At the Learning Counsel Learning Futures & Tech Media Meeting in O’Fallon, Missouri, Nick Cusamano, Director of Instructional Technology at Fort Zumwalt School District, offered a forward-looking perspective on the role of artificial intelligence in education.
Cusamano began by emphasizing the importance of human connection in teaching, even as AI adoption expands globally. “The time we have with our students face-to-face, building those ‘aha’ moments, is invaluable,” he said. “AI can help us offload mundane tasks, allowing teachers to focus on creating those experiential learning moments that only humans can provide.”
Data-Driven Instruction and Real-Time Feedback
One of the key ways Fort Zumwalt is leveraging technology is through i-Ready, a platform that provides real-time data on student progress. “Before, we were often working with data that was months old,” Cusamano explained. “AI has the potential to give us insights instantly—where students are, and how we can best support them. It can even suggest strategies to help individual learners, but ultimately, teachers are the experts in guiding human learning.”
Fostering Creativity and Critical Thinking
Cusamano also highlighted the shift in educational priorities from content mastery to developing creative problem-solving and critical thinking skills. AI can provide information quickly, but students need guidance to evaluate, question, and verify that information. “It’s one thing to generate content,” he said. “It’s another to teach students how to evaluate whether it’s correct, how to analyze it, and how to engage in thoughtful discourse, even with opposing viewpoints.”
Amplifying the Human Element in Education
Ultimately, Cusamano sees AI as a tool to enhance human teaching rather than replace it. By taking over routine tasks and providing actionable data, AI allows educators to focus on human-centered skills such as creativity, problem-solving, collaboration, and empathy. “Our role is to help students think critically, be creative, and navigate information responsibly,” he said. “Those are the human points that technology alone cannot teach.”
Through Cusamano’s insights, Fort Zumwalt School District illustrates a balanced vision for AI in education—leveraging the strengths of technology while keeping the human connection at the center of learning.
Tune in for the full presentation below.
