🌹AI & Education: Insights from the AI PDX Panel
Last Thursday, I had the chance to join the AI Portland community for a lively panel discussion on the intersection of artificial intelligence and education. The panelists - each an educator with a unique perspective - didn’t hold back! The conversation sparked some fascinating insights, and the Q&A? Let’s just say it was less of a Q&A and more of an open mic for the audience to share their thoughts on the panel discussion.
My Key Takeaways (plus the (Super)charged by AI podcast recap 🎧)
Moderator Seth Fleischauer kicked things off with this quote from Eric Hudson:
"You don’t have to love AI. But you do need to engage with it – because your students already are."
Chris Brida - Director of CTE, AP, and IB at Portland Public Schools
Chris highlighted AI’s power to support students across a wide learning spectrum - offering personalized instruction while also easing teacher burnout. His take? Educators have a responsibility to guide students toward ‘high-wage, high-demand’ careers and future job mobility. The big question: How can AI help bridge opportunity and achievement gaps to make that a reality?
Isabel Bo-Linn - Assistant Professor of Graphic Design at PSU
Isabel recently launched a special topics course at PSU, “AI Design,” open to all majors. The course explores how AI is reshaping digital design tools and raising concerns around intellectual property and copyright. Her question for the future: “AI is expanding, but to whose benefit—and at what cost?” (Hint: She’s eyeing the environmental impact.) Her advice? Ask questions. Stay aware.
Jon Down - Entrepreneurship Professor at the University of Portland
Jon runs a weekly AI Tools class (Mondays at 4:10 PM at UP, open to the public!) and leads faculty workshops to help educators integrate AI into their lessons. His five bold predictions for the future of education:
💡 Students will opt for 2-year, hands-on workshops instead of traditional degrees
💡 Majors will disappear – learning will be more fluid
💡 The first 2 years of education will be free (a UBI-style model)
💡 Half of students will attend universities that don’t even exist yet
💡 The AI/human interface will look completely different, with advanced AI agents
Marty Sampson - AP English Teacher, Evergreen School District (Vancouver, WA)
Marty has deliberately avoided AI in her classroom - until now. She’s shifting gears to use AI as a thought partner while maintaining learning objectives, helping students to build their digital portfolios. Her candid take? She’s hoping to retire before AI policy becomes a full-time headache! (I respect the honesty. 😂)
AI & the Future of Learning
A common theme across the discussion was the push and pull of AI in education:
✔️ How do we ensure students aren’t left behind?
✔️ How do we balance innovation with authentic learning?
One crucial topic didn’t come up during the panel - but was brought up during the Q&A as a topic that is rarely addressed in policy discussions: AI’s potential to support neurodivergent students and those needing accommodations. AI can tailor lesson plans, assistive tools, and coursework to individual needs, massively reducing workload (and burnout) for special education teachers. This is a conversation that needs to be louder.
What are your thoughts? Have you seen AI making a difference in your classroom? Let’s keep the discussion going!
