What School Is Really For — And Why SWAY Helps Us Remember

It's what's inside that counts.

These days, talk of artificial intelligence in education often raises a familiar fear: Will AI replace teachers? But that question misses the point.

If education were only about acquiring information, then, sure, AI could deliver facts faster than any human. But school is not a download system. It’s a living, breathing space where young people grow, discover, stumble, create, connect, and learn how to be human in a shared world.

School is where we make our first friends, meet our mentors, try out for teams, run for class rep, build things that break, put on shows that move us, and see the world not just through our own eyes, but through the experiences of others.

It’s where students practice being citizens — and parents, too, become part of a community larger than themselves.

Teachers Are Not Just Educators. They’re Architects of Potential.

While some dismiss schools as glorified babysitting — and there’s some truth in that convenience — it’s a vast understatement. Teachers don’t “sit.” They inspire, challenge, evaluate, adapt, cheerlead, and model what a thoughtful adult looks like.

They create environments where failure is safe, effort is celebrated, and small wins build lifelong confidence.

So instead of worrying about AI replacing teachers, we should ask: How can AI help more teachers thrive? How can it invite more parents to participate? How can it give students more chances to be seen, heard, and understood?

The SWAY Approach: A Practical, Inclusive Learning Model

That’s precisely what SWAY (A SMART WAY to Learn, Earn & Play) is about.

It’s a learning model built around transparency, accountability, creativity, and community. It uses technology not to replace teachers but to empower them.

Here’s what SWAY does differently:

Weekly Game Cards

Students play the WAY Game each week, a structured and fun activity that helps them capture their learning in a playful, meaningful format. They collect samples from their classmates ' ideas, quotes, and visuals and turn them into Game Cards.

This creates a learning loop of peer modelling, reflection, and self-expression.

CAP Notes for Parent Engagement

Parents aren’t left in the dark. They can check CAP Notes (Content–Awareness–Personal Insight) to see how well their child understood the material. It’s not a mystery — it’s a window.

They also receive Weekly Game Cards to see classroom highlights and insights shared by peers. This makes parent involvement simple, consistent, and rewarding.

Pathfinder Profiles

Each student builds an annual Pathfinder profile, showing their progress, gifts, goals, and growth. It’s not a report card filled with numbers. It’s a portrait of who they’re becoming.

Skills for a Tech-Filled World

When SMART Board notes are posted, or students run small businesses, or produce performances for their school, they’re applying learning in ways that stick.

They’re not memorizing answers for a test. They’re building skills for life: collaboration, communication, curiosity, and adaptability.

Let’s Rebuild Trust in Public Education — Together

We need to praise public education, not tear it down. Despite shrinking budgets and rising demands, we must celebrate teachers who still show up. And we need to invite parents back into the fold — not just at parent-teacher conferences, but every week.

SWAY and the WAY Game don’t replace anything. They enhance everything by making learning visible, meaningful, and shared.

So, let’s stop asking if AI can replace teachers and start asking how we can support them. Let's rebuild a learning system where students thrive, teachers lead, and parents play their part.

The answer isn’t in the cloud. It’s in the classroom.

Let’s play the WAY.

Brian McCarthy, Retired Teacher | Creator of SWAY & The WAY Game

My Prompt {It doesn't have to be pretty}

Some people are worried that AI will replace teachers. That is, if knowledge acquisition were all that school is about. Public and private education are socialization tools for society. For a set period each week, parents are free to pursue their needs; some call this a baby-sitting tool, which is simple and dismissive but accurate in a way. But teachers do more than "sit"; they inspire, create, evaluate, and more. School is a place where students make friends and parents make connections. School is a source of self-discovery, a place to learn and practice skills. Playing on a team or club is a big part of being in school. Seeing and experiencing culture as a group as a school community, whatever the school's values are. Parents and students need to buy into the learning process. They need to be invited and be effectively involved. If fully practiced, SWAY and the WAY Game provide parents with an annual Pathfinder report and Weekly Game Cards with samples acquired from classmates each week. Parents can check progress and understanding with CAP Notes - how well were they done? When SMART Board notes are posted and while students put on a show or run a small business, students acquire the skills they need to survive in a tech-filled world. Praise the values of public education and the teachers who work in it. Create a blog post that reflects the values of SWAY to create a practical, effective, inclusive, transparent and accountable learning model.