How AI Is Transforming Learning
By Kimberly Barnes, Director of Special Education Learning Experience
As a former teacher, I’ve seen firsthand how classrooms, despite the best intentions, often operate on a one size fits all model. A model that simply doesn’t work for many of our students.
The Challenge for Diverse Learners
Unfortunately, diverse learners don’t fit into a single mold. My students had wildly different needs, strengths, and starting points. Some were decoding words while others were still working on letter identification and sound correspondence. Algebra was abstract but exciting to some, while others faced challenges with basic number sense. Some struggled to write legibly with a pencil, others just to sit still. Many had behavior needs. Trying to meet them where they were, while managing everything else, often felt like trying to be in dozens of places at once.
Students with learning differences like dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, and ADHD are often left struggling to keep up. And it's not because they lack ability, but because the classroom pace and structures just aren’t built for them. No matter how hard I worked, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was falling short, especially when I knew how much untapped potential each of my students had. I used to joke that my co-teacher and I needed to clone ourselves just to give every child the support they deserved.
How AI is Changing the Classroom
AI is helping to change that. That’s why I believe in what AI can offer when it’s implemented thoughtfully and purposefully.
As highlighted in this Special Needs Alliance article, AI is creating dynamic, personalized learning environments that focus not just on outcomes but on the process of learning itself. With AI we have the potential to transform classrooms. We have the potential not only to improve learning outcomes but to shift how we understand and support learning.
Imagine the Possibilities
Imagine an AI-powered math tool that doesn’t just mark an answer wrong. Instead it does what all human teachers want to do, but don’t always have the time or means. A tool that can analyze a student’s thinking and pinpoint where their process broke down so the right support can be provided at exactly the right moment.
Imagine a multi sensory learning experience that adapts to a student’s strengths: combining visuals, audio, and interactivity to bring content to life in a way that finally makes sense for them.
As a teacher, this would have been game changing.
But here’s the truth, AI alone is not the solution. The best implementations don’t replace teachers; they amplify them. They give teachers deeper insight into learning patterns that we may have missed when we’re juggling too much. They eliminate guesswork and free up time to focus on what we know really matters most: building connections, confidence, and trust. Because at the end of the day, that’s what helps kids thrive.