Mr Mossman Reflects
There are always developments in subject knowledge and quality teaching. Kent College staff are very aware of this, with many of them giving much of their time to professional development. Traditionally such training has been guilty of the very things that we as teachers know are not best practice: lots of listening to one person talking at a hopefully interested audience, who then go about their everyday lives and gradually forget what they may have been excited to learn. This is why we are taking a new approach at Kent College. We have identified areas for improvement looking at feedback from students and also from staff. Teachers have then individually chosen one area to research, working in small groups to encourage reflection and improvement. Giving staff ownership of regular training that is creative and clearly related to improving students’ learning is without doubt, the way forward.
One of our working groups is looking at AI. This has been an increasingly key area for study in education. Fears about the risks from plagiarism and an over-reliance on technology with a decay in cognitive skills, are not without some grounds. However, it is important that we also see the benefits. Firstly, it is essential to note that AI will shape the jobs of the future; our students must be able to use it. Secondly, AI, in handling the more mundane tasks, can free up the mind for more complex thinking: liberating our students to develop their curiosity, criticality and even more important, creativity. Furthermore, the main platforms are designing AI to enhance thinking, as opposed to making it shallower. I was lucky enough to trial such a platform on Copilot this week. I engaged in a challenging discussion regarding an A Level Latin set text. It explored the gaps in my own knowledge (not that I would admit there were many) and led to some quite sophisticated discussion. The AI did not give me the answer but helped me develop the ideas for myself – just as any good teacher would.
It is, therefore, without doubt a time of change in education but teachers at Kent College continue to adapt and are ready for the challenge.