Vertically aligning skill work is no easy task, but by continually studying sources and thinking through the possibilities, a viable plan can emerge.
It hit me while watching a YouTube talk by Dr. Nneka McGee: Generative AI is not just another classroom tool or resource. It is actually a mirror. And right now, it is reflecting everything that is unclear, inequitable, or outdated about how we define teaching and learning.
Since writing account #1, I have been able to do more research and engage in deep reflection. I’ve also been able to leverage my learning and development as a Google GSV Innovation Fellow, working closely with our Director of Data and Innovation to build something intentional and thoughtful. We are designing an implementation framework that puts equity, ethics, and continuous professional development at the center. We have also applied for grants to support teacher and leader learning around AI, not as an add-on but as a foundational shift because honestly that is what it is actually going to take.
Still, the more I learn, the bigger the problem feels. But I am still excited about the work and the possibility!
It’s Not Just About Cheating
Generative AI showing up in essays, do-nows, and other performance tasks is not the real concern anymore (at least not for me). The deeper issue is the slow deterioration of the academic struggle (productive struggle is the beauty of learning), the cognitive sweat that makes learning stick. Tools like ChatGPT can generate a polished product in seconds, but they skip the process. And that process, the confusion, the revisions, the grappling, is where real learning happens. It has always been my belief that “those who do the heavy lifting, do the learning.”
Students are not doing anything wrong. They are adapting to what we have modeled: get the work done, get it done fast, and make it look and sound good. But what if the system has not caught up with the technology? What if the real problem is that our assignments, our assessments, and even our expectations have not evolved?
The Equity Gap Is Growing
The most sobering insight from Dr. McGee and the U.S. Department of Education’s October 2024 AI Toolkit is this: AI is widening the digital divide. Students with more access, stronger devices, and deeper digital fluency are learning to leverage AI in powerful ways. Students from under-resourced communities are often left behind. If we do not act, this will not just be a technology gap. It will become a justice issue that will be extremely difficult to solve quietly.
Policy Alone Will Not Save Us
So, what has become abundantly clear is that compliance checklists are not enough. I need to do more. We need a vision, not just for how to control AI for students (and staff), but for how to tackle it in ways that affirm our values and reimagine learning. This is an opportunity to embrace innovation, early! We need frameworks that help teachers, leaders, and students understand what meaningful, AI-integrated instruction looks like, enabling all stakeholders to be critical thinkers and solve complex problems. And we need to build those frameworks with, not for, the educators who live this work every day.
So where am I now? Somewhere between clarity and chaos. Between vision and implementation. Between what we know and what we must unlearn to embrace this innovative opportunity.
During account #3, I will walk you through how we are beginning to turn this insight into action. Because if AI is here to stay, our absolute responsibility is not just to respond. It is to lead!