In my 20+ years as an educator, I’ve seen countless trends in education come and go—some transformative, others, as my Gram would say, were more flash than substance. Take interactive whiteboards, for example. Marketed as game-changers that would revolutionize teaching, they often ended up as overpriced projectors in many classrooms (mine included). Or remember when we all had clickers? Those little devices promised to make lessons interactive and engaging with real-time quizzes and polls. But they were clunky, expensive, and quickly outdated when apps and smartphones arrived, offering the same functionality for free. Clickers now rest in peace in storage closets across the country.
These innovations weren’t inherently bad—they reflected a genuine desire to improve education—but they often fell short because they didn’t solve real problems or lacked the support needed for effective implementation. Innovations with staying power, like learning management systems and online gradebooks, continue to succeed because they address real needs, such as improving transparency with students and families about progress, while continually evolving to transform how we teach, collaborate, and learn.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) belongs firmly in that second category. It’s not just a passing trend—it has the potential to transform education by saving time, enhancing creativity, and meeting educators and students where they are. That’s why I’m teaching my four kids to use AI responsibly, effectively, and ethically. I want them to be ready for what’s next and to see AI as a tool to amplify their strengths, not replace them, because goodness knows I don’t want robots thinking for them!
What I’m Teaching Them
For starters, I’ve shown my kids how to use the free voice typing tool in Google Docs to get their ideas down when they feel stuck. It’s a simple way to bypass the blank-page anxiety so many of us experience. Once their ideas are on the page—often including verbal hesitations like “ums” and “ahs”—they can use AI like ChatGPT to help copyedit the draft while keeping their voice intact.
Tip! When using AI as a tool for copyediting, the key prompt to include is, "Please copyedit what I just spoke into voice-to-text. Do NOT change my words.”I use this same strategy myself when I’m feeling stuck. I close my eyes, invite the muse, and start talking. When I open my eyes, I often have more than a page of content. Then, I plug it into ChatGPT with a reminder not to change my words (because I happen to love my own writing voice, thank you very much!).
If you’re an educator, you might feel a little uneasy about students using this tool all the time, especially if you’re focused on building their knowledge of language conventions. And you’re right—voice typing isn’t ideal when the goal is to teach language standards. But if the objective is to help students share their ideas and get inspired, voice typing is a game-changer. Try using it once a week to start!
I’m also teaching my kids to use AI as a tool for feedback. For example, after they draft their work using voice typing and copyedit it in ChatGPT, I encourage them to read it aloud and make further revisions because the best writing is rewriting. And if your kids tell you they are strong enough writers to be done in one draft, remind them that Lin-Manuel Miranda spent seven years writing the Broadway musical Hamilton. 😉
Once students have a second (or third, or fourth!) draft, they can paste their work into ChatGPT, include the rubric or success criteria provided by their teacher, and ask for targeted suggestions for improvement. By teaching students to request specific, actionable feedback based on success criteria—without relying on AI to do the writing for them—we’re helping them develop confidence as writers with their own unique voices. At the same time, we’re shifting some of the workload away from teachers, allowing them to focus on helping students refine their ideas and voice rather than spending valuable time pointing out technical errors or awkward phrasing (as a former English teacher, I can’t even begin to explain how much I would have LOVED this).
The Dangers of Not Embracing AI
The reality is that if we don’t teach kids how to use AI responsibly, they will be unprepared for the world we are co-creating. AI is already embedded in so many aspects of life, and using it thoughtfully will be a critical skill for competing in the world we’re co-creating. Without our guidance, students might misuse AI or fail to harness its full potential. We need to move beyond the fear that AI will “do the work for them” and instead focus on how it can strengthen their work. Just as calculators didn’t make math obsolete, AI won’t render writing, problem-solving, or critical thinking irrelevant. However, it will change how we approach these skills, and we need to ensure our kids are ready for that shift.
"The reality is that if we don’t teach kids how to use AI responsibly, they will be unprepared for the world we are co-creating".
We can’t let fear drive us to turn laptop carts into glorified bookshelves simply because we’re nervous about students accessing technology. Yes, there’s a valid concern about misuse, but the risk of that happening increases dramatically if we fail to teach students how to use AI correctly and ethically.
How Schools Can Embrace AI
One district that’s leading the charge in teaching students how to use AI responsibly is the Peninsula School District in Washington. I absolutely love their forward-thinking AI policy, which focuses on equipping students with the skills to navigate AI tools ethically and effectively. Their approach emphasizes responsibility and integrity, offering practical solutions and even sample syllabus language for teachers. You can check out their policy here. Their policy mirrors my conversations with my own kids as a mom. It’s not about avoiding AI but embracing it thoughtfully to ensure students are prepared to use these tools wisely and confidently. Definitely check it out—it’s a brilliant model for schools everywhere.
AI is undeniably an innovative disruption that’s here to stay, but like any tool, its value lies in how it’s used. As educators, parents, and leaders, it’s on us to ensure the next generation sees AI not as a replacement for their thinking but as a tool for growth, creativity, and empowerment.
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