By W. Ian O’Byrne
Publication Date: 2026-06-15 12:38:00
A child tries to climb, jump, or negotiate with a peer on a playground, but the attempt fails. They fall, get eliminated from a game, or reach another dead end. Then they try again.
Failure, conflict, and frustration may seem like a struggle, but that’s often how children learn.
I have studied digital literacy and how technology is changing learning for 20 years. My work revolves around a simple question: What do people gain and what do they lose as society largely transitions from traditional print learning to online learning? With this in mind, I believe that this question will become more pressing as artificial intelligence becomes more prevalent in schools.
AI-powered education programs like Alpha School, a growing private network of schools, replace much of the school day with adaptive software that adapts instruction to each student’s pace and abilities.
The key point is personalized learning: give each student the right material at the right time, and they will succeed academically…