system. Some of the fastest growing roles are being driven by technology and digitalization, and students and educators must be prepared for these changes. This rapidly evolving technology is expected to be adopted and is transforming lives and drastically impacting teaching and learn styles. Whether we like it or not, AI is a tool that has and will forever change our lives.

“At the 2020 World Economic Forum, it was predicted that by 2025, AI will displace or replace an estimated 85 million jobs,” Randae Davis, executive director of the Darton Foundation, said in a news release. “However, 97 million new roles will emerge to operate these tools and interpret and verify outputs. Educators must embrace these tools and be prepared to utilize them as learning styles evolve and students use technology to learn and assist them with assignments.”

Asked how AI will impact the health care industry, Davis said, “Just last week, chipmaker Nvidia announced that they have teamed up with an AI health care company to develop generative AI ‘agents’ that allegedly outperform human nurses on video calls for non-diagnostic tasks. These agents only cost about $9 per hour to operate, which is a fraction of the cost to employ a low-wage health care worker. It is a dramatic reality that some of our health care providers may be AI agents or computers, but their outputs will still need to be verified.

“Human compassion and empathy can perhaps be emulated but not replaced.”

“If you ask any teacher or professor, they will all tell you that technology has advanced and improved our ability to deliver instruction,” Sarah Brinson, the dean of the Darton College of Health Professions at Albany State, said. “We must embrace technological and AI-based advances because student learning styles have become more technology driven. AI helps with autocorrect and improves writing through platforms such as Grammarly, but there is a difference between AI assistance and AI-generated work products.

“Unfortunately, some students have already begun using platforms like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, a language processing chatbot, and there is a very fine line between authentic student product and AI-generated or -assisted work. AI-generated results still must be verified and checked for accuracy. So we are excited to learn more about AI trends, ethic use, and how to effectively implement it in the classroom. This is a course for anyone: educators, students, parents and employers.”

Keynote speaker Vicki Davis is a life-long southwest Georgia resident and is a renowned speaker, educator, and EdTech enthusiast. She was recognized as one of the 40 Top EdTech leaders that are transforming education and experiences, and has spoken at events hosted by technology giants such as Google, Microsoft and Dell. As a 22-year veteran educator, she is an award-winning author, blogger, podcaster, and recognized expert in artificial intelligence. She was recognized as the Top Education Voice of 2020, Top Education Influencer of 2021, and has been recognized as having “One of the Top 10 Financially Literate Classrooms in the U.S.” As a technology advocate, she has shared more than 100 keynotes globally on topics ranging from differentiating instruction to the ethical use of artificial intelligence in teaching.

“She is known locally and worldwide, as the Cool Cat Teacher, and it is a real honor to have someone like Mrs. Davis as a keynote speaker,” Brinson said. “She brings such a wealth of knowledge, experience, and expertise to this CEU. I am so excited, not just as an educator, but as a parent and colleague to learn more about artificial intelligence and its impact on education and learning.”

The course is designed to explain what AI is, provide an overview of trends, share effective and efficient use of AI in the classroom, demonstrate the principles for use, and consider privacy and ethical issues. Vicki Davis also will provide toolkits for teaching and learning with AI and discuss future advancements of AI in education. The course is being offered in a virtual setting in the evening to provide an opportunity for everyone to learn how AI and technology will continue to be implemented in educational institutions.

The course runs April 18, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. and continued education units will be provided. The registration fee is $25, and all proceeds benefit student scholarships. For more information, visit Dartonfoundation.org’s events page calendar and click on the link to register or email [email protected].

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