Not The ‘AI Guy’
Actually
It’s All About
Students
Introduction: The Real Question
This week someone asked me, “So you're still all over that AI stuff?”
I could see in their body language—tense shoulders, crossed arms, set jaw—that they weren’t a fan of what I’ve been saying about adopting AI through experimentation in the classroom.
They seemed to think I’m simply the “AI hype guy,” someone who’s enthusiastic about new technology for technology’s sake.
Here’s what I wish I had said:
“No, I’m all over the student stuff. AI is just an inescapable tech-innovation I’ve got to find a way to integrate into my practice in service of the student.”
That’s the heart of my philosophy.
I use AI extensively in my teaching and preparation.
I find the technology fascinating.
I find it deeply concerning for the displacement, disruption and further alienation it carries.
I’m not enamoured with the ultimate direction of AI technology.
I’m exploring integration and adoption out of necessity.
I believe I have an obligation to prepare students for a world where AI is rapidly reshaping every facet of life.
This week’s newsletter is a deeper dive into why I approach AI adoption and usage with such intention, caution, and purpose.
I’m About the Student, Not the Tech
Keeping Humans at the Center
I’m a facilitative guide of student experience in the classroom before anything else.
My primary responsibility is meeting the needs of students, preparing them for a present and a future that are anything but certain. AI is a massive disruptor right now, and it’s only poised to become more so.
At the same time, I see the very real potential for AI to alienate us—from ourselves, from one another, and from the natural world—if we’re not careful. That’s why I lead with the human element in everything I do, experimenting with how/whether AI can enhance human thought, human agency, and human creativity.
Being “All Over the Student”
Behind the “AI guy” persona, I’m actually just a teacher who cares deeply about making school relevant.
I’m all over the student who needs to navigate a rapidly shifting landscape where AI will factor into nearly every task and interaction. I want them, as much as remains possible, to choose when and how to leverage technology responsibly, rather than merely reacting to every new app or platform.
There is a battle for their mind, time, and attention. I want to intentionally make them conscious of what’s going on.
Raising Humans in an Automated World
I’m also a parent, raising three kids who will enter a rapidly evolving workforce in which AI isn’t optional—it’s foundational.
That reality is both exciting and terrifying.
As an educator and parent, I owe it to myself and the students around me to figure out how to try and use AI in healthy, constructive ways that build up their sense of worth and capacity, rather than diminish it.
Why Do I Experiment with AI in the Classroom?
Building Critical Faculties
In a world that rewards quick digital shortcuts, I can’t afford to neglect students’ ability to think deeply. It’s paradoxical, but I believe that actively integrating AI in class—rather than banning or ignoring it—is how I can help students develop genuine critical thinking.
By exploring AI with them, I can highlight where we might want to say machine intelligence should end and human insight begins.
Preparing for the “Techno-Safety Net”
AI can act like a “techno-safety net,” letting us offload an array of tasks and sink into a perceived comfort of having it handle nearly everything on our behalf.
Early studies indicate over-reliance on AI can hinder our cognitive growth. It can lull us into laziness, dependence, and complacency.
If I’m not deliberate about how I use it, AI becomes a crutch rather than a catalyst.
In my classroom, I encourage students to use AI to ideate, to test hypotheses, to spark conversation—but I also insist on tangible, real-world collaboration and problem-solving.
Finding the Uniquely Human
Perhaps the most important reason I embrace AI in the classroom is to discover what sets humans apart.
What is uniquely, irreplaceably us?
If machines can handle many tasks more efficiently, then which skills, talents, and virtues do I nurture to retain our sense of identity and purpose?
This is a big question with answers that might be tough to swallow.
Seeing Through the Costco “Free Samples” Illusion
Awareness, Not Blind Adoption
It’s no secret that global tech companies wield immense power. AI isn’t being marketed to us; it’s already embedded everywhere.
It’s like walking through a Costco, constantly offered free samples we didn’t even ask for, don’t need, but can’t resist. It’s easy to stay, filling our carts with content, apps, and distractions.
My goal is to make students aware of how this works and mindful of how it impacts their humanity, their focus, and their time.
Resisting the Default
One of the biggest dangers is letting AI become the default for everything.
AI can make many tasks easier, but there is a risk of offloading so much of our brainwork that we never stretch or challenge ourselves.
I want to empower students to decide: When does AI usage make sense? What do I lose if I rely on it too much? How do I keep forging genuine human-to-human connections in a landscape that’s increasingly dominated by screens?
I encourage you to read Diginomica’s “AI risk - as trust in generative AI grows, the Great Forgetting has begun.”
Caring About Time, Health, and Well-Being
Students today face a barrage of obligations and distractions.
I consider it part of my professional obligation to help them navigate tech use without sacrificing their mental, physical, or emotional health.
If I want them to maintain a semi-realized sense of self, I must constantly evaluate the costs and benefits of new technologies.
Experimenting with adaptation strategies and and attempting to mitigate the impact of AI use are at the forefront of my thought.
My Classroom Strategies
Co-Prompting & Reflective Use
I encourage students to co-prompt with me, exploring how to communicate effectively with AI. We analyze the AI’s output: Is this logical? Useful? Ethically or culturally sensitive? These conversations transition to larger human-human interactions, elevating dialogue in the classroom.
Project-Based Learning
Instead of replacing rigorous tasks, AI is a launchpad for exploration. When we do research or brainstorming, we’ll use AI to spark ideas but return to face-to-face collaboration, whiteboard sessions, and shared discussions. The balance ensures students know how and why to use AI, and when to rely on their own cognitive powers.
Skill Stacking
AI can eliminate busywork, creating space for students to refine skills like critical analysis, creativity, interpersonal communication, and empathy. These appear to be the essential tools they’ll need for a future we can’t fully predict. I’m trying to prevent AI from being a substitute; shaping perceptions of AI as a bridge to deeper learning experiences that can potentially sharpen human abilities.
Parting Thoughts
For Fellow Educators: Don’t dismiss AI as a mere gimmick or a cheat tool. Consider how you might evaluate and integrate it responsibly, guiding students to do the same. I’m trying to become a facilitator of discernment, helping students figure out when and how to use AI wisely.
For Students: Your time is precious. Use AI if it helps you deepen your skills, your curiosity, and your autonomy. But don’t let it trivialize or automate everything you do. You have a uniquely human perspective that’s irreplaceable due to your direct experience living the real world.
For Everyone: Recognize that we live in an era where digital interfaces and AI-driven tools are quickly becoming the norm. We can’t simply roll back the clock. The question is how to harness these forces in a way that prioritizes the human element—our attention, empathy, creativity, and well-being.
It’s Bigger Than Just AI
Calling me an “AI guy” misses the point entirely and attempts to trivialize what I’m actually about.
I’m a teacher who cares deeply about kids, and who sees AI as the latest in a long line of powerful shifts in how humans learn, work, and connect.
My philosophy is simple:
I’m trying to ensure that, in the rapid rush to adopt, embrace or comply with AI, I don’t lose sight of the most important aspect of education: the student’s humanity.
I can’t turn away from AI’s inevitability, but I can choose to guide its use toward deeper, more meaningful educational experiences.
I can try and use it to carve out more time for human conversation, collaboration, and growth.
And above all, I can persist in placing the student—every student—above the tech.
I believe we’re well past a crossroads. We’re on a path toward techno-dominance, reliance, and singularity. How we navigate this path is something to consider.
Thanks for thinking alongside me this week. Let’s continue this conversation, challenge our assumptions, and keep our focus where it belongs: on the human beings we’re here to educate.
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Until next time, stay bold, stay curious, and stay human.
