The thing about change is that it cannot be controlled. Whether it’s moving from typewriters to computers, from artisan crafts to industrial factories, or from home-cooked meals to Uber Eats, we, as individuals, cannot control the world we live in. Our job as parents and educators is to equip our students to navigate the world, embracing its opportunities, questioning its dangers and developing the wisdom to know the difference. 

One thing is clear: AI is here to stay. Another thing is equally clear: AI detectors alone don’t work. Too much honest work is being flagged as plagiarism, and too much plagiarism slips through unnoticed. 

At Quebec Online School, we don’t have all the answers, but we have something that others can’t offer:  smaller class sizes and flexibility in our approach to tackle this challenge. In the coming year, expect to see more focus on in-class discussions, on-the-spot presentations and proof that students understand the work they produce. Because, at the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter if you get your information through browsing through an index card catalogue at the local library, an encyclopedia, YouTube videos or conversations at Starbucks - what matters is having the curiosity to learn, the judgment to understand both what you know and what you do not know, and the courage to keep trying, failing, learning, and growing. 

For more on this matter, follow the blog of A.J. Juliana, whose advice on best educational practices I have been following for 15 years!