South Putnam superintendent bracing for future, technological advances in education

While there are current worries and discussions about what education may look like over the next year to two years, South Putnam Superintendent Dr. Corey Smith is thinking and getting ready for what education may look like five-plus years down the road. 

With advancements in technology and artificial intelligence, Smith said he and his district have been preparing and working on plans to get students prepared for an unforeseen future. 

"What spearheaded it was I have always been a bit of a futurist myself, thinking about what is next and what's out there. When I took the trip last fall to the Nobel Teaching Summit in Stockholm, there were a lot of sessions about AI and the integration of that and neuro brain technology. The other thing is I was at a business conference and one of the speakers there was Ben Lytle, who is a futurist, author and started Anthem Blue Cross/Blue Shield. He talked about how in 30 years, there will be more fundamental change in humanity and how we operate and do things than has been from this point all the way to the start of humanity. If you think about the 1900s and the changes that happened there, he is saying all that will be surpassed in 30 years," Smith told The Putnam County Post. 

Smith said as an educator, he and his team have looked at how they will prepare South Putnam's students for a world that, as he puts it, will be "fundamentally different and doesn't even exist today."

"It is mind blowing. One of those skills is going from a knowledge based to an inquiry based teaching approach. We have tools at our fingerprints now that we didn't have before. What motivates me every morning is how am I preparing these kids for that job and that world that doesn't exist today and provide them with those skillsets. As a student, it goes from having the right answer to asking the right question, and that is where we need to get to," he said. 

Smith admits the change is coming whether people like it or not. 

"Society is going to change because of these technologies. Are we concerned that we aren't at that point where we can change these skills yet? Absolutely, and that is why we are looking at what we can do, nationally and internationally, to prepare our staff to help these students through this transition. It is and will change, and it can't be held back. It is going to happen. One of my main things I am doing is how do I prepare South Putnam for that and our students and families for the change that is going to happen. There is a lot of work, and I am studying other districts that have started this process. I am going to see how other districts are doing this, and we might as well hitch our wagon to people who have done this and learn from their mistakes," Smith said. 

The veteran educator said all of his administrators are currently in AI training, noting that lifelong learning will have to happen and will never stop in his district. 

"AI technology is going to be here, and we want to learn how to harness that and use that as a tool. When the internet first came out, people said students would get all the answers and AI is one little piece. If we are speaking about AI, it is going to be used to deepen learning. It will not be as a substitute, but rather be used to help students broaden their education," Smith said.