Unboxing Education

In education, consistency is often championed—but when it comes to setting due dates and AI usage policies, the "one size fits all" approach is more harmful than helpful.  It’s time we acknowledge a simple truth: not all subjects (or students) are the same. So why are we still enforcing blanket rules? 📚 Different Subjects, Different Cognitive Demands Subjects vary not just in content, but in the kind of thinking they require. Consider these examples: Math and Science often rely on sequential problem-solving. Timely practice and feedback are essential. Late work in these subjects may mean missed opportunities to correct misunderstandings before moving forward. English Language Arts requires deeper reflection, drafting, and revision. Rigid due dates can discourage the iterative process that leads to strong writing. Electives like Art, Music, and CTE often assess creativity, iteration, and production over time. Artificial urgency can hinder authentic learning. ...

After reading “Reimagining School Starts with Reclaiming Time” from Getting Smart , I found myself nodding in agreement—but I’d like to take the conversation a step further. We’ve been promised for years that technology will save us time, increase efficiency, and create more equitable learning experiences. But here’s the reality no one wants to admit: those promises will always fall short in a system that’s fundamentally bound by time . ⏱️ The Problem Isn’t the Tools—It’s the Schedule It doesn’t matter how adaptive, AI-powered, or data-rich our edtech becomes—if we’re still measuring student progress in seat time, daily minutes, or pacing guides, we’re trying to fit a round peg into a square hole. Learning isn’t linear , but our systems are. Time-based structures demand that students move at the same pace, finish on the same day, and absorb the same content in the same way. Even with technology offering flexibility, we’re still building within a rigid frame. 🤖 Tech Promise...

  Wait—before you clutch your annotated copy of To Kill a Mockingbird , let me explain. I’m not burned out. I’m not bitter. I still believe in the power of story and the necessity of critical thinking. I still light up when a student finally cracks open a book they claimed to hate—or when their writing hits that sweet spot of clarity and voice. But after years in the ELA classroom, I’ve come to a difficult but exciting realization: English class, as we’ve traditionally framed it, is too narrow for the kind of reading and writing students actually need. 📚 Reading and Writing Don’t Belong in a Silo We live in a world where language is everywhere—slippery, powerful, and inextricably connected to every subject. So why do we keep reading and writing corralled into “English class,” dissecting fictional texts and over-analyzing symbolism as if that alone builds literacy? I’ve seen what happens when we teach reading as a skill for English class , not a survival skill for life. S...

 What does learning look like in the age of AI? Generated with Adobe Firefly AI Cheating Is Getting Worse AI cheating is hopelessly, irreparably corrupting US higher education AI cheating is overwhelming the education system These headlines tend to frighten educators both about their current work and their future relevance. It has caused me to honestly reflect on what I want my students to do and know upon leaving my courses.  Do I want them to know HOLM  (the acronym for Shakespeare's tragedies)?  Or, do I want them to think critically about human behavior and universal themes? What it comes down to is that I want my students to think about their learning. This is why the use of AI presents problems in the classroom. Not because it shortcuts creativity or gives them ideas they wouldn't have come up with. Those aspects can be assets to certain learners. As I wrote here , I want students to know, or remember, the purpose of assessment, and it's not to submit the corre...

 Am I the only one overwhelmed by the possibilities of adding AI to my classrooms? Why do the articles that state  3 Simple Ideas for Introducing AI Into Your Teaching  seem neither simple nor helpful?  I find myself searching for the bridge, the path from the way I've been using curriculum to the future where AI is a natural aid in my students' learning experiences.  I find myself researching how to build a bridge.  What have I been doing to retrofit the curriculum to survive this transition?  I'll share my successes and failures below. AI Detectors From Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository I'll start with the rocky relationship I've had with investigating the use of AI. I teach British Literature and have grappled with AI-generated essays since early in 2023. While the rise of AI brings up important, philosophical discussions about the ongoing value of essay writing (which I discussed in a previous blog post ), the fact is I'm still using cur...

 Need to explain AI to teachers with a variety of background knowledge? Consider these points, policies, and activities.  Coaching AI  Presentation by Betsy Springer

 Welcome to my blog post on AI tools for teachers!  As an instructional coach, I am always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to enhance the teaching and learning experience.  Artificial intelligence (AI) is a rapidly growing field that has the potential to revolutionize education by providing teachers with powerful tools that can automate routine tasks, analyze student data, and personalize learning experiences. In this post, I will explore some of the most exciting AI tools that are currently available to teachers, and explain how they can be used to improve student outcomes and create a more engaging and effective learning environment.  Whether you are a seasoned educator or just starting out in your teaching career, this post will provide you with valuable insights into the world of AI and its potential impact on education. So let's dive in! 1. Conker : Conker effortlessly write a variety of questions for quizzes on an array of topics when you give it a s...

 Mentally, I was drafting an update on how I'm handling AI in my virtual Britlish Lit class when I received this email: Click for GrammarlyGo Well, great.  That blurred the lines, didn't it?  Created with openart.ai Over the last few weeks, I've met with over a dozen students to discuss their use of ChatGPT. Surprisingly, they've all been honest about their use of AI to "help" them write assignments in Brit Lit.  Here is my process: 1. I sent all of my students a friendly "Don't be dumb with AI" message:                Dear {{First name}} So far this year, many new tools have become available using  artificial   intelligence  (AI) to assist in various tasks.  Depending on your age and with your learning coach's permission, you can no doubt find many helpful things out there. For instance,  Quickdraw  is a fun AI game, and Chefgpt.xyz generates recipes from ingredients you have on han...

The Essay is Dead? Gloom and doom predictions about the impact of AI on education, especially essay writing, claim that AI will ruin any validity of essay writing, particularly unproctored essay writing. The real question is, "So what?" To understand what is, or rather isn't, at stake, one must explore the originals and uses of the essay writing process.  The History of Essays The history of essays in education can be traced back to ancient Greece, where scholars such as Plato and Aristotle used writing as a tool for intellectual discourse and exploration. In the Middle Ages, the essay evolved into a form of personal expression and self-reflection, with religious scholars writing introspective pieces on their spiritual journeys. The Renaissance period saw the emergence of the essay as a literary genre, with writers such as Michel de Montaigne popularizing the personal essay form.  Essays went from a way to evaluate learning to a way to evaluate writing.  In modern times,...