Finding the Middle Ground

Nancy Frey and Doug Fisher know their way around an education acronym. Both professors at San Diego State University and teacher leaders at Health Sciences High and Middle College, they are constantly focused on improving teaching practices and school leadership.

So, of course, they have some thoughts on AI. In this conversation, Nancy and Doug advocate for a balanced approach to AI integration in schools, positioning themselves between “boomers” (enthusiasts) and “doomers” (skeptics). They emphasize using AI as a “first draft” tool to reduce teacher workload while maintaining human oversight and critical thinking. They stress that successful implementation requires both top-down leadership support and bottom-up teacher experimentation, with careful attention to bias detection and pedagogical quality control. Have a listen: