Happy Friday, Reader!

Welcome to issue #1 of Campana. I started this newsletter because I believe AI should happen with educators, not to them. The people who know students and pedagogy best are the ones who should be shaping how AI enters the classroom - and that starts with being informed. Written by someone who has actually stood in front of a classroom, Campana aims to keep educators up to date and provide them with quick tips, tools, and tricks that they can actually use on the ground.

THIS WEEK IN AI ED...

The biggest story this week is New York City releasing its first formal AI guidance for public schools - drawing a clear line between where AI can help teachers and where it must stay out of student decisions. Meanwhile, a new EdWeek survey surfaces something teachers should hear directly from students: kids are worried AI is eroding their ability to think for themselves.

LOUNGE READS

AI Ed · Education Week

​Students Are Worried That AI Will Hurt Their Critical Thinking Skills​

A new survey finds students themselves - not just parents or administrators - are anxious that relying on AI is weakening their ability to think through hard problems on their own. This is a rare piece of student-centered data that gives teachers real language to use when designing assignments and having honest conversations with their classes about when and why to put the AI away.

AI Ed · EdTech Magazine

​AI Tools to Support Personalized Learning in K-12 Education​

A practical rundown of AI tools currently being used in K-12 classrooms to differentiate instruction and adjust pacing for individual students - with examples from actual schools. If you've been curious about where to start with AI-assisted differentiation without overhauling your whole approach, this is a grounded place to look.

Ed Funding · EdTech Innovation Hub

​National Science Foundation Awards $11M to Expand AI Training for K-12 Teachers​

The NSF just committed $11 million specifically to train K-12 teachers on AI - not college faculty, not tech workers, but classroom teachers. This signals real federal investment in teacher professional development around AI and may open up funded PD opportunities at the district level worth watching for.

SARAH'S PICK

Chalkbeat

​NYC Public Schools Release AI Guidance: Lesson Plans Yes, Grades and Discipline No​

New York City - the largest school district in the country - has released preliminary guidelines for AI use in its schools. Even if your district hasn't issued guidance yet, this policy is likely to become a national reference point.

Federal AI policy remains caught in a legislative tug-of-war, leaving local districts to navigate the gray area on their own. NYCPS recently acknowledged this uncertainty in its latest guidance, framing its approach as an evolving partnership with the community. Yet, not everyone is ready to move forward; parent and educator advocates are now demanding a two-year moratorium, pointing to unresolved risks regarding student cognition, data privacy, and the environmental cost of the technology.

This local debate reflects a fundamental tension I'm noticing again and again: while parents and educators are taking a step back to reconsider what role, if any, that tech should play in the heart of the classroom, districts are scrambling to develop policies that keep pace with a technology that's rapidly becoming central to our lives.

All in all, thorough guidance and policies around AI are still rare in the education space. And NYCPS's approach - establishing comprehensive guidelines while remaining willing to dive deeper with the community, building a framework that evolves alongside both the technology and community needs - feels like a step in the right direction.

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.

— Sarah