Let’s use two comparisons: 1 — a jackhammer; 2 — a modern electric car. So, if a GenAI tool is like a jackhammer, what would you do? It might be advisable to learn to use hammer and chisel first. And before that, just learn to use the hammer. Develop your skills so that you get done what needs doing and so that you don’t injure yourself … or others. There is a time for everything. And here, time is a stand-in for skills you have learnt and things you have understood about the world. You might have heard that the jackhammer is SOOOO productive, but had not learnt to use a hammer and then a chisel before, it might be less productive and more harmful … in your hands.
And the electric car. You love it. You have given it a name and have some emotional attachment. It keeps its distance to the car in front of you. The lights turn on when it gets darker, you did not even touch a button. It starts beeping when you must not turn into the left lane, as you wanted to. The many little computers hidden in the car, make it seem intelligent. Yet, you don’t think of your car as your driving partner. A co-driver. It is a complex tool that you really, really like. Maybe you should treat a GenAi tool like you you treat your car: it’s not a thought partner, it’s not a collaborator. It’s a sophisticated tool, that – maybe – you really, really like.
These are some of the things we are all learning about GenAI. In this conversation with Phil Hubbard, we are exploring some more knowledge and skill areas, which are part of Sustained Integrated Professional Development for GenAI. If you find interesting what you are hearing in these regular conversations, subscribe to the podcast and/or give us a review or a like. This helps us to reach more teachers with this information.
In the podcast, this was part 2 of GenAI stuff you need to know. And these are publications mentioned in this conversation:
- Hubbard and Schulze (2025). AI and the future of language teaching: Motivating Sustained Integrated Professional Development. International Journal for Computer Assisted Language Learning and Teaching https://www.igi-global.com/gateway/article/full-text-html/378304
- UNESCO. (2024). AI competency framework for teachers. UNESCO Publishing. Available at https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000391104
- Educause Framework for AI literacy in teaching and learning (2024) https://www.educause.edu/content/2024/ai-literacy-in-teaching-and-learning/faculty-altl
- ISTE Whitepaper about evolving teacher education in an AI world: https://1818747.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/1818747/2024_ISTE_whitepaper_EvolvingTeacher_Ed_in_an_AI_World.pdf
- Paradox Learning AI toolkit for educators: https://paradoxlearning.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/AI-Toolkit-for-Educators_v3.pdf
- Emily M. Bender and Alex Hanna (2025), The AI Con https://thecon.ai/
- Ohashi L. and Hubbard P. (2025). Generative AI ethics: Emerging principles for language teachers. In Ohashi L., Hills M., and Dykes R. (Eds.), Artificial intelligence in our language learning classrooms. Candlin and Mynard. https://www.candlinandmynard.com/uploads/1/2/5/0/12502105/chapter_5_open_access.pdf https://www.candlinandmynard.com/genai1.html
