AI in Action for Educators

Throughout the last 23 weeks of AI lessons, we’ve explored what AI is, how students are already using it, and why detection tools aren’t a reliable solution. I hope you've found these lessons to be meaningful.

So now we get to the question many teachers are really asking:

If students are going to use AI… what should we actually allow?

In this lesson, you’ll explore practical ways to think about student AI use by focusing on a simple but powerful question: Who is doing the thinking? You’ll learn how to distinguish between helpful and problematic uses of AI, see how schools and organizations like the International Society for Technology in Education are guiding educators, and walk away with clear, realistic strategies you can use to set expectations in your own classroom—without needing a perfect policy in place.

• How to use a simple framework to evaluate student AI use.
• How to tell the difference between AI that supports learning and AI that replaces thinking.
• What experts and organizations like the International Society for Technology in Education recommend for classroom use.
• Practical ways to set clear expectations for students—even without a formal policy.
• Simple strategies to design assignments that keep students thinking while using AI responsibly .

And hopefully, you and your colleagues will continue these conversations—working together to define age-appropriate AI use within your grade level and subject area.

One of the most helpful ways to think about AI use comes from a growing group of educators and researchers, including Ethan Mollick, who emphasizes keeping students as the “human in the loop.”

Here’s a simple way to visualize it:

1. AI as a Tutor (Usually OK)

• Explaining a concept
• Giving examples
• Rewording difficult text

✔ The student is still doing the thinking

2. AI as a Coach (Sometimes OK)

• Brainstorming ideas
• Giving feedback on writing
• Suggesting revisions

✔ The student is doing the work—with support

3. AI as a Collaborator (Gray Area)

• Co-writing responses
• Generating answers the student edits
• Working through problems together

⚠ It becomes less clear who is doing the thinking

4. AI as a Replacement (Usually NOT OK)

• Generating full assignments
• Completing work for the student
• Answering tests or quizzes

✖ AI is doing the thinking

The Key Idea

The closer AI gets to doing the thinking for the student, the more problematic it becomes.

Across education, there is a growing consensus:

👉 AI use should be aligned to the learning goal—not just the assignment.

Educators and organizations like the National Education Association emphasize that:

• AI can support learning
• But it should not replace student thinking

And leaders like Randi Weingarten stress the importance of:

• Clear expectations
• Teacher guidance
• Thoughtful boundaries

Instead of banning AI, many schools are shifting their approach:

• Defining what is acceptable vs. not acceptable
• Asking students to be transparent about AI use
• Focusing more on the learning process—not just the final product

Some schools are even labeling assignments like this:

• ❌ No AI
• 🟡 AI for support only
• ✅ AI allowed with explanation

You don’t need a perfect policy. You need clarity.

Here are a few simple ways to start:

1. Be Explicit

Tell students what AI can and cannot be used for.

2. Ask for Transparency

Try:

“You may use AI for brainstorming—but you must explain how you used it.”

3. Focus on Thinking

Add prompts like:

• “Explain your reasoning”
• “What did you struggle with?”
• “How did your thinking change?”

4. Design for Process

When possible, include:

• Drafts
• Notes
• Reflections

Because when we can see the process, we can see the learning.

One of my all-time favorite go-to resources is ISTE: the International Society for Technology in Education. Across education, there is a growing consensus:

👉 AI use should be aligned to the learning goal—not just the assignment.

Organizations like the International Society for Technology in Education emphasize that AI should be used to:

• Support student thinking
• Build understanding
• Encourage creativity

—not replace the learning process.

ISTE’s guidance consistently reinforces the idea that students should remain actively engaged as thinkers, problem-solvers, and decision-makers when using AI tools.

Similarly, organizations like the National Education Association highlight the importance of:

• Clear expectations
• Responsible use
• Teacher-led decisions about when AI supports learning

1. Dedicated AI Hub for Educators

👉 https://iste.org/ai

This is their main AI page, and it’s more than just articles—it includes:

• Professional development (courses, workshops)
• Classroom strategies
• Ethical guidance
• Community connections for educators

ISTE positions themselves as helping teachers use AI “safely and responsibly” in learning environments.

2. Free “Hands-On AI Projects for the Classroom” (Highly Recommended)

👉 https://www.istelearning.com/ai-lessons

This is probably their most teacher-friendly resource.

What you get:

• Full lesson guides (Elementary, Secondary, Electives, CS).
• AI ethics lessons.
• Activities from “unplugged” to building chatbots.

These are designed to build AI literacy through real classroom projects.

3. ISTE “AI Explorations” Program

👉 https://sites.google.com/docs.iste.org/isteaiandstemnetwork/home

This is a deeper initiative that includes:

• Ongoing teacher professional learning
• Downloadable resources
• Recorded webinars
• Collaboration with industry experts

It’s designed to help teachers apply AI in real school environments, and is great material for further study for your team. Register to receive free resources. You do not need to be a member of ISTE/ASCD to register.

4. GenerationAI (Newer Initiative)

👉 https://iste.org/generationai

This is ISTE’s newer, more forward-looking AI effort:

• Case studies
• Frameworks
• Events and learning communities
• Practical classroom applications

It focuses on helping teachers move from:
👉 “What is AI?” → “How do I actually use this well?”

ISTE focuses on:

• AI as a tool for learning—not replacement
• Student thinking and creativity
• Ethical, responsible use
• Teacher decision-making frameworks

But ISTE's not alone! If you’d like to explore how schools and organizations are approaching this, here are a few excellent resources:

• TeachAI
  https://www.teachai.org
  Practical frameworks, sample policies, and real-world guidance for schools
• National Education Association AI Resource Hub
  https://www.nea.org/ai
  Teacher-friendly tools and guidance on responsible AI use
• Common Sense Media AI Guidance
  https://www.commonsense.org/education
  Classroom-ready materials and student-friendly explanations
• Learning.com AI Resource Center
  https://www.learning.com
  Lessons, activities, and implementation support

Think about one assignment you already use:

• How could a student use AI on it?
• What would you allow?
• What wouldn’t you allow?

Even one small clarification can make a big difference.

When we stay focused on who is doing the thinking, we can create classrooms where AI supports learning—without replacing it.

— Laurie

In our next lesson, we’ll take the ideas from today and make them practical:

How do we turn “Who’s doing the thinking?” into clear, actionable classroom expectations?

You’ll see:

• How to create age-appropriate AI expectations for students
• What sample policies look like for Preschool–Grade 2, Grades 3–6, and Grades 7–12
• Why team collaboration is key to consistent, fair rules
• A copy-and-paste classroom AI policy you can adapt immediately

Because understanding AI use is just the first step—the next step is making it clear for students so learning stays at the center.

Get ready to move from thinking about AI to action you can implement right away.

To help me make these lessons most useful (and to use my time wisely), I’d love your input:

How do you prefer to receive these AI lessons?

☐ Short written newsletters like this

☐ Short video walkthroughs

☐ A combination of both

You don’t need to reply unless you’d like to—this is just helpful feedback.

And finally, if you would like a short video or Google Meet walkthrough of anything we cover, please let me know. I’m happy to create videos or meet virtually with you when you'd like help.

You can view all of the AI in Action for Educators lessons on our district website through this link: https://www.parkrapids.k12.mn.us/departments/technology-homepage/ai