Overview

In this episode of ChatEDU (Murder, She Prompted: High School English with AI Twists), Matt sits down with guest co-host Joanne Mumley to explore the unexpected and creative ways AI is reshaping the high school English classroom. With Liz off knitting in Ireland, Joanne steps in to share her powerful blend of innovation, curiosity, and care as both a teacher and department head in Connecticut.

In the News: Character AI and the Rise of AI Companionship Among Teens

Matt and Joanne discuss a recent Rithm Project article, Why I Am Talking to a TV Show Character About the Nature of Life, which sheds light on teen use of Character.AI. Despite Character.AI's soaring popularity—now ranked third among AI tools—questions about emotional dependency, mental health, and bot overreach abound. Joanne shares her own unnerving experience chatting with a Kafka bot and reflects on how students are aware of the ethical gray areas even if they don’t always speak openly about it. They also explore new research from Dartmouth on AI therapy bots like Therabot and reflect on whether AI can provide real emotional support or just well-intentioned mimicry.

Beneath the Surface: From College Policy Sleuthing to Literary RPGs—AI in the Classroom

Joanne walks us through her innovative, hands-on approach to student-facing AI in her high school English classes:

- She begins with a college policy investigation where seniors research how their prospective schools are handling AI—discovering everything from detailed repositories to a total lack of guidance.

- She dives into project-based learning with interactive museum exhibits inspired by The Nickel Boys, using SchoolAI to simulate feedback from a fictional museum director.

- She highlights her shift toward helping students build confidence in their own voices as a strategy to reduce misuse of AI. Through creative exercises like an AI-assisted Julius Caesar football drama and a Handmaid’s Tale-inspired murder mystery, she crafts immersive, tech-informed experiences that are still rooted in classroom relationships and authentic expression.

Throughout, Joanne emphasizes balance—tech when it helps, no-tech when it matters, and always human in the foreground.

Bright Byte: AI for Earthquake Recovery in Myanmar

In this week’s Bright Byte, Matt shares a compelling story about how Microsoft’s AI for Good Lab and Planet Labs used AI-customized satellite imagery to help first responders assess damage from a 7.7 earthquake in Myanmar. By identifying over 2,000 impacted buildings, the AI-powered effort helped relief agencies like the Red Cross prioritize aid—offering a concrete example of AI doing good at scale.

Related Links:

Why I Am Talking to a TV Show Character About the Nature of Life – Rhythm Project on Medium:

https://medium.com/@info_42369/why-am-i-talking-to-a-tv-show-character-about-the-nature-of-life-d91898da420c

MIT Tech Review on Therabot:

https://www.technologyreview.com/2025/03/28/1114001/the-first-trial-of-generative-ai-therapy-shows-it-might-help-with-depression/

Stanford’s AI Policy Hub:

https://ai.stanford.edu

The Anxious Generation (book referenced in discussion):

https://www.anxiousgeneration.com

MLA Guidance on Citing AI:

https://style.mla.org/citing-generative-ai/

Skills21 PIP Curriculum:

https://skills21.org/pip

Have a question or comment? Email Matt and Liz at [email protected]’t forget to rate, review, and subscribe to ChatEDU on your favorite podcast platform.

This episode of ChatEDU is sponsored by the National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing.

Learn more at: https://www.nextgenmfg.org