By Martine Rhéaume
Publication Date: 2026-04-06 20:29:00
A pervasive narrative has taken hold in education: Generative AI (genAI) is an unstoppable force, and educators must adapt or they will be left behind.
Tech companies are marketing AI tools as the ultimate teaching assistants, while popular media outlets warn that essay writing is dead.
Technology enthusiasts and policymakers have long described teachers as “resilient” and “risk averse.” The discourse surrounding technology in classrooms has reinforced the idea that teachers either support or oppose technology.
But research with educators shows that a binary classification of AI innovators versus Luddites obscures what is actually happening in classrooms.
To better understand this, I turned to my own institution, the Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute (OLBI) at the University of Ottawa. I consulted English as a Second Language (ESL) and French as a Second Language (FSL) teachers to explore their attitudes toward and current use of AI-powered tools. I did this by…
