Great advice, Steve. Your call to teachers to talk with their students about their concerns and listen to frank comments from their students is a good call. Thanks for the shoutout, too!
Sorry, but no no no. I worked hard to learn to be a good English teacher and learned more about it every year. I didn’t have time or the need to learn an entire new thing. I was an English teacher. That was enough. The current AI crap is flawed, biased, and often hallucinates. Why should I waste time on the flashy new software that isn’t even proven? I can believe all the teachers just getting in line like sheep. Not sorry to be so angry about this, but it’s not good for students’ brains.
Will - you can choose to ignore it but when your students continue to use it you will find yourself in a position of ignorance. It's fine to tell them not to, but to say it's simply flawed, biased and hallucinates reveals YOUR bias. The newer models are quite good and where will you be in the future? Again, you cannot keep it out of your classroom - it's already there. You are conflating two issues - learning about it vs. embracing it. I promise you - you cannot afford not to understand AI if you want to stay relevant in education.
Sorry Steve, but I don’t buy it. I just read an article about it hallucinating and it quoted programmers saying they did not understand why it was happening. I have been teaching sixth graders. They needed to learn to read and write effectively. That is enough of a challenge. Their brains are developing. Why in the world would I show them something that by definition will make them think less? Defend it all you want, but you are promoting the idea that they should learn and think less.That would be irresponsible and unfair. This is all so new. Nothing about it is proven, yet too many want to adopt it 100%. Why not actually warn students that it might not be good? I had my student read articles about negative aspects of AI to give them a balanced perspective. Then throw in the fact that the AI companies steal and scrape and pose a serious environmental threat due to the electricity needed. Just because they will probably use it doesn’t mean we should show them how. Show we show them how to use a bong since many probably smoke weed? It’s not a faulty comparison.
No one is arguing that 6th graders should be using AI to write and nothing in my piece suggests that. I am defending the principle that every teacher should learn to understand the technology. It seems you have already made up your mind - is your solution to pretend it doesn't exist? How much have you used AI? Which models and for what? I honestly do not understand the vehemence against AI by people who seem to be the least informed and least familiar with the tools. Have you used it to code? Used the Deep Research capabilities? There are plenty of strong use cases for older students and for teachers. Did you assign articles about ways AI can help them as well? Again, there are plenty of pitfalls and plenty of things to keep an eye on but your position is untenable long term. And the bong example ... makes no sense. AI is already everywhere and will be in the workplace for students in the future. Comparing it to a drug is not relevant. I'm just not sure I understand your position.
My students will certainly use math in their lives, but that doesn’t mean I should suddenly learn how to teach math. I did not give them positive articles to read. They already get enough of that. I’ve checked out Chat GPT and Dali. I wasn’t impressed. By making it acceptable to students, you are giving them approval. Deep research should be from reading and thinking, not asking a program to search for you. One of my main points is that I am a professional, an English teacher, not an AI coach. I studied and worked for years, like every other teacher. We shouldn’t suddenly have to learn the new thing. Where does that end? If people want to become AI teachers, then they should just do that.
As an English teacher, I can’t imagine telling my students to use this cool new program because it’s kind of fun and really easy, but also saying if they use it they won’t learn as much won’t have to think as much and definitely won’t develop their brains as much.
Will, I appreciate you continuing this conversation and I think we are talking a little bit past each other. I started this substack to try to think about AI thoughtfully and it's important to have my assumptions checked. I think we may have more common ground than it appears, and I'd like to try clarifying a few things.
First, I completely agree that deep, thoughtful reading and writing are essential skills that need focused attention, especially for developing minds. Nothing should replace that core learning. You're absolutely right that teachers are specialists in their disciplines and have spent years honing their craft, expertise which is invaluable.
The math teaching comparison is interesting, but there's a key difference: AI isn't a separate subject like math, but rather a tool that's increasingly embedded in the environments where students read, write, and learn. It's more akin to how we had to learn about the internet's impact on research and writing 20 years ago.
I'm not suggesting you should become an "AI coach" or that AI should replace thoughtful research and writing. In fact, I share your concern about students using AI as a shortcut that bypasses critical thinking. That's precisely why I believe teachers should understand these tools - not to promote them, but to help students navigate them critically.
When I mentioned understanding AI, I wasn't suggesting telling students "this cool new program is fun and easy." Rather, I meant having enough familiarity to have informed conversations about its limitations, biases, and appropriate uses - similar to how we teach students to evaluate any source or tool. I've used AI thoughtfully in multiple lessons with older students and the results have been good. I would agree that uncritical adoption of AI in schools is irresponsible but (and this is where we may differ) I also believe that wholesale demonizing of AI is equally irresponsible.
While I respect your decision to focus on negative aspects of AI with your students, I wonder what might happen if you broadened that mindset. Are you suggesting you don't see any potential for with respect to student learning and collaboration? That seems short-sighted to me. The critical lens is important, especially as a counterbalance to the hype, but I would encourage you to be open to other perspectives. Perhaps we can agree that students need guidance on how to think about these technologies, whether they're using them or not?
What approaches have you found effective in helping students maintain their critical thinking skills in this rapidly changing environment? How are your kids talking and thinking about AI? Your school and your colleagues?
Great piece! Very well said. AI will have a massive effect on education but that does not mean that everyone has to fully embrace it. I would argue that a diversity of thought with respect to AI is crucial as we move forward. And the techno centric idea that technology will replace teachers is a recurring theme in education that has existed for as long technology has existed.
What a thoughtful approach. Thanks for sharing it!
Great advice, Steve. Your call to teachers to talk with their students about their concerns and listen to frank comments from their students is a good call. Thanks for the shoutout, too!
Sorry, but no no no. I worked hard to learn to be a good English teacher and learned more about it every year. I didn’t have time or the need to learn an entire new thing. I was an English teacher. That was enough. The current AI crap is flawed, biased, and often hallucinates. Why should I waste time on the flashy new software that isn’t even proven? I can believe all the teachers just getting in line like sheep. Not sorry to be so angry about this, but it’s not good for students’ brains.
Will - you can choose to ignore it but when your students continue to use it you will find yourself in a position of ignorance. It's fine to tell them not to, but to say it's simply flawed, biased and hallucinates reveals YOUR bias. The newer models are quite good and where will you be in the future? Again, you cannot keep it out of your classroom - it's already there. You are conflating two issues - learning about it vs. embracing it. I promise you - you cannot afford not to understand AI if you want to stay relevant in education.
Sorry Steve, but I don’t buy it. I just read an article about it hallucinating and it quoted programmers saying they did not understand why it was happening. I have been teaching sixth graders. They needed to learn to read and write effectively. That is enough of a challenge. Their brains are developing. Why in the world would I show them something that by definition will make them think less? Defend it all you want, but you are promoting the idea that they should learn and think less.That would be irresponsible and unfair. This is all so new. Nothing about it is proven, yet too many want to adopt it 100%. Why not actually warn students that it might not be good? I had my student read articles about negative aspects of AI to give them a balanced perspective. Then throw in the fact that the AI companies steal and scrape and pose a serious environmental threat due to the electricity needed. Just because they will probably use it doesn’t mean we should show them how. Show we show them how to use a bong since many probably smoke weed? It’s not a faulty comparison.
No one is arguing that 6th graders should be using AI to write and nothing in my piece suggests that. I am defending the principle that every teacher should learn to understand the technology. It seems you have already made up your mind - is your solution to pretend it doesn't exist? How much have you used AI? Which models and for what? I honestly do not understand the vehemence against AI by people who seem to be the least informed and least familiar with the tools. Have you used it to code? Used the Deep Research capabilities? There are plenty of strong use cases for older students and for teachers. Did you assign articles about ways AI can help them as well? Again, there are plenty of pitfalls and plenty of things to keep an eye on but your position is untenable long term. And the bong example ... makes no sense. AI is already everywhere and will be in the workplace for students in the future. Comparing it to a drug is not relevant. I'm just not sure I understand your position.
My students will certainly use math in their lives, but that doesn’t mean I should suddenly learn how to teach math. I did not give them positive articles to read. They already get enough of that. I’ve checked out Chat GPT and Dali. I wasn’t impressed. By making it acceptable to students, you are giving them approval. Deep research should be from reading and thinking, not asking a program to search for you. One of my main points is that I am a professional, an English teacher, not an AI coach. I studied and worked for years, like every other teacher. We shouldn’t suddenly have to learn the new thing. Where does that end? If people want to become AI teachers, then they should just do that.
As an English teacher, I can’t imagine telling my students to use this cool new program because it’s kind of fun and really easy, but also saying if they use it they won’t learn as much won’t have to think as much and definitely won’t develop their brains as much.
Will, I appreciate you continuing this conversation and I think we are talking a little bit past each other. I started this substack to try to think about AI thoughtfully and it's important to have my assumptions checked. I think we may have more common ground than it appears, and I'd like to try clarifying a few things.
First, I completely agree that deep, thoughtful reading and writing are essential skills that need focused attention, especially for developing minds. Nothing should replace that core learning. You're absolutely right that teachers are specialists in their disciplines and have spent years honing their craft, expertise which is invaluable.
The math teaching comparison is interesting, but there's a key difference: AI isn't a separate subject like math, but rather a tool that's increasingly embedded in the environments where students read, write, and learn. It's more akin to how we had to learn about the internet's impact on research and writing 20 years ago.
I'm not suggesting you should become an "AI coach" or that AI should replace thoughtful research and writing. In fact, I share your concern about students using AI as a shortcut that bypasses critical thinking. That's precisely why I believe teachers should understand these tools - not to promote them, but to help students navigate them critically.
When I mentioned understanding AI, I wasn't suggesting telling students "this cool new program is fun and easy." Rather, I meant having enough familiarity to have informed conversations about its limitations, biases, and appropriate uses - similar to how we teach students to evaluate any source or tool. I've used AI thoughtfully in multiple lessons with older students and the results have been good. I would agree that uncritical adoption of AI in schools is irresponsible but (and this is where we may differ) I also believe that wholesale demonizing of AI is equally irresponsible.
While I respect your decision to focus on negative aspects of AI with your students, I wonder what might happen if you broadened that mindset. Are you suggesting you don't see any potential for with respect to student learning and collaboration? That seems short-sighted to me. The critical lens is important, especially as a counterbalance to the hype, but I would encourage you to be open to other perspectives. Perhaps we can agree that students need guidance on how to think about these technologies, whether they're using them or not?
What approaches have you found effective in helping students maintain their critical thinking skills in this rapidly changing environment? How are your kids talking and thinking about AI? Your school and your colleagues?
Trust is underrated.
Great piece! Very well said. AI will have a massive effect on education but that does not mean that everyone has to fully embrace it. I would argue that a diversity of thought with respect to AI is crucial as we move forward. And the techno centric idea that technology will replace teachers is a recurring theme in education that has existed for as long technology has existed.