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CBC
37 minutes ago
- CBC
Canadian teachers yearn for guidance, instruction as AI infiltrates classrooms
Social Sharing Even during the summer break, Ontario high school teachers Jamie Mitchell and Tamara Phillips know that many conversations they'll be having with their colleagues come fall will focus on the use of artificial intelligence in the classroom. Mitchell, who teaches math, and Phillips, who teaches English, are also instructional leaders, meaning they advise and lead their colleague on professional development. Mitchell says teachers are "100 per cent" yearning for guidance on how to use AI in the classroom. "By and large, there is a group of educators that feel that they need support in how to manage all the new issues that are coming up with respect to AI," he said. Since ChatGPT, the chatbot from tech company OpenAI, first reared its head in student work almost two years ago, the increasing prominence of AI in everything from research to office work means conversations have turned from whether or not to allow it in the classroom, to how best to use it for educational purposes. "Binary thinking around 'it's good or bad' should be tempered with the idea that, you know, learning and gaining knowledge about the tools that are at hand is really important," said Phillips. WATCH | Teachers seek AI instruction: Teachers seeking instruction on AI in the classroom 21 days ago Teachers are 'struggling on their own' Earlier this summer, tech companies Microsoft, OpenAI and Anthropic announced they would be investing $23 million US into the National Academy of AI Instruction — an initiative developed in partnership with the second largest teachers' union in the United States. The American Federation of Teachers says that over five years, the program aims to support 400,000 educators. According to the Canadian Teachers' Federation, the biggest teachers' union in Canada, educators here don't have anything like that, and certainly don't have anything that's been uniformly available across the country. "Teachers are really struggling with artificial struggling on their own because there are no policies and frameworks put in place," said Heidi Yetman, who spoke to CBC from Ottawa during her time as the President of the Canadian Teachers' Federation. Her tenure ended last month. In Canada, places like Alberta and Quebec have rolled out AI guidance for schools, mostly focusing on what constitutes acceptable and unacceptable use. Yetman says the guidelines are a "mishmash" and "all over the place." She says the guidance isn't specific enough and doesn't offer true, meaningful education for teachers on potential and pitfalls of AI in the classroom. CBC News reached out to provinces and territories to inquire about the level of support offered to teachers with respect to AI, and received a patchwork of responses. British Columbia said that while the province has provided general guidelines, "school districts are developing their own local policies and approaches." The Newfoundland and Labrador Department of Education and Early Childhood Development said that in addition to general guidelines, "to date, nearly 2,000 NLSchools staff members have participated in AI professional learning sessions." It noted that more training will be added to respond to the rapid evolution of AI technologies. The diminishing role of teachers Teachers also may need reassurance that they'll still have a role in the brave new world where AI is part of education. "In other words, can we use AI to replace a teacher? And, I hate to say it, but I think that we are headed in that direction," said Yetman. Johanathan Woodworth, the associate professor of education at Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax, says anxiety around AI can change how teachers perceive themselves. "For example, a lot of teachers are thinking, 'If I integrate AI, am I actually the teacher who owns this? Who is pedagogically in charge of the teaching?' " Woodworth, who specializes in training aspiring teachers how to integrate technology into their teaching, says that no matter what form AI education for teachers takes in the future, teachers must be consulted. Who should train teachers on AI? One thing teachers, unions and professors of education seem to agree on is who shouldn't be paying for teacher training. Most expressed concern about the motivations of tech giants in the U.S. that are investing in teacher training, and wouldn't want to see it done in Canada. "When the creators of various AI platforms are rolling out the learning, we aren't necessarily embedding what we talk about as humanized pedagogy and the practices that are needed in classrooms to build integrity and AI literacy into that learning," said Phillips, one of the teachers in Ontario. She and her colleague Mitchell say teachers are finding their own ways to use AI ethically. Mitchell was an early adopter of ChatGPT, working it into his lessons. "One of the ways that math teachers have been using AI is to teach students how to turn, say, ChatGPT into a tutor with some very intelligent prompting. And then arming that student with the ability to ask ChatGPT for math help when they're at home, when they don't have access to their math teacher," he said. Mitchell says it's too late to pretend that AI won't infiltrate every aspect of education, including how students learn and complete their assignments, and how teachers assess them. "The reality is today's AI is the worst AI that students are ever going to use," he said. "And if teachers aren't arming those students with the skills to work with AI ethically, with integrity, then we're doing something wrong."
CBC
37 minutes ago
- CBC
PATH businesses look forward to big bank back to work mandates
Social Sharing As several large employers in Toronto's financial district look to bring their employees back to the office for four days a week, small businesses in the sprawling tunnel network that sits beneath them look forward to a bump in business. The PATH — Toronto's underground pedestrian walkway network — spans 30 kilometres and has more than 1,200 businesses, according to the City of Toronto's website. During the pandemic, those businesses suffered as foot traffic dropped dramatically and never fully returned with the adoption of hybrid working models. While businesses in the PATH say things have been picking up as the pandemic moves farther into the past, the heavy foot traffic has been limited to days like Tuesday and Wednesday, which are popular in-office days for many. Jerry Li, owner of an INS convenience store under First Canadian Place, said businesses like him have no option to go remote. WATCH | The majority of workers would prefer a fully remote or hybrid workplace: Most people want to work remotely — companies want them back in-office 6 days ago A recent Angus Reid survey suggests the majority of workers would prefer a fully remote or hybrid workplace, but many employers are opting to have employees in the office more often. "I'm a client based business, I need clients here. I can't do online purchases or transactions," he said. "For small businesses and especially for me, [more foot traffic] would greatly benefit my business." Back to work may not mean back to pre-pandemic ways, expert says At Modern Golf in the PATH, where players can buy new gear and swing on simulators, president Paul Fisher said foot traffic has been on a positive trajectory. "So from [2023] when we opened the store to '24, we've noticed about a 100 per cent increase in what it feels like in foot traffic and that's compounded, from '24 to '25, it's the same impact," he said. TD Bank asked its employees to be in the office four days a week starting in the fall on July 23. Other big banks, including Scotiabank, Bank of Montreal and Royal Bank have also mandated at least four days in office starting in September. Though it's not over the PATH, Rogers Communications is the latest large employer to say it will be bringing employees back to the office for the majority of the week. The telecom company says it will require its corporate employees to be in the office four days a week starting in October, then five days a week in February. Laura Miller, an associate professor of architecture at the University of Toronto who is working on a book about the PATH, said just because employees are going back to the office that doesn't mean things will be like they were before the pandemic. "People have gotten used to online shopping for everyday items, clothing and groceries, things that you might've picked up at lunchtime." Back to work good for city revenue: board of trade Giles Gherson, CEO of the Toronto Region Board of Trade, said an influx of workers downtown doesn't just benefit small businesses, but also the city as a whole. Because if commercial office towers maintain a vacancy rate that's higher than pre-pandemic levels, the value of their property will decrease as it's re-assessed. "Then the property tax revenue from those buildings declines. And that could be a significant hit for a city that's already got a very large financial pressure, which affects city services," he said. WATCH | Amazon employees frustrated with return to office: Amazon ends remote work, and some employees aren't happy 7 months ago Amazon is one of the most high-profile companies to roll back remote work entirely, but some of its employees are unhappy with the change and want to see proof that more in-office time boosts collaboration and culture. But Gherson said the transition to bringing office workers back four to five days a week may encounter some bumps, as employees have become accustomed to the hybrid model. A sentiment that's backed up in data, according to a study released by Angus Reid in late July. It found among people who've worked remotely, three quarters of them would prefer to spend most of their time at home. Jon Roe, a research associate with Angus Reid, anticipates a lot of resistance from employees, but said they may not have the leverage to do much about it. "Compared to the last couple years, the job market is a little bit more favourable to the employers now," he said. While the unemployment rate dropped slightly this month, in May it was at the highest point in nine years outside of the pandemic. When fewer people were looking for jobs in previous years, employees had more power to dictate terms, he said.
CBC
3 hours ago
- CBC
Wildfire smoke blankets Canada
Aug. 3, 2025 | Wildfire smoke blankets skies from B.C. to Montreal, putting millions under air quality advisories. Canada pushes for a trade deal after the U.S. increases tariffs. And, what's driving up the cost of Canadian beef.
