edleadership | Learning as I go: Reflections & lessons learned

In the first five parts of this series, I shared what I’ve been learning from working with district leadership teams across the country as they navigate artificial intelligence, digital wellness, and purposeful technology use. There have been many conversations, brainstorming sessions, questions answered, and then more questions posed.

In each of these conversations, we have considered, and I have asked a lot of questions. But one of the most common questions that I’ve heard and considered is:

How do we know, and how do we make sure, that students are still doing the thinking? Why is this a popular question? Because in an AI-driven world, having access to answers is no longer the challenge. Answers are available everywhere and instantly. Thinking is now the challenge.

Making A Shift

When it comes to education and creating learning experiences, a large part of schooling is focused on helping students find the right answer. Educators consider the support needed to guide students in working through challenges and developing their skills as they build content knowledge. Now, that landscape has changed. And, it has changed fast.

Students can generate responses, explanations, and even write entire essays within seconds using the AI tools available to them. But this new reality leads to understandable concerns. Questions such as:

Are students relying too much on AI?
Do they know how to evaluate the information?
Is their own thinking being replaced?
What does learning look like now?
What should learning look like now?

These are some of the important questions we need to be asking. And the answers will shift our focus. Education still plays a critical role in developing essential skills, but it is evolving and requires more intentional planning and heightened awareness of available technologies, along with mindfulness about how to leverage them.

Will AI Replace Our Thinking? Not Unless We Let It

We know that artificial intelligence can support learning in powerful ways. It can:

provide feedback
offer explanations
generate ideas
support revision
help students explore concepts
serve as a thought partner for educators

But without clear expectations and a consistent message, it can also shortcut learning opportunities.

So what makes the difference?

Continue reading via my newsletter on LinkedIn.

If Your Organization Is Beginning This Work

I help schools and other organizations (law firms, healthcare professionals, business owners) implement AI responsibly through policy guidance, professional learning, and classroom-ready strategies grounded in both instructional practice and legal insight.

My sessions focus on helping teams:

• understand what AI can and cannot do

• recognize responsible-use considerations

• build confidence using emerging tools

•align implementation with organizational priorities

If your school, district, or organization is beginning conversations or looking to dive in and learn more about AI policy, professional learning, or responsible implementation, I’d welcome the opportunity to support your next steps through leadership workshops, keynote sessions, or strategic planning partnerships.

Preparing people is what makes AI implementation successful. Contact me via bit.ly/thrivineduPD for my training and speaking services.

Throughout this series, I’ve shared what I’ve learned from working alongside district leadership teams across the country as they navigate artificial intelligence, digital wellness, and purposeful technology use.

We’ve explored:

why curiosity is replacing fear
why educator readiness is the foundation
why leadership and systems matter

But there is another critical question schools must answer:

How do we know if it’s working? Because implementation is not the goal. Impact is.

The Problem With Measuring the Wrong Things

Screen time and effective use of technology are hot topics in conversations happening in schools across the country. In many districts, success with technology has typically been measured by:

number of devices available, so all students can participate in learning
tool adoption rates
platform usage
logins and activity

These metrics are easy to track. But they don’t tell the full story. I’ve said it many times in various ways, but a classroom full of students using devices does not automatically mean that impactful, meaningful learning is happening. Nor does it show true student engagement just by the use of devices.

More technology use does not automatically lead to deeper learning.

More screen time does not equal greater engagement or better outcomes

So we have to really think about what we are measuring. If we continue measuring what is easy, we risk missing what matters most. And we might miss providing the best learning experiences for students.

What Should We Be Measuring Instead?

Across the districts I work with, the leadership teams are beginning to shift their focus.

The districts making the most progress are beginning to ask different kinds of questions:

Are students thinking more deeply?
Are students asking better questions?
Are students able to evaluate information more critically?
Do students understand when and how to use AI responsibly?
Are students being guided in how to use technology and why they are using it?
Do educators feel confident in their instructional decisions?
Are they supported as technology changes?

These are harder to measure, but they are far more meaningful and provide greater insight that schools can act upon.

Indicators Schools Are Moving in the Right Direction

There are some clear indicators I have seen and read about that show schools are moving in the right direction.

1. Student Thinking Is Visible

Students are not simply submitting AI-generated responses. They are explaining their thinking, reflecting on their process, questioning outputs, and making revisions. They are being guided and understand how to use AI as support, not a replacement.

2. Educators Are Making Intentional Decisions

Teachers are not asking whether they can use a certain tool or platform. Instead, they are questioning when they should and what the impact will be. This shift shows greater confidence in the purposeful use of technology and in intentional lesson design. Quality over quantity.

Continue reading the rest and subscribe to my newsletter on LinkedIn.

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If Your Organization Is Beginning This Work

I help schools and other organizations (law firms, healthcare professionals, business owners, psychologists) implement AI responsibly through policy guidance, professional learning, and classroom-ready strategies grounded in both instructional practice and legal insight.

My sessions focus on helping teams:

• understand what AI can and cannot do

• recognize responsible-use considerations

• build confidence using emerging tools

•align implementation with organizational priorities

Preparing people is what makes AI implementation successful.

Contact me to work with you or speak at your event. bit.ly/thriveineduPD See testimonials about my work via my website.