How to Enhance the Student Experience

This semester, I've been conducting a quiet experiment: deliberately transferring the authority to define learning outcomes to my students. The results have been revelatory. While many educators see AI as a threat to academic integrity, I've witnessed something more significant: when students define their own learning pathways, their relationship with AI transforms from potential shortcut to powerful collaborator. Take Maya*, one of my most engaged students. She's researching luxury consumption in fashion markets and developing a market study for a sustainable denim brand she's conceptualizing. Most importantly, she crafted her own project outcomes and assessment criteria. What's fascinating is how this transfer of authority changed her relationship with AI: Before: AI was primarily a way to generate content that matched teacher expectations After: AI became a thought partner helping her explore possibilities she defined I observed her use BoodleBox to explore market positioning strategies, critically evaluate each response, and synthesize her own approach that differed from any AI suggestion. The AI didn't replace her thinking – it amplified it by expanding the possibility space. This pattern has repeated across my classrooms: when students own the definition of quality, their use of AI shifts from outsourcing to augmentation. They develop what I call "outcome ownership" – the ability to define meaningful endpoints and assess their own progress. For educators concerned about AI's impact, I suggest this counterintuitive approach: transfer more authority to students, not less. Let them define project outcomes within meaningful guardrails. The resulting ownership transforms AI from threat to asset. Perhaps the most powerful question isn't "How do we prevent AI misuse?" but "How might AI help us create space for authentic student agency?" What small experiments in authority transfer might you try in your classroom? *Name changed for privacy #StudentAgency #AILiteracy #AuthenticLearning #EducationalInnovation Mike Kentz Vriti Saraf Amanda Bickerstaff Dr. Lance Cummings Armand Ruci M.A, M.Ed Alfonso Mendoza Jr., M.Ed. Aman Kumar Scott Sommers, PhD Nigel P. Daly, PhD 戴 禮 Phillip Alcock Jessica Maddry, M.EdLT

Obsessing over catching cheaters is killing authentic learning. Stop waging an impossible war against AI use. As Stefan Bauschard says - "give students a break" Want to make cheating irrelevant? The secret is shifting our pedagogical approach To process instead of final products. Below are great thoughts from Nick Potkalitsky, PhD See link in comments for the full read 👇 And get process-driven lesson plans To make this pedagogical shift, prioritize: ↳ Multimodal expression ↳ Real-time engagement ↳ Process over final product ↳ Iteration over single submissions Basic elements of a process-oriented approach: 1️⃣ Process documentation (show evolving understanding) ↳ Thought journals ↳ Recorded think-alouds ↳ Iterative drafts with annotations 2️⃣ Live engagement Replace static essays. Students think on their feet: ↳ Collaborative problem-solving ↳ Socratic seminars & oral defenses ↳ Debates and role-playing exercises 3️⃣ Iterative feedback (make revision a central skill) ↳ Metacognitive reflections ↳ Multiple submission points ↳ Structured peer and teacher feedback 4️⃣ Multimodal expression (go beyond what #AI can produce) ↳ Oral presentations ↳ Visual & digital storytelling ↳ Applied demonstrations & simulations We need to stop policing technology And instead design learning experiences Where using AI as a shortcut doesn't make sense. Thanks, as always, to Nick for the thought-provoking deep-dive into this new world of teaching and learning

🧬Teaching Practices that Also Boost Students’ Natual Mood Enhancers🧬 You’ve probably heard of Oxytocin (“love hormone”), Dopamine (“reward hormone”), Serotonin (a mood stabilizer), and Endorphins (the natural painkiller). Did you know your teaching strategies could boost students’ natural production of these chemicals, improving regulation, and creating the biological conditions for individual success?! Fostering Social Connections (Oxytocin): - Encourage group activities and collaborative projects to promote bonding among students. - Incorporate activities that involve positive physical contact, like handshakes, high-fives, or team huddles, respecting personal boundaries. Setting Achievable Goals (Dopamine): - Break down large assignments into smaller, manageable tasks to help students experience a sense of accomplishment. - Encourage goal-setting for both academic and personal growth, and celebrate these achievements in class. Incorporating Physical Activity and Humor (Endorphins): - Start classes with short, fun physical activities like stretching. - Use humor in teaching and encourage laughter in the classroom, perhaps through funny anecdotes or educational games. Promoting Outdoor Activities and Mindfulness (Serotonin): - Organize outdoor lessons or field trips to expose students to natural settings. - Implement mindfulness practices, such as meditation or deep-breathing exercises, which can increase serotonin levels. Keep in mind that it’s still crucial to create a supportive and stress-free learning environment and check in on student mental health, but I hope folks find this helpful! #personcenteredcare #studentmentalhealth #traumainformedcare

Students with a plethora of personal, emotional and social issues undoubtedly require help with academic skills, but their need for life skills is even greater.  Students experiencing strong connections and relationships with positive adults develop the foundation of HOPE necessary to believe in themselves and their futures. As a principal of a K-8 school in a low-socioeconomic community, I initiated mentoring programs for my junior high students. I charged my two female social workers with starting a young women's mentoring and resilience empowerment program, and I started a similar program for young men. We introduced and facilitated many activities with these students to teach life skills and provide them with a sense of hope were We interviewed students, provided them with interest surveys and helped them to create vision boards. These tools helped them recognize their strengths and enabled them to meditate and envision their futures.  This mentoring program I implemented for my junior high students was successful. It helped students make better choices and develop their short- and long-term goals to envision and work toward a positive future.  Students that participated in the mentoring and resilience empowerment program came away from it with a strong sense of hope and direction for their futures to live a life of purpose. They were now far better equipped to go about their days with intention. They knew that basing their decisions on who they wanted to be and what they wanted to accomplish was the path to fulfillment. Educators, we MUST continue to give our students HOPE. Provide ENCOURAGEMENT. Help them visualize what they want to be in the future and guide them toward creating a plan that will lead them down the road to success. We must BELIEVE in them.  #buildingbridges #studentsuccess #hope