Dessine-moi un mouton: A Reflection on AI, Education, and Our Role as Educators
One of my most cherished memories is reading The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry with my son when he was just four years old. In the book, the Little Prince, a curious child from another planet, asks the stranded pilot to “dessine-moi un mouton”—“draw me a sheep.” The pilot, unfamiliar with the imaginative expectations of the Little Prince, struggles to draw a sheep that satisfies him. After several attempts, he simply sketches a box and tells the Little Prince that the sheep is inside. Surprisingly, the Little Prince is delighted—his imagination fills in the gaps.
This interaction between the Little Prince and the pilot has stayed with me. It beautifully illustrates how children approach the world: full of curiosity and wonder, but often needing our help to make sense of it. Yet, while the Little Prince was content to imagine his sheep inside a box, our students today cannot simply “imagine” their way through the challenges of an AI-driven world. They need us to guide them thoughtfully, helping them navigate and harness the tools shaping their future.
The Impact of AI on Knowledge and Skills
It’s highly unlikely that AI will make any area of knowledge obsolete. However, it’s transforming how we acquire, master, and apply knowledge. For example, think about how writing has evolved—from hand-scripting to typing with sophisticated tools. The underlying knowledge remains the same (grammar, structure, storytelling), but the skills needed to master it have shifted significantly.
This shift isn’t new. Decades ago, typists mastered the use of typewriters, a skill that is now obsolete, even as the act of typing remains central to communication. Similarly, every area of knowledge will see its associated skills evolve, sometimes dramatically.
As educators, we need to embrace these changes, recognizing the opportunities they bring. It is our creativity and proficiency that will determine how we explore these opportunities, guide the changes, and convey new skills to our students.
The Value of Learning Beyond Employability
In recent years, learning has often been reduced to a single goal: employability. For many, formal education is merely a means to make a living. If you ask a young adult, “If you didn’t need a degree to make money, would you still come to school or college?” many might say no. This response is troubling because it reflects a limited appreciation for learning as a lifelong activity that enhances our lives in countless ways.
Learning shouldn’t just be about employability. It should inspire curiosity, help us acquire knowledge, and bring joy and fulfillment into our lives. Whether it’s learning to play a musical instrument, mastering a sport, or studying humanities or STEM. Learning enriches life itself, cultivating curiosity, creativity, and fulfillment beyond professional pursuits.
We need to make room for students to rediscover the intrinsic value of learning—not just as a pathway to employment but as a means to enrich their lives and engage with the world meaningfully.
Bridging Curriculum and Industry
Employability remains a key goal of education, but to achieve this, we must rethink how we design curricula. Preparing students for their future means ensuring our teaching evolves alongside industry practices.
For instance, in the past, statistics students calculated probabilities and regressions manually. Today, tools like Minitab and SPSS perform these tasks, allowing students to focus on interpretation and decision-making. The knowledge hasn’t changed, but the skills required to apply it have.
We need to:
Reassess the time spent on foundational topics.
Introduce students to tools and applications used in industry.
Build partnerships with industry to ensure students acquire relevant skills.
Essential Knowledge for Every Learner
Beyond specialized skills, there is a core set of knowledge that every student should acquire—skills and concepts that help them navigate life as informed, ethical citizens. These include:
Critical thinking and argumentation: The ability to evaluate evidence, construct sound arguments, and reason logically is foundational to problem-solving and decision-making in every field. Argumentation, in particular, helps students articulate their thoughts clearly, engage in meaningful discourse, and navigate complex, often polarized, societal issues.
Communication, psychology, and collaboration: Understanding how people think, behave, and interact is essential in today’s interconnected world. These skills not only enhance interpersonal relationships but also foster teamwork, empathy, and effective leadership.
Philosophy and ethics: Philosophy encourages students to question assumptions, explore diverse perspectives, and grapple with abstract concepts such as justice, freedom, and morality. Ethics is particularly vital in the age of AI, where decisions often have profound societal and ethical implications. Teaching students to think critically about ethical dilemmas prepares them to act responsibly in their personal and professional lives.
Entrepreneurship and data literacy: These skills empower students to adapt to rapidly changing industries and technological landscapes. Data literacy ensures they can analyze and interpret the vast amounts of information they encounter, while entrepreneurial thinking fosters innovation, resilience, and the ability to create value in various contexts.
As curricula evolve, we should create room for students to explore these topics, regardless of their major.
Integrating AI Literacy
AI is advancing at a pace that can feel overwhelming, even for educators. Many students are eager to explore AI but are unsure how to approach it responsibly or effectively. They look to us for guidance, and we cannot simply leave them to figure it out on their own.
To address this, I recommend:
Adopting AI literacy frameworks to introduce students to foundational concepts.
There are several AI literacy frameworks including the one proposed by the UNESCO (see https://www.unesco.org/en/digital-education/artificial-intelligence)
Several researchers and educators developed AI literacy frameworks. Here is a framework that I proposed in a recent paper
Source: Aref, E. (2024, June). Team Dynamics And Conflict Resolution: Integrating Generative AI in Project-Based Learning to Support Student Performance. In 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition.
Developing clear, reasonable policies for AI use in classrooms.
Allowing room for guided exploration of AI tools and their applications.
Highlighting industry use cases to show students the practical relevance of AI.
Rethinking Assessment
One of the biggest challenges in the age of AI is assessment. What should we be measuring? And how? For example, in programming or data analytics classes, assessing students on their ability to write code may no longer be as relevant. Instead, we could evaluate their ability to debug, interpret, or refine AI-generated solutions.
Assessment should align with the evolving skills and knowledge students need, rather than traditional metrics that may no longer be relevant.
A Call to Innovate
Teaching is evolving, and while the changes may seem daunting, they present an incredible opportunity to innovate, create, and collaborate. Like the Little Prince, our students are asking us to “draw them a sheep”—to guide them through this transformative era with care and imagination.
Let’s rise to the challenge. Let’s embrace the possibilities of AI, adapt our teaching methods, and help our students discover the joy of learning—not just as a means to an end, but as a lifelong gift.
In Loving Memory
This reflection is dedicated to my son, Yassin, whose boundless curiosity and love for learning inspired so many of these thoughts. His memory reminds me every day of the importance of nurturing curiosity, creativity, and a love for knowledge in those we guide. This is for you.
Disclaimer
The views and ideas expressed in this piece are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions, policies, or positions of any affiliated organizations, institutions, or entities. The content is intended for informational purposes and represents the author’s personal insights and interpretations.