PUBlic Professor Richelle Marynowski

Dr. Richelle Marynowski

Has AI Made Teachers Obsolete?

With the increase in prevalence of AI tools as a way to complete tasks that humans used to do, some people have been worried that AI will take over their jobs…teachers among them. Why do we need teachers when a chatbot can give me the answers to my questions? However, teaching is much more than knowledge transmission and learning is more than gaining information. Education is about relationships and experiences — connecting to each other and the way in which we understand things. This talk will highlight the ways that AI can enhance, not replace, the work of teachers. 

Dr. Richelle Marynowski (BEd '94) is a Professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Lethbridge. She began her teaching career in a small, rural community in Alberta before moving to Edmonton. Her K – 12 teaching career spanned 17 years and six different schools. She completed her Master of Education in 2001 and a PhD in 2014. She began her career at ULethbridge in 2011 as a lecturer in the Faculty of Education. Dr. Marynowski's research has focused on mathematics teaching and learning and assessment practices through a lens of teacher professional development. Caring for teachers and their craft has been a focus of all her work. More recently, Dr. Marynowski has co-founded an AI company designed to support the professional practice of teachers while reducing teacher burn-out.