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Sunday, December 14, 2025

The Untapped Dividend: Professionalizing the "Shadow Use" of AI in Education


Introduction

In the discourse surrounding Educational Technology (EdTech) in Low-Income and Lower-Middle-Income Countries, there is often a reliance on technological determinism—waiting for a future breakthrough to save the system. However, the reality is that the technology is already present. A significant number of educators are already utilizing Generative AI (GenAI) tools to reduce their workload, often described as "taking back" their time (World Economic Forum, 2023). The challenge is that this usage often occurs without institutional strategy or ethical guardrails.

We propose a shift toward a voluntary training program designed to professionalize the usage teachers in those countries have already adopted. This approach moves from haphazard experimentation to strategic mastery, focusing specifically on planning, material generation, and ethical oversight.


The Untapped Dividend: Professionalizing the "Shadow Use" of AI in Education

Introduction In the discourse surrounding Educational Technology (EdTech) in Low-Income and Lower-Middle-Income Countries, there is often a...