AI in the Classroom

In this episode we explore insights from the Council of Great City Schools’ annual meeting in Boston, where Dallas ISD and Broward County shared how AI is shaping writing instruction, teacher feedback, student attitudes, and district policy.

Topics:

• AI feedback and writing frequency
• The background knowledge problem in assessments
• Teacher self-observation versus formal evaluation
• Surprising changes in teacher talk time
• Students skeptical of AI-generated evaluations
• AI detection reshaping authentic student writing
• Classroom AI versus consumer AI
• Building parent trust through transparent policies

AI in the Classroom helps educators make sense of AI without the hype.

Hosted by Dan Cogan-Drew, co-founder and Chief Academic Officer at Newsela.

Have a story we should cover? Reach us at [email protected]

Sources:

https://web.cvent.com/event/7f093b6d-e68e-47c0-94bf-7d1c506cd693/summary

https://browardschools.ai/

In this episode we explore an Edutopia article offering five instructional strategies for preserving authentic student writing as AI detection tools struggle to keep pace with increasingly sophisticated evasion software. From Turnitin and Pangram to AI “humanizers,” the technological arms race raises uncomfortable questions about academic integrity.

Topics covered:

• Pangram, Turnitin, and AI detection failures
• The growing sophistication of AI humanizers
• Personal investment as an instructional strategy

• Grading the process, not just products
• Peer review and AI's social stigma

• Handwriting, typing, and authentic student thinking

AI in the Classroom helps educators make sense of AI without the hype.

Hosted by Dan Cogan-Drew, co-founder and Chief Academic Officer at Newsela.

Have a story we should cover? Reach us at [email protected]

Sources:

https://www.edutopia.org/article/when-even-best-ai-detection-tools-fail-return-basics

https://arxiv.org/html/2608.11256v2

https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/2026/09/college-professors-ai-detectors-pangram/688727/

In this episode we explore an Edutopia article identifying five seemingly helpful uses of AI that may undermine students’ writing development. We also consider a Stanford review of 800 AI education studies.

We examine the tension between making writing easier and helping students become stronger, more independent thinkers. From brainstorming and thesis development to research and revision, we consider when AI supports learning and when it replaces the cognitive work students need to practice.

Topics covered:

• Five questionable AI writing practices
• Individual creativity versus collective originality
• Brainstorming gains that disappear without AI
• Thesis development versus AI-generated arguments
• The hidden credibility problem in AI research
• Summarizing versus building long-term memory
• First drafts and cognitive offloading
• AI feedback during the revision process

AI in the Classroom helps educators make sense of AI without the hype.

Hosted by Dan Cogan-Drew, co-founder and Chief Academic Officer at Newsela.

Have a story we should cover? Reach us at [email protected]

Sources:

https://www.edutopia.org/article/5-good-ai-use-cases-that-are-actually-bad-for-students/

In this episode we explore two stories about AI's growing impact on education infrastructure: EdSurge's interview with Sandra Liu Wang of Learning Commons, a Chan Zuckerberg Initiative-backed effort to develop shared educational AI resources, and The Atlantic's reporting on how AI-driven memory shortages are raising school technology costs.

Topics covered:

• Learning Commons and AI's educational foundations
• Knowledge graphs and standards-aligned instruction
• Evaluating the quality of AI feedback
• Private funding and public accountability
• AI agents analyzing daily exit tickets
• Student data privacy and automation
• AI-driven memory shortages and Chromebook prices
• District budgets and one-to-one device access

AI in the Classroom helps educators make sense of AI without the hype.

Hosted by Dan Cogan-Drew, co-founder and Chief Academic Officer at Newsela.

Have a story we should cover? Reach us at [email protected]

Sources:

https://www.edsurge.com/news/who-is-building-the-ai-foundation-for-k-12-classrooms

https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/2026/10/chromebook-schools-memory-shortage/689015/

In this episode we explore Dan Rockmore’s New Yorker essay, “Should the Classroom Be More Like the Gym?” and its argument that schools should value the process of learning as much as the final product. What can physical training teach us about student motivation, feedback, and the role of AI?

Topics covered:

• Why learning should resemble physical training
• The problem with grading final products
• Immediate feedback versus delayed grades
• Mastery learning and the expectation of proficiency
• AI-generated assessments and teacher judgment
• Sports and performance as curriculum models

• The difference between practice and busywork

AI in the Classroom Daily helps educators make sense of AI without the hype.

Hosted by Dan Cogan-Drew, co-founder and Chief Academic Officer at Newsela.

Have a story we should cover? Reach us at [email protected]

Source:

https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-weekend-essay/should-the-classroom-be-more-like-the-gym?

In this episode we explore how Mike Yates, Vice President of AI and Emerging Technology at Teach For America, is helping educators rethink teaching and learning with AI. From a Michigan algebra teacher who built a chatbot that deliberately lies to students to a Houston teacher using AI to overcome language barriers, we discuss what meaningful innovation looks like in real classrooms.

We examine the tension between growing resistance to Big Tech and the possibilities AI creates for teachers. Through examples from across the country, we consider how technology can strengthen human relationships, support professional expertise, and change the way educators approach their work.

Topics covered:

• An algebra chatbot designed to deceive
• Catching AI errors as homework
• Translation tools that deepen student relationships
• Younger teachers resisting Big Tech
• AI professional development beyond basic training
• Teacher expertise versus technological automation
• Innovation grounded in real classroom needs

AI in the Classroom Daily helps educators make sense of AI without the hype.

Hosted by Dan Cogan-Drew, co-founder and Chief Academic Officer at Newsela.

Have a story we should cover? Reach us at [email protected]

Sources:

https://publicaisummit.org/keynote/the-homework-machine/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-yates/  

In this episode we explore a Wall Street Journal investigation into Google's expanding AI presence in schools. We examine the tension between protecting students' independent thinking and giving teachers enough time to observe, guide, and respond to that thinking.

Topics covered:

• Google's AI features and growing school backlash
• The hidden costs of effortless AI answers
• Bringing cognitive struggle back into classrooms
• Jennifer Haber's approach to in-class writing
• Observing student thinking beyond finished essays
• The limits of real-time teacher feedback
• Individual writing needs versus whole-class instruction
• Structure, student voice, and writing development

AI in the Classroom Daily helps educators make sense of AI without the hype.

Hosted by Dan Cogan-Drew, co-founder and Chief Academic Officer at Newsela.

Have a story we should cover? Reach us at [email protected]

Sources:

https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/google-ai-gemini-education-schools-1ec0972a

https://newcurrent.substack.com/p/you-cant-turn-off-googles-ai-search

https://www.marshallmemo.com/issue.php?I=5f1a21736feea8b43c16aa30cf54ee21#One

In this episode we explore insights from education researcher and author Tony Frontier, who spoke with 250 high school students across the country about their experiences with AI in the classroom. 

We examine what students say teachers are getting wrong, what's working, and what these insights mean for building more effective learning environments in the age of AI.

Topics covered:

• What 250 students reveal about AI
• The hidden costs of classroom AI bans
• How teacher behavior shapes student trust
• Why some assignments invite AI shortcuts
• The disconnect between policy and practice
• Rethinking academic integrity and student motivation
• The role of transparency in AI use
• What effective AI-era teaching looks like

AI in the Classroom Daily helps educators make sense of AI without the hype.

Hosted by Dan Cogan-Drew, co-founder and Chief Academic Officer at Newsela.

Have a story we should cover? Reach us at [email protected]

Sources:

https://www.ascd.org/el/articles/students-on-ai-teach-us-how-to-use-it

https://www.marshallmemo.com/issue.php?I=8e9727e4bdc320d4461b276f9486a8b9#Three

Are schools protecting students from AI, or creating new challenges by restricting it?

In this episode, we explore three major stories shaping the debate over AI in K–12 education, from New York City's restrictive AI policies to concerns about ChatGPT's teen experience and a national student competition's decision to ban AI entirely.

Topics covered:

• New York City's AI restrictions and equity concerns
• ChatGPT's teen mode under scrutiny
• AI tutors vs. teacher-centered tools
• National History Day's AI ban
• Student trust, academic integrity, and AI literacy

AI in the Classroom Daily helps educators make sense of AI without the hype.

Hosted by Dan Cogan-Drew, co-founder and Chief Academic Officer at Newsela.

Have a story we should cover? Reach us at [email protected]

Sources:

https://marketbrief.edweek.org/regulation-policy/what-should-ai-guidelines-for-k-12-look-like-new-york-city-has-a-year-to-figure-it-out/2026/10

https://www.edweek.org/technology/chatgpts-teen-mode-is-unsafe-for-students-report-concludes/2026/10

https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/in-social-studies-does-ai-shortcut-historical-thinking-or-deepen-it/2026/10

In this episode, we explore the double-edged sword of AI persuasion, drawing on new research. We examine why the qualities that make AI such a promising educational tool may also create serious risks for student thinking, independent judgment, and the integrity of knowledge itself.

Topics covered:

• What new behavioral research reveals about AI's ability to influence beliefs, attitudes, and decisions.
• Why the same capabilities that support personalized learning can also make manipulation more effective.
• How effectiveness, efficiency, and reach change the scale and sophistication of persuasion.
• Why educators need to look beyond cheating and cognitive offloading when evaluating AI tools.

AI in the Classroom Daily helps educators make sense of AI without the hype.

Hosted by Dan Cogan-Drew, co-founder and Chief Academic Officer at Newsela.

Have a story we should cover? Reach us at [email protected]

Sources:

https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=7486599

https://ailearningtour.instructionpartners.org/insights/how-products-vary

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/23/technology/ai-literacy-newark-school-chatbots.html

#AIintheClassroom #AIEducation #AILiteracy #EdTech #CriticalThinking #ArtificialIntelligence