Change is afoot. Or at least that’s the impression I get from the college writing classes I teach, as well as my conversations with educators who teach at various grade levels, and just from generally observing societal trends around education.
As we emerged from the pandemic era in education, we jumped right into the early AI era. Yet as AI skepticism mounts in and outside of education, I think/hope we’re about to enter a new era.
Though readers be warned, when it comes to predictions, I’m not exactly the Oracle of Delphi. After all, I truly thought this year was going to be a good one for the New York Mets. Even so, I do believe all of these predictions have more of a chance of coming true than the Mets do of playing in the World Series anytime soon.
Here’s how I see things playing out in the coming school year.
1. The Techlash Continues
Okay, so I’m no exactly going out on a limb with this one. But I don’t see the ongoing pushback against certain forms of technology going away any time soon.
For example, I haven’t spoken with one teacher from a district or school that banned phones who wants them back--not one. Presumably some exist, but their numbers are evidently small.
Likewise, I believe there’s a sizable consensus that even though screens of various kinds can be helpful, these don’t hold all the answers to education. The emphasis going forward, as it should be, will be on eliminating the tech that distracts from education and focusing on the tools that really and truly help students.
2. AI Cheating Declines
This is a bold prediction, I know. But I see 2026 as the peak of the “I’ll just let AI do my assignment” era that has altered education.
Going forward, particularly at the college level, I think we’re going to see more institutional responses and more cultural responses to this. Encouraging trends include the movement toward watermarking from some of the tech giants, including Anthropic, which recently announced Claude will start watermarking all text it generates.
I’m also seeing a growing sense that passing off AI as your own writing is not a thing that you should do in any situation.
I’m confident the combination of better AI detection models and watermarks paired with more intense societal disapproval will greatly decrease the prevalence of AI cheating by the end of the school year.
Again, this is an optimistic take, but I really think the current AI writing situation can’t go on, and this is the year it finally peaks.
3. Job Anxiety Decreases
The existential dread most of us feel about the future of human-powered labor will subside by the end of this school year, and both educators and their students will breath a collective sigh of relief.
I think this will happen for the same reasons I think AI cheating will decrease. Society by and large has made their feelings clear on what we think of AI-produced work of any kind: We dislike it about as much as we disliked new Coke.
AI will continue to play a key role in research assistance and tutoring, and in areas such as vibe coding. However, as we drive unwanted AI from the classroom, we’ll also drive unwanted AI from professions it has no business in, such as writing, illustrating, and pretty much all artistic fields. This will help students better control their career paths and get rid of that dark cloud on the horizon for some.
4. The Tactile Revolution Will Continue (And Obviously Won’t Be Televised)
The pen and papers that many educators have turned to in a desperate effort to guard against AI misuse are not going back in the desk. Students won’t need to write by hand to prove they’re not using AI going forward, but I don’t anticipate this trend going backward as many educators have realized there is something important and beneficial in the tactile experience. Education in the post-COVID era has gotten a little bit away from it, but more hands-on lessons with objects students can touch and feel has staying power.
For me, I’ve realized the value of getting writing students to create a piece of work that exists in the real, non-digital world. Whether that’s a handwritten note or a printout, changing the medium helps students engage differently, and sometimes connect with their writing in a more meaningful way.
5. The Next Big Thing Is Coming
Forgive me for the vagueness of this one, but with AI use and abuse hopefully maturing in the coming school year and the post-COVID period moving more firmly behind us, I think the field of education is poised to enter a new era of some type. I don’t know what this will be. I just get a strong sense of transition in higher education due to changing demographics and declining enrollment. I think some of that will trickle down to K-12.
I also think this shift will involve some type of truce between the techlash and AI, and hopefully incorporate the best of both worlds.
Ultimately, I’m not sure exactly what the future holds, but I’m confident a new era is dawning. Here’s hoping we can learn some lessons from the past when it does.
