THE PREP PERIOD

Quick tips, tools & tricks you can take to the classroom on Monday

AI as a Reading Partner | This week's tip comes from eSchool News​

Try using AI as a reading partner for your students next week. eSchool News outlines three specific ways students can use AI tools to build literacy skills:

1. Thought partner for ideas: Instead of using AI to write for them, students use it to pressure-test their thinking. They generate arguments, consider counterpoints, and evaluate sources.
2. Editing and structural support: Students share their drafts with an AI tool and ask for feedback on clarity and structure. Think of it less like spellcheck and more like having a writing coach.
3. Voice to text and more: AI-powered dictation lets students speak their ideas and see them in writing, removing the barriers that handwriting, spelling, and keyboarding can create.

Give one of the three a try yourself! Then, once you feel good about your tool and prompt(s) of choice, try it with a class or student who you feel would benefit the most.

LOUNGE READS

A growing pushback against ed tech and screen time in schools, a wave of new AI literacy laws and policies moving through state legislatures, and teachers are stuck in the middle. Educators are being asked to use more AI while researchers and parents are questioning whether tech is helping students learn at all.

Education Week

​The Ed-Tech Backlash Is Here. What It Means for Schools.​

Educators, parents, and even celebrities are pushing back on screens and ed tech in a big way right now.

“I know that during an observation [for my performance review], if I don’t use technology, I’m going to get dinged because I’m not using technology... And if I do use technology, I’m going to get dinged because [students] should have some screen-free time.”

KNOE News

​Louisiana Bill Would Require AI Literacy Education Starting 6th Grade​

Louisiana may mandate AI literacy starting in middle school, which could signal a national trend.

"...AI is going to be in every sector of the workforce so if our kids are not prepared or ready for it, they can get left behind."

NBC New York

​What Happens When 3rd Graders Write Their Own Policies for AI in Schools​

Third graders drafted their own AI rules, and the results are worth reading.

“'AI can turn our brains into mush,' said third grader David Ortiz, 'It would be no point of school if AI is going to tell you everything.'"

SARAH'S PICK

The 74

​When It Comes to Developing AI Rules, Who Asked the Students? A piece by high-school student, Ruhan Gupta.

Students are trying to tell us they want access to AI in a fair, safe way, with guardrails in place for everyone and stopgaps for when AI gets it wrong. And it will get it wrong.

This article tells the story of Brittany, a university student who did everything in her power to write ethically. She wrote from the heart about deeply personal matters but her work was still flagged for cheating - by an AI detector. When she came to the university with proof of her work's authenticity, it wasn't enough.

That experience led her to whittling her writing down to something sterile and foreign to herself. AI had a negative impact on her writing, her college experience, and therefore her education. She later opted out of the educational experience altogether.

Had a real conversation been held with students about how they use AI, why they use it, and what's acceptable, perhaps they could have agreed on something worthwhile together.

Students, eager to learn, are already gaining proficiency with these tools on their own. As Ruhan explains:

The conversation should start where students are. When we implement catch-all punitive policies we risk missing the point. Our goal as educators should be to expand the world our students interact with. That sometimes means hearing from students themselves and leaving room for benefit of the doubt as they explore the unknown. Having an agreed-upon system for what happens when a student is, say, accused of plagiarism, is a place to start.

I agree with the author that not everything needs to be decided via committee, and it doesn't have to be that hard. This week, third graders at DREAM Charter School in East Harlem wrote their own AI guidelines - check out the 3rd lounge read if you haven't already. Eight-year-olds flagged cognitive offloading, cheating, and misinformation on their own.

Students are acutely aware of the pitfalls of AI, especially when it comes to cheating. They want to be protected from those pitfalls as much as they want to be able to engage with the advantages - like getting a hand with AP physics formulas when there's no expert around to help.

Some resources to help you get started:

​Why Student Voices Matter More Than Ever in the AI Era​

Teaching resources and more on engaging students in conversations about ethics and AI. "Students are not passive consumers of AI. They are creators, critics, and decision-makers."

​School Leader’s Guide to A.I. Policies That Work​

Guidance on clarifying AI Policies and where to go from there. "School leaders have the opportunity to create clear, empowering policies that equip students with the skills they need to navigate technology responsibly, both online and offline."

​MIT Media Lab — Student Voices in AI Club

A 12-week program where students lead conversations about how AI should be used in their schools and propose actual guidelines. Open-source materials are planned for early 2026!
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— Sarah

A NOTE BEFORE YOU GO...

I'm glad you're here! If something resonated this week, hit reply and tell me. If you know a fellow educator who would find this useful, forward it their way. The village grows when educators share with other educators.