Big Glasses, Purple Ducks, and Even Bigger Joy

Last Friday night, I had the absolute privilege of delivering the keynote address for the Delta Kappa Gamma (DKG) Society for their Annual State of Iowa Convention.  They are a community of extraordinary women educators who have devoted their lives to lifting up others through teaching, learning, and leadership. Being invited to speak to this group was an incredible honor, and it was one of the most energizing experiences I’ve had all year.

The speech itself? Well, let’s just say it wasn’t your typical slideshow-and-clicker situation. I went fully low tech and proudly so. No screens, no digital handouts, no animated transitions. Just me, my voice, and a collection of quirky props packed in a tote bag that’s been on more adventures than some of my former students.

The night wasn’t just about props and punchlines. It was also about something I’ve been deeply immersed in this past year: artificial intelligence in education.  Let’s discuss the props that I used.  

First came the heart-shaped oversized glasses. I pulled them out early in the speech, plopped them on my face, and told the room, “This is the face of every teacher.  As teachers, we want to provide a caring environment that views the student as a child of hope with dreams that can be realized.  AI cannot use these glasses as a tool to lighten a mood with students or staff, but we can. ” 

Then came the pointer.  The type with the hand pointing on the end. I held it up and said, “We also have pointers that students and teachers use to identify the main idea or the important word or just to wave in the air for attention.   Can AI do that? AI can’t even make a noise without a human prompt.” We had a good laugh, but then we got honest about how educators are often expected to point the way forward, even when the path is unclear. That’s where community matters. That’s where we lean on each other.

Next through the speech, I introduced the purple lei. This was a symbol of an experience I had many years ago.  A gift from a colleague who helped me feel a part of the Hawaiian Dress Up Day at that school.  A connection that an AI prompt can never create with a human.   

And finally, the purple duck.  The gift from my professor last fall. In my advanced coding class, he told us there would be times we would get stuck and to remember to squeeze the duck, walk away, and come back later with fresh eyes.  AI wouldn’t recommend such a human action to solving a problem, but our human brains require it and are successful with such actions.  

We talked about how AI can help us write lesson plans, personalize feedback, and even translate languages. But more importantly, we talked about what AI cannot do. It can’t love a student back to life. It can’t see the magic in a teachable moment. It can’t advocate for equity or build a classroom culture of belonging. That work is still ours.

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