AI in the Classroom

In this episode we explore how AI can support student writing without bypassing the difficult, necessary work of learning to write.

We speak with literacy expert Maggie Roberts about the foundational skills beneath strong writing, from handwriting and oral language to working memory and executive function. Together, we examine where AI can serve as a useful scaffold, where it may short-circuit learning, and how teachers can make thoughtful decisions based on a student’s age, needs, and instructional goals.

Topics covered:

• The foundational skills that support writing development• Why “thin” student writing may reflect barriers rather than disengagement• How AI can help teachers identify and respond to those barriers• The risks of using AI to generate writing for younger students• Using AI to support brainstorming, planning, and executive function
• How teachers can decide when AI is a scaffold and when it becomes a shortcut• The importance of preserving productive struggle in the writing process• What students may gain or lose by using, or avoiding AI• Why AI literacy should include ethics, metacognition, and student agency• How schools can balance technology use with screen-free learning

Maggie Beattie Roberts is a national literacy consultant, author, professional learning facilitator, and writing development specialist. She is the co-author of Foundational Skills for Writing with Melanie Meehan, which explores the cognitive, linguistic, motor, and executive-function demands of writing. Her forthcoming book, Unboxing the Curriculum, helps educators and school leaders navigate prepackaged curriculum and tailor it to their students’ needs. Learn more about Maggie's work at kateandmaggie.com

In this episode we sit down with Carey Swanson, Chief Program Officer for Literacy at Student Achievement Partners, to explore what strong literacy instruction should look like in an age of rapidly advancing AI.

In this episode we discuss why new technology should not distract schools from what research tells us about reading, writing, knowledge-building, and meaningful engagement with text.

Topics covered:• Connecting education research with real classroom practice• The role of literacy in helping students understand themselves and others• Why reading and writing remain essential in the age of AI• Keeping texts at the center of instruction• The importance of knowledge-rich curriculum and background knowledge• Productive struggle, cognitive friction, and meaningful learning• The difference between AI feedback and AI-generated student work• What educators should look for when evaluating AI-powered instructional tools

In this episode we explore why schools, districts, governments, and families are beginning to slow down AI adoption in education.

From Norway’s restrictions on generative AI for younger students to policy delays in New York City, governance concerns in Portland, safety questions in Broward County, and parent-led calls for a pause across the Washington, D.C. region, a broader pattern is emerging: education leaders are asking whether schools are moving faster than they can responsibly govern.

Topics covered:

• Norway’s ban on generative AI for elementary-age students• New York City’s delayed AI guidance and calls for a moratorium• Portland’s decision to pause AI expansion until oversight is established• Broward County’s concerns about privacy, cybersecurity, and student safety• Parent-led efforts to pause student-facing AI in the Washington, D.C. area• The tension between innovation and responsible governance• What district leaders should consider before approving new AI tools• The growing gap between school policy and students’ everyday AI use

Sources:

https://www.reuters.com/technology/norway-imposes-near-ban-ai-elementary-school-2026-06-19/

https://www.chalkbeat.org/newyork/2026/06/24/nyc-education-department-delays-ai-guidance-after-backlash/

https://www.oregonlive.com/education/2026/06/amid-concerns-that-ai-is-infiltrating-its-schools-portland-school-board-hits-pause.html

https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/broward-school-board-meeting-ai-in-classrooms-june-2026/

In this episode we explore “the magenta line of learning” — a powerful metaphor borrowed from aviation to understand what happens when students become too dependent on AI tools before they have built real expertise.

Topics covered:

• The “Children of the Magenta Line” aviation metaphor
• What Air France Flight 447 can teach us about automation dependency
• Why students may feel confident without actually understanding
• The difference between performance and real learning
• Cognitive load theory and why struggle matters
• How chatbots can give students fluency without schema

• How teachers can test whether students truly understand

[email protected]

Source:

https://carlhendrick.substack.com/p/children-of-the-magenta-line

In this episode we explore what happens when teachers ask students directly whether AI belongs in the classroom.

We look at a classroom conversation led by English teacher Marcus Luther, who asked his students whether he should integrate AI tools into his teaching. Their responses were striking.

Topics covered include:

• Why student voices are often missing from AI-in-education debates
• What one teacher learned by asking students whether AI belonged in his classroom
• How students think about accomplishment, effort, and authentic learning
• The difference between using AI in school and learning about AI for future work
• Why teachers’ own perspectives on AI may shift after listening to students

[email protected]

Source:

https://thebrokencopier.substack.com/p/i-asked-my-students-about-ai-again

In this episode we explore what AI-generated fiction can teach us about human storytelling, student writing, and the value of literary messiness.

We look at a new study on StoryScope from researchers at the University of Maryland and Google DeepMind, which compares the narrative structure of human-written short stories with stories generated by several major AI models.

Topics covered:

• What the StoryScope study reveals about AI-generated fiction
• How human stories differ in ambiguity, time, and unresolved meaning
• Tim Requarth’s concern that AI may homogenize imagination before writing begins
• How English teachers can help students notice narrative complexity
• The risk of “closed-loop” thinking in both storytelling and education technology

Sources:

https://arxiv.org/pdf/2604.03136

https://substack.com/home/post/p-200818672

In this episode we explore the surprising relationship between Wikipedia, AI chatbots, and the way students learn to trust information online.

We look at how Wikipedia’s commitment to verifiability can actually make it more disciplined than many AI-generated responses. We also explore how teachers can use Wikipedia’s gaps as a powerful classroom demonstration of the difference between a grounded answer and a fluent one.

Topics covered:

• Why Wikipedia still matters in the age of AI
• How AI tools may rely on public, well-sourced information
• What happens when a chatbot encounters gaps in its source material
• The difference between confidence and verification
• How educators can teach students to question AI-generated responses
• What “verifiability” means for research and writing instruction
• How Wikipedia-based assignments can make student writing more authentic
• A simple classroom activity for comparing Wikipedia and chatbot responses

Source:

https://aiedusimplified.substack.com/p/i-can-put-all-the-statements-i-want

In this episode we explore a surprising finding from Common Sense Media’s new census on AI use by tweens and teens.

Topics covered:

• How tweens and teens are actually using AI
• Why entertainment use may matter more than cheating
• What students misunderstand about AI accuracy and truth
• Why AI literacy is a comprehension issue, not just a rules issue
• The role of teachers, librarians, and counselors in helping students evaluate AI
• Why elementary and middle school students need age-appropriate AI guidance
• How teachers can start better classroom conversations about AI use

Source:

https://www.commonsensemedia.org/research/a-comprehensive-report-on-teens-tweens-and-ai

In this episode we explore how young people are using AI when adults are not watching — not just for homework help, but for emotional support, relationship advice, and navigating moments of loneliness, conflict, or uncertainty.

We look at new research from The Rithm Project on youth, AI, and relationships, and ask what educators should understand before students return to school in the fall.

Topics covered:

• How students are using AI during unstructured time outside of school
• Why AI use among young people is not just an academic integrity issue
• Findings from The Rithm Project’s report, Youth, AI, and the Relationships That Shape Them
• Why some students turn to AI because they feel like a burden to others
• The difference between AI “companions” and everyday emotional support use
• How AI may help students avoid the friction of real relationships
• Why productive struggle matters in both learning and human connection
• What teachers might ask students when they return in September

Sources:

https://www.therithmproject.org/research

https://www.the74million.org/article/survey-young-people-turn-to-ai-to-be-their-real-unfiltered-selves/

In this episode, we cover three timely AI-in-education stories that all point to the same challenge: schools are moving fast, but the systems around AI policy, teacher training, and academic integrity are still catching up.

Topics Covered

• Why Wake County is moving to ban AI detectors in schools
• The case of Eleanor Canina and the risks of false AI accusations
• Why AI detection tools may unfairly flag multilingual and neurodivergent students
• What Microsoft’s 2026 AI in Education report says about teacher AI use
• Why many educators are using AI without formal training
• Academic integrity as a top concern for both teachers and students
• New survey data on cheating among Harvard seniors
• A hopeful student perspective on AI cheating
  

Sources:

https://www.wral.com/news/education/whats-in-wake-schools-new-ai-policy-draft-june-2026/

https://news.microsoft.com/source/2026/06/24/microsofts-new-ai-in-education-report-highlights-widespread-adoption-and-increasing-demand-for-support/

https://fortune.com/2026/06/23/harvard-cheating-academic-integrity-ai-detection/