Artificial Intelligence could be the future of education, says the founder of a college-readiness program in Palm Beach County. But you can't discuss AI's impact without acknowledging education equity, the importance of realizing a student's full potential as technology shapes how children learn and how educators track progress.
For more than five years, Path to College has helped low-income, high-achieving students gain access to top-tier colleges and universities. Christine Sylvain, founder and Executive Director of Path to College, says students at the program's 5th Education Fest will compete in a persuasive speech contest about issues and advancements that affect their personal lives and society.
Sylvain says thought leaders in education will also have a say, discussing the present and future impact of AI in education.
"Within schools, teachers are already using AI tools to help teach better with their smart boards. Some schools are adopting software programs to help them track students better to do something called predictive analysis," Sylvain said. Predictive analytics in education is a window into trends and insights that can help educators develop better strategies for future success.
"So that’s what our panel will focus on — is how can we use tech for good and data for good and what do we need to be wary of. "
The annual eduction fest on June 9th at the Armory Art Center in West Palm Beach includes the "Future of Artificial Intelligence in Education" panel. It's moderated by Mark Howard, an education consultant who served as the Chief of Performance Accountability for the county's school district. Howard has used data visualization to inform the public about performance gaps, spot racial disparities in advance course enrollments, and helped increase internet connection for under-resourced kids through the Digital Inclusion Initiative.
The following experts on the panel include Christina Gardner-McCune, Ph.D., University of Florida. Pete Martinez, SIVOTEC BioInformatics, IBM. Rachel Goins, Kapor Center. And Roger Yohe, Ph.D., Palm Beach State College.
The education fest is the program's way of celebrating local students' tenacity and achievements, while promoting careers in STEM. Sylvain says 85% of Path to College graduates have been accepted into top-tier schools.
Higher education degrees significantly improves one's earning potential. Sylvain also recognized a "cultural shift," a growing national dialogue surrounding the importance of education for skilled trades.
She says low-income, high-achieving students in Palm Beach County need more exposure to different kinds of career paths.
"I would say the path to success is not linear. The conversation about trade vs. college, I just think we need to say it’s college and trades," Sylvain said. "We are not all academic or all vocational people. We all are both."
