Staying Current with AI: Habits of a Lifelong Learner

Editor’s Note: This article is based on an interview with Stéphane Paquet, AI Project Lead at Champlain College Saint-Lambert and AI Certificate Coordinator. The responses have been summarized for clarity and brevity and are not word-for-word reproductions of the original conversation. The ideas reflect the speaker’s perspective as of the time of the interview.

Question:

You’ve been my professor in two courses, and I know how organized you are. How do you keep up with the fast-paced advancements of AI?

Answer:

Honestly? You can’t fully keep up.
The pace of change is too fast. But you can get close enough—by being consistent, curious, and intentional.

A Framework That Works (But Needs More)
I recently saw a great post by Mark Watkins, Assistant Director of Academic Innovation at the University of Mississippi.

He suggests:

• 30 mins reading about AI
• 30 mins experimenting with AI
• 30 mins reflecting on AI’s impact

That’s a solid framework. But personally, I go further.
My Personal Routine for Staying Informed

Daily social listening:

• I spend at least 30 minutes a day on LinkedIn and X.
• LinkedIn is my go-to for education-focused insights.
• X (Twitter) is better for technical updates and model releases.

I follow people who:

• Are actually experimenting with AI
• Share real results and practical use cases
• Post regularly so I stay up to date without doing all the testing myself

Daily AI Use in My Own Work

I use AI every single day—not just to keep up, but to do better work.

For example:

• When giving feedback to students, I dictate my thoughts into ChatGPT
• It helps me organize the feedback
• I’m not outsourcing the thinking—the ideas are mine

• I’m outsourcing the structure, which is time-consuming
• I also feed detailed rubrics into AI to generate suggested grades—based on my feedback.

Then I compare:

• Did AI grade too harshly?
• Was I too generous?

That reflection loop helps me stay objective and consistent.

Key Takeaway:

Build Daily Micro-Habits
Want to stay current? You don’t need to master everything.

Here’s what works:

• Read daily from a few trusted voices
• Use the tools regularly in your workflow
• Reflect as you go—it doesn’t need to be formal
• Experiment—even when it fails, you’re learning
You won’t catch every trend. But you’ll be close enough to adapt confidently.

About the Expert: Stéphane Paquet is an experienced educator and AI consultant with over 20 years of teaching experience. Currently serving as the AI Project Lead at Champlain College Saint-Lambert, he focuses on supporting teachers and students in integrating generative AI tools into education. His areas of expertise include e-learning, educational media design, and the development of innovative pedagogical strategies.