One Best Thing: Leveraging Technology to Enhance the Enduring Power of Human Connection in Learning

As I reach the culmination of my journey in the Apple Community Education Initiative Ambassador Program, reflecting on the many rich experiences and learnings, the prompt to identify my "One Best Thing" resonates deeply. My journey has interwoven my roles as Chairperson and Professor of Applied Linguistics at Delaware State University, an HBCU, my work with the PROPEL Faculty Fellowship, and my participation in the Apple Learning Coach course.

Through these experiences, my core belief in connection and empowerment has been consistently reinforced. I believe that technology should serve as a bridge to authentic communication and cultural understanding. This aligns with my passion for fostering intercultural understanding, building global communities, and empowering individuals through shared linguistic experiences; for me, almost everything comes back to how we are (or aren’t) connected. My "One Best Thing," the most impactful takeaway from this period of intensive professional learning, is the reaffirmation of the absolute centrality of human connection in the learning process.

However, the insights gained, particularly around the potential of Generative AI, have illuminated a powerful way to enhance this connection. I've come to see AI not as a replacement for human interaction, but as a creative companion. By leveraging AI to offset the ‘non-human’ work of education – tasks like generating basic practice exercises, drafting initial content outlines, or summarizing long texts – we can better capitalize on the human connection with individual students, learners, and community members! This directly addresses something I want to MOVE towards: keeping everyone motivated by continually trying something new, specifically leveraging AI to free up time for more impactful human interaction.

I view my primary role as an academic leader, coach, and ambassador is to facilitate and help teachers discover how to make technology an ally in creating engaging, effective, and meaningful learning experiences. Viewing AI through this lens – as an ally that can handle logistical or repetitive tasks – allows educators to dedicate more time and energy to the relational, empathetic, and creative aspects of teaching and coaching that only humans can provide.

In essence, my "One Best Thing" is the powerful synergy between technology, including cutting-edge AI and immersive tools like VisionPro, and the timeless need for human connection in education. By thoughtfully integrating technology as an ally and creative companion, we can free ourselves to focus on the truly human aspects of teaching and learning, fostering deeper relationships and more meaningful educational experiences for everyone in our community. With persistent rhetoric of how AI or other technologies may replace jobs, roles, or norms, I like to imagine a future where we intentionally apply technology to bolster differentiated, individual instruction that enables educators to have time to be with students and embody all the soft skills and human side of learning. Technology can assist in teaching content, educators can reach the individual students.