Once upon a time … there is a kingdom called Edukatoria, where people place great value on education. There lives a wise and kind teacher named Master Albin. He dreams of transforming teaching and learning, for he knows that education is the key to a better future.
One night, while Master Albin is bent over his ancient, yellowed books, the powerful fairy Digitana appears before him. She shimmers in a mysterious light and speaks in a voice as clear as a bell. ‘Master Albin,’ she whispers, ‘the magical wisdom can work wonders for your classroom. Let me show you something!’
Master Albin nods curiously. Digitana leads him through a shimmering door into a world full of magical wisdom. He sees students following their own paths of learning, accompanied by glowing books of light that guide them safely through the most difficult topics. The magical wisdom answers immediately as soon as a task is completed. There are no more piles of unmarked work to keep him awake at night. Instead, he sees himself talking to the students and helping them to discover their own strengths.
But when Digitana and Master Albin leave the magical world, the mood changes abruptly. The colours fade and they are back in his familiar, slightly dusty classroom.
Suddenly, Master Albin hears an eerie rumbling. With a loud bang, a huge, dark box crashes through the ceiling. It is the Black Box of Magic. ‘This box is a mystery to us,’ whispers Digitana. ‘Many are afraid of it because they do not understand how it works.’
Then, suddenly, little ghosts appear everywhere, gnawing away at the students’ work. “They are the plagiarisers,” explains Digitana.
Suddenly a thick fog rolls in over the classroom. ‘That’s the fog of lawlessness,’ Digitana murmurs. ‘There are no clear rules on how we should use magic properly.’
A whirlwind races through the room as if from nowhere, swirling all the books around. ‘That’s the speed of change,’ shouts Master Albin. ‘Progress is so fast that we can hardly keep up!’
In desperation, Master Albin remembers the legend of an old wise man who is said to live in the depths of the Forbidden Forest. With Digitana at his side, he sets off through the dense, dark forest. They fight their way through thorns, brave wild animals and the eerie sounds of the night. Finally, they reach a small hut deep in the heart of the forest.
The old sage, an ancient man with a snow-white beard, is sitting on the veranda. ‘I know why you are here,’ he whispers. ‘You are looking for the solution to your fears and challenges.’
Master Albin bows deeply. ‘Wise man, magic brings both wonder and terror to our land. How can we tame and use it without being overwhelmed by it?’
The wise man smiles. ‘The answer lies in an ancient virtue that all people possess: courage. Courage is the key that will help you to master magic and overcome your fears.’
He leads them to an old treasure chest. When the wise man opens the chest, a powerful amulet bearing the symbol of courage floats out of it.
‘Take this amulet,’ says the wise man. ‘It will remind you that courage is the true strength you need. With courage, you can break new ground, make mistakes and learn from them.’
Master Albin takes the amulet and feels his heart fill with strength and confidence. He and Digitana return to Edukatoria, where Master Albin unleashes the magic of wisdom in his classroom with renewed courage.
And they all learned and taught happily ever after…
Background information:
As part of my doctoral research, I conducted interviews with 29 secondary school teachers and 10 AI experts. The statements in this fairy tale are based on the thematic content analysis of these interviews.
Side note:
I myself am not sure whether our story with AI will actually have a fairy-tale ending. To be honest, I think it’s more of a choose-your-own-adventure. It is up to each of us to form our own opinion and explore the possibilities within our personal scope. Let’s be brave together!