AIOhioEd
January 15, 2026 Issue #1
What a crazy few weeks!
Every day brings a post, blog, article, political announcement or tech-god proclamation related to AI and where we're headed. It can be overwhelming, confusing and a little scary. But when a technology so historic and disruptive is changing our lives and what it means to be human day by day - we need to be informed and prepared to lead these discussions with staff, students and parents. With even a little bit of AI literacy throughout the year, we can make a huge difference in the lives of our students!
Headlines Warn of an AI Apocalypse. How Should Schools Respond?
The steady hand of leadership is needed now more than ever. Frameworks that move beyond policy, plans for literacy, student preparedness, AI tool considerations and communications can ease minds as headlines continue to raise the temperature.
October 19–23, 2026
In a world filled with AI-generated content, helping our students become independent, critical thinkers has never been more important. Use the free Digital Citizenship Week activities below to help your students build the human, offline-thinking skills they need for a world that's increasingly online.
Great stuff!
AI and Student Wellbeing: 5 Takeaways from Common Sense Media’s New Course
Some students are interacting with AI in place of a friend or even a therapist. A new 1 hour, free, online course helps educators learn how to recognize the signs of dangerous AI use from their students. Common Sense Media: AI & Student Well-Being Course
Teen Boys Are Using Meta Glasses to Harass and Bully Girls at High Schools and Middle Schools
If you don't have policy in place related to smart glasses - get it in quickly.
There can be a balanced approach to AI! Don't fall for the false dichotomy.
The AI Debate Is Missing The Most Important Question
A valuable piece for educators from Dan Fitzpatrick.
AI Is Working Its Way Into Everything. Can School Districts Really Ban It?
It can't be a black and white "YES" or "NO". A balanced, strategic approach is possible.
A summer of AI bans in schools
Public concerns are growing over artificial intelligence use in schools as districts call for more resources to successfully and safely implement the tech.
One of the most important guiding questions:
“Which instructional tasks are well-supported by which type of tool, under which conditions, for which learners?”
Teens in the AI Era: Schoolwork and Skills That Matter
This recent study from Common Sense provides "unique insights on how high school students are incorporating AI into their daily classwork, often without any guardrails. While students are aware that AI use can threaten learning, 70% report using AI for schoolwork, and nearly two thirds of those say they're using it in ways that offload critical thinking."
To Get Past AI Hype, Researchers Watch Students Use Actual Tools in Class
Some interesting takeaways after 6 months of observation.
8 Takeaways From UNESCO’s New White Paper: The Algorithm in the Room
1. Start with educational purpose, not the tool
2. Audit where algorithms are already making decisions
3. Protect human agency in teaching and learning
4. Rethink assessment instead of relying on AI detection
5. Make AI literacy broader than prompt engineering
6. Establish clear human-rights and privacy guardrails
7. Strengthen teachers rather than designing around them
8. Move from consumers to shapers of AI
What The PISA Results Really Show Us About Technology And Curriculum
AJ Juliani lays out an insightful reflection on how we interpret these scores, how screens and devices may or may not impact them, and the role of AI literacy.
‘Superhuman’ AI tool spots heart disease in less than 2 seconds
AI Helps Remodel Recycling to Meet a Modern Waste Stream
Local governments are increasingly integrating AI into waste management, which can help improve recycling and address limited landfill capacities.
How AI is Transforming Scientific Discovery While Keeping Humans at the Center
Stanford: From designing new antibodies to simulating 1,000 years of climate in a day, AI is transforming what's possible
Local company TrustedSec is a global leader in cyber-security and "white hat" hacking, and Founder Dave Kennedy recently shared some thoughts on AI with our SESC Business Advisory Council! Dave reinforced some key concepts:
- Fundamental / soft skills matter more than ever.
- AI is a powerful tool and like any other tool, students need to be taught how to use it most beneficially. When AI can be integrated and applied across subjects and lessons, there is real opportunity to capture student interest - and increase effective application.
- Content knowledge and skill sets are still necessary for employees, who can then enhance their job performance with AI.
- AI is impacting every sector and career path.
- While some jobs will be impacted, new ones will be created. Students who can adapt with continuous learning will be best prepared to succeed.
We sincerely appreciate the time and hospitality TrustedSec offered, and there are tremendous career opportunities for our students in the AI and cybersecurity sectors!
"Dad . . . Dad!!"
"I want to play ball!"
. . . Sigh
Day of AI Trivia Time - A game for teachers to play and develop AI literacy with their classes!
Weekly trivia you can use with individuals, groups or the entire class - categorized by age groups. No AI tools necessary and great for generating discussion!
Every month, you'll find strategies, concrete examples and introductions to tools that can make an immediate impact on classroom instruction.
Claude for Teachers adds lesson prep and math checks built with Learning Commons
Earn continuing education and college credits for AI educator training. - News from Google, great opportunities for teachers!
What does balanced technology look like?
From one of my favorites, Brett Vogelsinger
An INTERROGATIVE post about screen-time inventory in a week of my teaching.
Using AI-Generated Text in Reading Class? Watch for These Pitfalls
"(AI can) give teachers a way to better differentiate for individual student needs. But text written by artificial intelligence has some marked differences from stories written by humans—and not all tools are equally skilled at crafting texts for instructional purposes, studies have shown."
10 Reasons To Stop Giving Students A Rubric (And Foster New Learning)
When tech and AI can increasingly handle routine tasks, students need opportunities to build skills that come from not simply following a set of instructions
An AI Use Policy Toolkit for teachers to customize
This looks technical at first, but I encourage teachers to click around and experiment with this easy-to-use tool. It forces you to think through some concepts that will be helpful when it comes time to answer questions from students! (Video tutorial below as well)
Plan your classroom AI policy, design assignment badges, translate the scale for any grade level, and build disclosure statements — all in one place. From EdTech Leaders Alliance.
Tom Daccord provides a bunch of highlights!
The Positive Space: What Great Teachers Do Differently With AI
Quite a few concrete examples of AI integration that offer a window into teacher attitudes, principles, and student interactions that can support worthwhile learning.
What Students Can Teach Us About AI
Conversations with students can provide educators with valuable information in regard to AI use in schools.
5 things to know about teens' views on AI today
A new Google-commissioned survey of more than 1,000 U.S. teens finds most treat AI as a study partner, not a shortcut, and many already practice smart fact-checking habits like cross-referencing trusted sources. The report also flags a real digital literacy gap. . .
‘That’s so AI!’ What gen Alpha’s biggest insult tells us
The year’s most popular slang reveals what young people think about artificial intelligence – and it’s not positive
How to Cocreate AI Agreements With Students
A lot to love in this article from Edutopia!
By adapting the familiar practice of co-creating classroom norms, teachers can help students make more thoughtful decisions about when - and when not - to use AI.
Close to two-thirds of tweens use AI at least once a month, according to a Common Sense media report. But many say their parents aren't talking to them about how to use it safely.
- Want Effective AI Tutoring? Make Sure a Human Is Involved
- AI Tutors Not Yet a Replacement for Humans, Research Says
Still no surprises in this category. AI tutors can be effective in specific use cases, in a structured environment with teacher guidance and specific goals. And student engagement with these tools is still a challenge.
"Though the technology succeeds in evaluating students’ work for some components of critical thought, it falls short on others, research shows."
A K-12 Dive Brief that reinforces much of what we know and try to preach in our schools
Can AI adequately assess critical thinking?
Key Quote: To ensure AI strengthens students’ critical thinking skills, rather than outsourcing those to AI, “You have to be careful to match your use of AI to your goal . . .in the age of AI, durable skills like critical thinking are not less essential, but even more essential for kids to thrive.”
Beyond Chat: 5 Ways Teachers Can Use RAG to Help Students Find Better Information
The description sounds more technical than it actually is.
A retrieval-augmented generation tool (RAG) helps students move from asking AI for answers to asking it to help them find, examine, and explain evidence.
Tools such as Notebook, Consensus, Elicit, Scite and Perplexity are made for this type of upper-level deep dives. When we search for real examples of worthwhile AI literacy lessons, moving students from prompt literacy to evidence literacy is worth considering.
OPFMA Conference - Columbus
OESCA Conference - Columbus
Thank you OSC and GCSSA!
Thanks for reading!
Please reach out with questions or ideas for future newsletters. Also, if you know of a teacher who is leading the way with AI integration, let me know so they can be featured in the "Teacher Spotlight"!
