Infographic with focus areas for part IV

Beyond the Tools: Part IV

October 20, 2026October 9, 2026Dr. Rachelle Dené Poth Leave a comment

What Becomes More Human as AI Becomes More Capable?

In the first three parts of my “Beyond the Tools” series, I focused on the people and decisions behind responsible AI implementation. I explored why human readiness matters more than simply adopting new tools, what students should still be able to do independently, and how schools can build trust through transparency, communication, thoughtful vetting, and shared responsibility. In Part III, I focused specifically on how trust is built across the school community and why trust is essential for meaningful AI implementation. But once those foundations are in place, another question emerges, one that goes beyond implementation and gets to the heart of education itself.

The conversation around artificial intelligence often starts with capability.

What can AI do now?
What will it be able to do next?
Which jobs will change?
Which tasks will become automated?

Those are important questions.

But we should also be asking another one:

As AI becomes more capable, what becomes more important about being human?

Preparing students for an AI-shaped future cannot simply mean teaching them to use more AI or any technology. It also means helping students develop the human qualities that become even more valuable as technology becomes more capable.

Knowledge Still Matters, but So Does Judgment

Students will have access to more information than any generation before them. But access to information is not the same as understanding.

AI can produce options, but humans still have to decide.

AI can summarize perspectives, but humans still have to evaluate them.

AI can recommend a course of action, but humans still have to consider the consequences.

And this is what makes human judgment incredibly important.

Our students need opportunities to make decisions, explain their reasoning, defend their choices, reconsider them when needed, and take what they have learned to decide what happens next.

Curiosity Matters

There are many concerns about how AI may affect essential skills such as creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving. AI makes answers easier to obtain, which makes asking good questions even more valuable.

We have to spark curiosity. Students who remain curious will be better prepared to explore possibilities that a generated answer may not provide. They will ask themselves:

Why did this happen?
What is missing?
What if we tried something different?
Whose perspective is not represented?
What problem should we actually be solving?

AI may help us investigate those questions, but the questions themselves begin with human curiosity. Curiosity can help students look beyond the first answer. Empathy helps them consider the people affected by the answers they find and the decisions they make.

Empathy Matters

AI can simulate conversation. It can generate supportive language. It can analyze patterns and identify trends.

But genuinely understanding another person requires more than the production of an appropriate response.

Students need opportunities to listen carefully, learn about and recognize perspectives different from their own, and understand how decisions may affect other people.

They need opportunities to:

listen with intention
recognize another person’s perspective
collaborate with people who may think differently
navigate disagreement respectfully
consider how decisions may affect individuals and communities

These qualities matter in our classrooms today, and as we continue to see the increased presence and use of AI, these qualities will matter even more in workplaces and communities.

Technology may help us communicate more efficiently, but empathy requires something more human: attention, perspective, connection, and care.

Human understanding also helps to shape creativity. The best ideas are not just new. They are meaningful, useful, and responsive to real needs.

Creativity Matters Differently

We have seen the many ways that AI can create. But even with all of its possibilities, it does not make human creativity irrelevant.

I’ve given it some thought and think perhaps creativity may become less about producing something entirely from scratch and more about imagining possibilities, dreaming big, directing ideas, combining perspectives, evaluating options, improving what already exists, and making meaning.

Students will need to ask themselves:

Is this idea interesting?
Is it useful? Why or why not?
Does it solve the right problem?
Does it reflect what I actually think or believe? Why or why not?
What could I create that is valuable or meaningful for someone else?

AI may help with generating possibilities, but students still need to be able to decide for themselves which ideas are worth pursuing and why they matter.

Creativity still requires human purpose. And purpose requires choice, and this is where agency becomes essential.

Agency May Matter Most

Continue reading on LinkedIn and subscribe to my newsletter!

I would love it if you would subscribe to my ThriveinEDU newsletter and follow my podcast and YouTube channel to check out some interviews and other learning opportunities.

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 or email Rdene915@gmail.com for my training and speaking services.

Infographic with focus areas of part 3 of the series

Beyond the Tools: Part III

October 13, 2026October 9, 2026Dr. Rachelle Dené Poth Leave a comment

How Do We Build Trust Around AI?

In the first two parts of this series, I explored how successful AI implementation depends primarily on human readiness and shared leadership. I also focused on the importance of defining what core capabilities students must retain independently. Building on those foundations, Part III focuses on how schools can foster trust across the entire community so that AI implementation is transparent, intentional, and human-centered.

As schools continue to integrate artificial intelligence, the conversations focus on purpose, capability, and whether or not we should use it. Some questions that come up often focus on specific tools and include:

What can the tool do?
How can educators use it?
How can students use it?

These are valid and common questions. But answering them does not guarantee successful AI implementation. Successful implementation depends on something much harder to build and much easier to lose: trust.

Students need to trust educators.

Families need to trust schools.

Educators need to trust leadership.

Schools need to be able to trust the tools they adopt.

And everyone needs enough understanding to recognize that AI itself should never be trusted without thorough investigation, ongoing evaluation, and reflection.

Mutual Transparency Builds Shared Trust

Over the past year, through my work with ISTE+ASCD and Pinterest, one word surfaced repeatedly in conversations with students, educators, families, and school communities: transparency. I have emphasized that transparency must be a shared responsibility, regardless of a person’s role in education. Educators want to know:

Did the student use AI?
Did they disclose it?
Did they cite it?

Those are reasonable expectations. But I’ve also listened to students, and they are asking important questions. They want to know:

Are their teachers using AI, and how?
Are educators using it to generate feedback?
Are schools using it to analyze information?
Are tools collecting student data?
What happens to information entered into a platform?

Students should not be expected to practice transparency in a system that is not transparent with them.

Trust works both ways.

This need for mutual openness extends beyond the classroom walls and applies equally to how schools engage with families.

Bridging the Gap Between Policy and Practice for Families

Through conversations with educators and student focus groups across the country, I noticed a recurring disconnect. Information about AI use, screen time, and cell phone expectations was not always communicated clearly between school and home. Families also need clear and consistent information.

A lengthy AI policy may satisfy a school district requirement, but it does not necessarily help a parent understand what is happening with AI in a classroom.

Families need access to clear answers to practical questions such as:

What AI tools are students using?
Why are they being used?
What student information is being collected?
How are tools vetted?
What expectations apply to student use?
What happens when those expectations are violated?
Who do families contact with questions?

The clearer those answers are, the less likely uncertainty is to turn into mistrust.

Trust Requires Vetting

There is also a tendency to focus on what an AI tool can do before asking what happens behind the scenes.

Schools need processes for examining privacy, security, accessibility, age requirements, data use, contracts, and instructional purpose before adopting AI tools.

An impressive platform does not necessarily mean it belongs in a classroom, and this is why collaboration matters.

Technology teams understand infrastructure.
Educators understand instructional purpose and classroom context.
Administrators understand organizational priorities.
Legal and privacy professionals understand risk.
Students and families understand how decisions affect them.

No single perspective is enough. Trust grows when people understand not only what decisions are being made, but how and why those decisions were reached.

Questioning the Output: Why Blind Trust Fails

There is another form of trust students need to understand:

AI outputs should not automatically be trusted.
A confident answer can still be wrong.
A polished response can still contain bias.
A citation can still be fabricated.
An image can look authentic and still be synthetic.

Students need practice questioning, verifying, and evaluating information rather than simply accepting it. Ask:

Where did this information come from?
Can I verify it?
What perspective may be missing?
What assumptions are being made?
Does another reliable source agree?
What evidence supports this response?

Those habits are part of AI literacy, but they are also part of broader information literacy.

Build a Culture, Not a Compliance Checklist

Trust is not created by publishing an AI policy.

Continue reading on LinkedIn and subscribe to my newsletter.

I would love if you would subscribe to my ThriveinEDU newsletter and follow my podcast and YouTube channel to check out some interviews and other learning opportunities.

If Your Organization Is Beginning This Work

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 via bit.ly/thrivineduPD or email Rdene915@gmail.com for my training and speaking services.

Beyond the Tools: Part II -What Should Students Still Be Able to Do Without AI?

October 6, 2026October 4, 2026Dr. Rachelle Dené Poth Leave a comment

In Part One of my new series, I emphasized that successful AI implementation in education is less about adopting new platforms and more about human readiness. While learning how different tools work is a starting point, true preparedness requires educators to develop deep pedagogical judgment, understand privacy and security issues, and make informed decisions about when to use AI and when not to. I believe that AI implementation is an organizational change process based on shared leadership with representation from the entire school community, rather than being just a technology project or a passing initiative.

As I think about AI in our classrooms, especially in light of recent decisions by NYCPS and LAUSD, regarding generative AI access for younger students, I continue to believe that we need to teach students how to use these tools responsibly.

AI offers many possibilities that can assist with learning. It can help students write, brainstorm, translate, explain, research, summarize, create images, work through problems, and more. These capabilities offer enhanced learning opportunities, but they also raise an important question: What should students still be able to do without AI?

There are many conversations about technology happening in schools, but I believe how we prepare students to use AI responsibly is one of the most important. I don’t think the answer is to completely keep AI away from students. Preparing students to use technology responsibly also means preparing them to problem-solve, adapt, and make thoughtful decisions when technology is unavailable or when using it is not the right choice.

Capability Matters

We have been having versions of this conversation for years whenever new technology appears and changes how students learn. Calculators changed math. Google changed research. Spellcheck changed writing. Translation tools changed language learning.

Technology often changes how we perform a task. It can make work more efficient, expand access to information, reduce barriers, and create new learning opportunities. But the arrival of a new tool does not eliminate the need to understand the underlying skills that students need to be successful.

When ChatGPT came out at the end of November of 2022, the immediate concern was using it for cheating. There were immediate conversations about academic integrity, and familiar comparisons to calculators and Google quickly resurfaced.

AI presents a different challenge. AI goes beyond simply being an assistant for one part of a task or process because it can produce entire responses and so much more. I often compare what a student can produce with AI to what that student can independently explain or demonstrate afterward. Here are some examples:

A student may generate a well-written explanation. But can they explain the concept on their own?
A student may receive an accurate language translation. But can they communicate independently and engage in a conversation?
A student may get a solution to a problem. But can the student explain the reasoning?
A student may generate research summaries. But can the student evaluate whether the information is trustworthy?

Students need to understand that choosing to use AI does not remove their accountability for their learning. They should still be prepared to explain their thinking, demonstrate their skills, and show what they understand without relying on any tool.

Can Independence and Assistance Coexist?

I’ve been having more conversations with educators about whether or not AI belongs in all classrooms K through 12 or if it should be limited to the high school years. We have spoken about screen time, the use of technology in general, how much is too much and also trying to consider best pedagogical practices for when technology makes sense. I do not think the answer is to require students to complete all of their work without AI. That would ignore the world they are entering.

Students will use AI in college, careers, and their personal lives and so they need to learn how to use it effectively. Learning how to use it effectively does not mean that they need to use it frequently but they need to understand when and how to use it, while still being able to complete a task without the use of AI. Students need both capabilities. They need to be able to say “I can do this myself” and “I know when and how a tool can help me do it better.” When this happens, students are demonstrating student agency.

Make the Thinking Visible

Educators can help students develop this awareness by asking them to explain their decisions and the thinking behind them. Some guiding questions might be:

Why did you use AI?
What part of the task did it support?
What did you do yourself?
What did you change and why?
What did you disagree with?
What information did you verify?
Could you explain your final work without the tool?

Using these guiding questions will shift the conversation away from catching students using AI and move it toward helping students understand their own use and be reflective in their learning experiences. This is a much more productive opportunity for students to truly understand responsible use of AI.

The Value in Struggle

Learning can be difficult, and I often remind my students that making mistakes is not only okay…it is expected. Understanding may not happen on the first, second, or even tenth attempt. That is part of learning. It is meant to be challenging, and students need to experience productive struggle, which can be uncomfortable at times. In their classes, students need:

moments when the answer does not come right away.
to try something that does not work.
to rethink an idea and sometimes disregard it and start over.
to figure out why the robot did not move.
to understand why the equation did not work, why their argument is weak, or why the translation does not make sense.

Productive struggle helps build confidence because students experience what it is like to overcome difficulty. AI can remove barriers, and it can be extremely valuable. We need to distinguish between a barrier that prevents learning and a challenge that produces learning.

Time to ask a different question

Continue reading on LinkedIn.

Please subscribe to my ThriveinEDU newsletter to stay informed. And contact me for more information.

If Your Organization Is Beginning This Work

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 via bit.ly/thrivineduPD or email Rdene915@gmail.com, for my training and speaking services.

Beyond The Tools: Part I

October 2, 2026October 2, 2026Dr. Rachelle Dené Poth Leave a comment

Over the past few months, I’ve written two different series to share what I’ve been learning about AI in education. First, in my seven-part “Leading Forward in AI” series, I reflected on what I was seeing and hearing, the questions being asked, the challenges educators and leaders were facing, and the areas where greater clarity and support were needed, learned through my work with schools and districts across the country last year through the ISTE+ASCD and Pinterest initiative.

More recently, in my five-part “AI in Education vs. AI Education” series, I focused on an important distinction: implementing AI in our schools is not the same as educating students about AI.

I explored what is involved in the shift from policy to practice. It requires preparing educators, building AI literacy, rethinking assessment, and creating more intentional approaches to AI use.

As I finished those 12 posts and reflected on the comments and feedback I received, another question emerged: Are we focusing too much on technology and not enough on the people making decisions about its use? That question led me to this new series, “Beyond the Tools.”

Rather than focusing on the newest platforms or AI capabilities, I want to consider what successful AI implementation requires from the people involved, including educators, students, leaders, families, and others across the school community.

Beyond the Tools, Part I: Preparing People or Just Adopting Tools?

Artificial intelligence continues to move quickly in education. There are new tools, new AI features, new capabilities. Schools are tasked with complex work when it comes to evaluating products and determining what should be permitted, restricted, or encouraged.

I think back to my doctoral research that focused on the need for professional development for educators, especially when it comes to AI. Before focusing on the technology, are we doing enough to prepare the people who will be using it?

Because successful AI implementation is not determined by how many platforms a school has access to, but whether or not those using them understand what they are doing and why.

Learning the Tool Is Only the Beginning

Learning how to enter a prompt or generate a lesson plan is often the easier part. Knowing when to use AI and when not to is much harder. Some examples:

Recognizing when an output is inaccurate requires judgment.
Determining whether AI adds to or reduces a meaningful learning experience requires pedagogical knowledge and good instructional practices.
Knowing what information should not be entered into a platform requires awareness of privacy and security.
Helping students understand when AI is supporting their thinking rather than replacing it requires more than showing students how to use a tool.

These are just a few of the reasons why I have spoken about making sure that educators and students are ready first before considering what specific technology to use. AI readiness is about people readiness.

Educators Need More Specific Training

Something I continue to notice when providing professional development is the questions being asked. Some of the first questions asked are typically:

What tool(s) should I use?
What prompt(s) should I try?
What can this platform create?

These are important questions, but we also need to ask:

What problem are we trying to solve?
Should we use AI for this learning experience?
What should students still do independently?
Are there any risks I should consider?
How do I evaluate the information AI provides?
How will students demonstrate their own understanding?

Educators do not need to become AI experts, but they need enough knowledge to make informed decisions, which takes time.

Leadership is key

Continue reading on LinkedIn.

Please subscribe to my ThriveinEDU newsletter to stay informed. And contact me for more information.

If Your Organization Is Beginning This Work

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 via bit.ly/thrivineduPD or email Rdene915@gmail.com, for my training and speaking services.

What Many Industry Predictions About Future Skill Needs Keep Getting Wrong

September 22, 2026September 20, 2026Dr. Rachelle Dené Poth Leave a comment

Guest post by Tessa Dodson. Opinions expressed are those of the writer

Every year brings another forecast about the necessary skills to have for the future of work, like data literacy, creativity, communication, critical thinking, collaboration, and a growing collection of specialized technical competencies.

These predictions can help you notice changes in the labor market and ask important questions about the curriculum, career readiness, and professional learning. However, it becomes a problem when you treat a list of future skills as a guide for creating a curriculum.

Why the Future Is Not a Checklist

A list of necessary skills to have can make the future seem more predictable than it really is. You might see a report identifying 10 skills that will supposedly be in high demand by 2030, prompting you to think of a way to make sure your students develop all of them. That is a reasonable action to take, but the workplace is evolving too quickly for any fixed list of skills to remain completely reliable.

As technology, particularly artificial intelligence, changes how work is performed, the value and meaning of specific skills can also change. In fact, the World Economic Forum states that nearly 40% of employment skills might change by 2030.

What Matters When Skills Keep Changing?

If specific skills are constantly evolving, preparing students cannot simply mean teaching them the skills that appear on today’s list. Instead, you need to think about the context and capacity behind each skill.

For example, teaching students how to use a particular AI tool may be useful today, but the tool may look completely different or be obsolete a few years from now. What is more long-lasting is helping students understand how to evaluate technology, ask effective questions, recognize limitations, adapt to new tools, and make informed decisions about when and how to use them.

Adaptability Beyond Another Skill

Resilience is often treated as just another item on a list of future skills. However, it is vital for students to have, as it helps them adjust how they use what they know when situations change.

Knowing a skill means applying it in a familiar situation. Adaptability means recognizing when a familiar approach no longer works and adjusting accordingly. It involves transferring knowledge, responding to new information, learning from feedback, and trying new approaches.

For example, a student may know how to communicate clearly but still need to adjust their message for a different audience. The key difference is that being flexible helps students apply their skills in unfamiliar situations, making it especially valuable in a changing world.

This matters because workplace change can create new pressures and additional stress. In fact, 68% of Gen Z employees report experiencing stress, compared with only 63% of older Millennials and 40% of Boomers. This difference highlights the importance of preparing students to manage change, respond to challenges, seek support, and adjust their approach as circumstances shift.

Preparing Students for Ongoing Learning

Education has always been about more than preparing students for a specific job or set of skills. It is about helping them become capable, confident learners who can solve problems and continue growing as their circumstances change.

With 88% of employers seeking candidates with strong problem-solving skills, students need to build their critical-thinking abilities. This allows them to approach challenges with confidence, rather than just relying on memorized information.

Industry forecasts can still be useful, but they should serve as signals rather than instructions. When a new report identifies an emerging skill, look beyond the specific knowledge set and consider the deeper capabilities students may need to develop.

When a new report gives essential skills, you can ask yourself:

Why is this skill becoming more important?
What deeper capability does it represent?
Can students apply this knowledge across different subjects and contexts?
Will the skill still matter if the technology changes?
How can students learn to transfer what they know to unfamiliar situations?

This approach shifts the focus from simply adding new skills to developing learners who are ready to adapt to change. It is a more challenging goal, but also a more realistic and lasting definition of future readiness.

Why Technology Can’t Replace Human Skills

Another common problem in conversations about the future of work is the idea that technology and people are competing for the same jobs. This framing can make AI seem like a replacement for human abilities.

For education, however, a more useful perspective is to focus on what human capabilities become more valuable when people know how to work effectively with AI. This shifts the focus from competition to collaboration and helps educators prepare students to use technology while strengthening the human skills that technology cannot replace.

Think Beyond Replacement

Technology does not always replace people in the workplace. Often, it changes how people work and helps them perform tasks more effectively. As technology becomes more capable, students need to learn how to work alongside it rather than compete with it.

For example, over half of employers using AI said it raised the demand for more educated workers, suggesting that technology can support human work rather than simply replace it.

Teach Students Technical and Human Skills

You should not choose between teaching technical skills and developing human capabilities, as students need both. More importantly, they need opportunities to use both together. Try to imagine a student using AI to generate several possible solutions to a problem. The important learning does not happen simply because the AI produced multiple answers.

The learning happens when the student:

Evaluates the different options.
Identifies weaknesses or errors.
Checks the evidence.
Explains why they made that choice.
Revises the work based on what they discover.

In this situation, AI helps with the process, but the student remains responsible for thinking and evaluating. AI can generate possibilities, but students are the ones making the decisions.

Prepare Students to Work With Technology

Future readiness is about preparing students to work effectively alongside technology. As such, you should teach students how to use new tools and how to question their outputs, recognize their limitations, make decisions, communicate ideas, and take responsibility for the final result.

Remember, specific technologies students use will continue to change. However, the human capabilities that help them use those technologies well, such as critical thinking, judgment, collaboration, communication, and responsibility, will remain valuable.

Why What Employers Want Doesn’t Always Predict Success

There is often a gap between the skills employers list in job descriptions and the capabilities that actually help people succeed at work. Job descriptions are useful, but they are not perfect measures of workplace performance.

Employers may list dozens of qualifications and skills. Some may be essential, while others may simply be preferred, copied from older job descriptions, or included because they sound desirable.

Workplace success is often more complicated. People need to apply what they know, learn from mistakes, work with different personalities, respond to changing expectations, and make decisions when there is no obvious answer. These capabilities are difficult to capture in a job posting or measure with a simple skills checklist.

Educators should be cautious about treating employer wish lists as a direct curriculum guide. If you focus too heavily on teaching every skill that appears in industry reports, you may prepare students to match today’s job descriptions without necessarily preparing them to succeed in tomorrow’s workplace.

A better approach is to give students opportunities to demonstrate capability. Let them solve authentic problems, collaborate with others, and adapt when their first approach does not work.

From Skills Lists to Learning Capacity

Preparing students for the future of work should go beyond following lists of predicted skills. As technology continues to transform the workplace, students need lasting qualities such as adaptability and a commitment to lifelong learning.

Educators can use industry predictions as guides rather than rigid requirements, emphasizing skills that remain relevant in diverse situations. A future-ready student focuses less on knowing every answer in advance and more on preparing to learn and adapt to whatever comes next.

About Tessa

Tessa Dodson is the Senior Writer of Classrooms.com, where she researches and covers educational policy, professional development, teacher support systems, and integration challenges that K-12 and higher education institutions may face. She aims to research and provide actionable insights for students, educators, school administrators, and other leaders.

About Rachelle

Dr. Rachelle Dené Poth is a Spanish and STEAM: What’s Next in Emerging Technology Teacher. Dr. Rachelle Dené Poth is an edtech consultant, presenter, attorney, author, and teacher of Spanish and STEAM: Emerging Technology. Rachelle has a Juris Doctor degree from Duquesne University School of Law and a Doctorate in Instructional Technology. Rachelle’s focus was on the need for professional development for educators, specific to Artificial Intelligence. Rachelle specializes in Artificial Intelligence, AI and the Law, AI and Healthcare, Cybersecurity, and STEM. She has more than 8 years of experience teaching and presenting on AI in her classroom, as well as working with educators worldwide.

Rachelle is currently serving as the Grant Coach for an initiative through ISTE+ASCD and Pinterest. Rachelle works with a Task Force from 12 districts in the United States and assists with policy revision, professional development, and the design of digital wellness resources for students, educators, and families.

Rachelle provides professional development related to AI policy and implementation to school districts, universities, and organizations. She also presents and provides keynotes on AI at state, national, and international events and in schools. Rachelle also provides AI training for other industries, including business, healthcare, and legal fields.
Rachelle is an ISTE-certified educator and recipient of the ISTE Making IT Happen Award and several Presidential Awards for volunteer service to education. Rachelle received the EdTech Trendsetter Award from EdTech Digest in 2024 and 2026.

She is the author of ten books, including “What the Tech? An Educator’s Guide to AI, AR/VR, the Metaverse and More! and “How to Teach AI: Weaving Strategies and Activities Into Any Content Area.” She has written curricula and courses on AI for all levels.

She is also a blogger for Defined Learning, EdTech K12, Edutopia, Getting Smart, and Tech & Learning. She is the host of the ThriveinEDU podcast, ISTE’s Learning Unleashed podcast, and The Lift by Amazon on BAM Radio Network. Contact Rachelle for your event!

Image featuring Dr. Rachelle Dené Poth with her name, social media handle, and a selection of her book covers displayed along with a brief description of her roles as an educator, author, attorney, and consultant.

Murder, Mystery, and Machine Minds: AI-Powered “Whodunits” for the Classroom

September 8, 2026August 25, 2026Dr. Rachelle Dené Poth Leave a comment

Guest post by: Renee Dawson | Middle School Special Education Teacher | Atlanta, GA @dawsonedtech | #AIinEDU #whodunit #middleschoolteachers

What if your next standards-based lesson felt more like a crime scene investigation than a worksheet, and your students were actually excited to complete the activity for the lesson? With AI chatbots and generative image tools, you can transform traditional content and learning activities into immersive “whodunit” experiences that hook middle and high school students while reinforcing critical skills.

At its core, a classroom whodunit is a structured problem-solving activity. Students analyze clues, apply content knowledge, and eliminate possibilities to determine the culprit, location, and weapon. The twist? AI can now help you generate the entire experience, completely aligned to the current state standard you’re teaching, in minutes.

Start with your standard, not the story. Choose a specific learning objective, such as: identifying types of symbiotic relationships, solving integer operations, or analyzing textual evidence. Then prompt your favorite AI chatbot to build a mystery scenario that embeds those concepts into clues. For example, if your standard focuses on integer operations, each clue might require students to correctly solve a problem to eliminate a suspect. A correct answer could reveal: “The suspect was seen at a temperature of -5°C, but your solution shows the crime occurred at +3°C. This suspect is not the murderer.”

The power of this approach lies in how clues are structured. Each question should act as a gatekeeper, allowing students to eliminate one of three categories: suspect, location, or weapon.

AI chatbots are great for generating these layered clue systems. You can ask for 8–12 clues that vary in difficulty, include misconceptions, or scaffold learning. For differentiation, you might prompt the AI to create leveled versions of the same mystery.

For example, in a science classroom studying ecosystems, a clue might read: “The crime scene shows evidence of a parasitic relationship. Which suspect studies organisms where one benefits and the other is harmed?” Students must apply vocabulary knowledge to eliminate suspects who specialize in mutualism or commensalism. Each correct interpretation moves them closer to solving the case.

Once your narrative and clues are generated, generative AI tools can bring the mystery to life visually. You can create realistic or stylized images of:

Suspects (for example, “a nervous-looking botanist in a greenhouse”)
Locations (for example, “a dimly lit school laboratory with overturned beakers”)
Weapons or objects (for example, “a cracked test tube labeled with a chemical formula”)

These visuals dramatically increase engagement, especially for visual learners and students who benefit from contextual cues. They also make your activity feel more like a game or digital escape room rather than a traditional assignment.

To streamline your workflow, you can pair tools strategically. Use a chatbot to generate the storyline, character descriptions, and clue questions. Then copy those descriptions into an image generator to create matching visuals. Finally, organize everything into a platform you already use to create a slide deck, digital form, or even a digital escape room, where students can interact with clues, track eliminations, and submit their final answers. I enjoy creating an introduction video that students either watch in their group or I play on my interactive board to help set the scene and get them excited for the activity. To get them moving and release some of their energy, consider hiding the clues around your classroom or throughout a hallway to add a scavenger hunt aspect to the activity.

Another advantage of AI-generated whodunits is how easily they support iteration. You can quickly revise a clue for clarity, swap out a standard, or regenerate an entire mystery with a different theme (school, space station, historical setting) while keeping the same academic focus. This flexibility is especially valuable for reteaching, enrichment, or standardized test preparation.

Of course, the teacher’s role remains essential. AI can generate content, but you ensure alignment, accuracy, and appropriateness for your students. Review each clue for misconceptions, adjust language for readability, and consider adding discussion or reflection components. For instance, after solving the mystery, students might explain how specific evidence helped them eliminate each suspect, reinforcing both content knowledge and reasoning skills. Another component I often add at the end of my science whodunits is to have the students complete a CER (Claim-Evidence-Reasoning) activity on the learning objective or standard using information from the clues in the activity.

When you use AI tools to your advantage, you can create whodunits that turn learning into an experience. Students aren’t just answering questions, they’re investigating, debating, and thinking critically. Plus, as they work to crack the case, they’re also mastering the standard you set out to teach.

AI-Powered Whodunit Teacher Quick Guide

Step 1: Start with Your Standard. Choose a specific learning target. One skill per mystery works best.

Step 2: Prompt the AI for a Mystery Scenario. Ask the chatbot to generate:

A short backstory (crime + setting)
3–5 suspects, locations, and/or tools
8–10 clues tied directly to your standard

Step 3: Design Elimination-Based Questions Ensure each clue leads students to eliminate:

One suspect, OR
One location, OR
One key object

Step 4: Generate Visuals (Optional but Powerful) Use an image generator to create:

Suspects (character portraits)
Locations (crime scenes)
Key objects (weapons/tools)

Step 5: Build the Activity Organize in:

Google Slides (interactive clues)
Google Forms (self-checking)
Escape room format (locks + codes)

Step 6: Add a Reflection Have students explain:

How they eliminated options
Which clues were most important

Sample AI Prompts:

Science: “Create a whodunit mystery for 7th-grade students where they must identify types of symbiotic relationships (mutualism, commensalism, parasitism) to solve the case. Include 4 suspects, each with a scientific specialty, and 8 clues. Each clue should require students to correctly identify a relationship type in order to eliminate one suspect, location, or object. Include clear answers and explanations.”

Social Studies: “Create a whodunit mystery for 8th-grade students set in a historical context where students must use geographic clues (landforms, climate, or region characteristics) to determine where an event took place. Include 4 locations and 8 clues. Each clue should require students to apply geographic reasoning to eliminate one incorrect location or suspect. Align to the following 8th-grade social studies standard listed below.”

Math: “Create a classroom whodunit mystery for 6th-grade students where solving integer problems helps students identify the culprit. Include 4 suspects and 8 clues. Each clue should involve integer operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, or absolute value). A correct solution should allow students to eliminate one suspect, location, or weapon. Include an answer key and step-by-step solutions.”

Language Arts: “Create a whodunit mystery for 6th-grade students where students must analyze short passages and identify themes or use textual evidence to solve the case. Include 4 suspects and 8 clues. Each clue should include a short paragraph on a 3rd-4th grade reading level and a question requiring students to infer themes or cite evidence, allowing them to eliminate one suspect, location, or object. Include sample answers and reasoning.”

Sample Introduction Video to one of my whodunit activities for 6th grade math:

AI-generated images from some of my classroom whodunits:

Images generated using Microsoft Image Generator

About Rachelle

The Elective Course Effect: How Non-Major Requirements Can Shape STEM Identity

August 31, 2026August 25, 2026Dr. Rachelle Dené Poth Leave a comment

Guest post by Tessa Dodson. Opinions expressed are those of the writer.

Walk through almost any school, and you’ll hear similar suggestions that students interested in STEM should take as many math, science, and technology courses as possible. While this advice is well-intentioned, it overlooks an important truth.

Students don’t develop a strong STEM identity solely by taking more STEM classes. They develop it by becoming confident thinkers, effective communicators, creative problem-solvers, and lifelong learners. Many of those qualities are cultivated through nonmajor requirements, especially courses in languages, social sciences, and humanities.

Why Electives Matter More Than You Think

When students enroll in electives, they often encounter learning experiences that differ from their core STEM coursework. Language classes strengthen communication and cultural understanding, and arts courses encourage creativity, observation, and design. History and philosophy ask students to evaluate evidence, construct arguments, and understand context.

Meaningful elective experiences often carry over into STEM learning. Instead of treating the arts and STEM as competing priorities, schools that use interdisciplinary learning can help students develop broader and more holistic skills.

Think of a student working on an engineering design project. Technical calculations are important, but so are presenting ideas to classmates, working through disagreements within a team and adapting solutions based on feedback. These are precisely the types of skills students develop through thoughtfully designed courses.

1. Building Better Problem Solvers

Many STEM challenges have no single correct answer. Scientists evaluate competing evidence, and engineers balance trade-offs. Medical researchers consider ethical implications alongside scientific data. Modern workplaces require individuals who can analyze information and make informed decisions, and 88% of employers look for candidates with evidence of problem-solving on their resume.

Students become stronger problem solvers when they learn to approach complex questions from multiple perspectives. Humanities courses frequently ask students to interpret ambiguous information, defend positions with evidence, and recognize nuance. Arts courses encourage experimentation, revision, and innovation. Language learning develops adaptability and pattern recognition while requiring students to navigate unfamiliar situations. Many colleges prefer that incoming students have at least two years of study in a world language.

Problem-solving habits and skills transfer naturally into STEM disciplines. When schools intentionally preserve nonmajor requirements, they create more opportunities for students to practice flexible thinking before they encounter technical challenges.

2. Improving Communication Skills

One misconception about STEM careers is that success depends primarily on technical expertise. In reality, today’s scientists, engineers, and technology professionals spend considerable time communicating. They explain findings to clients, present proposals to leadership teams, collaborate across departments, mentor colleagues, and translate technical concepts for nontechnical audiences.

However, students rarely develop these skills through technical coursework alone. Humanities courses can strengthen organization and evidence-based reasoning. Foreign language courses improve listening, perspective-taking, and communication. These professional capabilities complement technical knowledge and make it more impactful. According to 37 executives from the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, collaboration and communication are among the most valuable nontechnical skills for scientists.

3. Boosting Creativity That Drives Innovation

Innovation rarely comes from repeating established or old practices. Instead, breakthrough ideas emerge when individuals connect concepts across different disciplines. Some of history’s most influential innovators drew inspiration from art, literature, philosophy, or music alongside scientific inquiry.

Today’s technology companies value employees who combine analytical thinking with creativity. Arts education plays an important role in promoting this mindset. Whether students are composing music, designing visual media, or performing theater, they learn to receive feedback, experiment with new ideas, and embrace revision as part of the creative process. Those same habits support engineering design cycles, software development, scientific experimentation, and product innovation.

Personal Growth Extends Beyond Career Preparation

Education serves a purpose that is beyond preparing students for a particular profession. It also helps young people develop into curious, empathetic, and resilient individuals who can adapt to changing circumstances throughout their lives.

Literature courses invite students to consider perspectives different from their own. Philosophy asks students to consider ethical questions that rarely have simple answers. The arts foster self-expression, perseverance, and confidence through creative exploration.

By providing these experiences, you can contribute to students’ personal growth, helping them become more reflective, emotionally aware, and open to new ideas. They also strengthen qualities like resilience, adaptability, and intellectual curiosity, which are just as valuable in a STEM career as technical expertise.

By providing opportunities for students to explore interests beyond their primary field of study, you reinforce the idea that education is about growing into capable, well-rounded people, not simply preparing to become future employees.

More Students Will See Themselves in STEM

Some students discover their interest in STEM only after connecting technical concepts with their personal passions. For example, a student who enjoys storytelling may become interested in data visualization. A musician may discover acoustical engineering, or a visual artist may pursue user experience design.

When you encourage students to explore subjects beyond their intended major, you create opportunities for students to combine their passions rather than choose between them. As students begin to see how different subjects intersect, they are more likely to view STEM as a field where their unique talents and perspectives are valued.

This broader, more inclusive approach is especially important for students who may not identify with traditional STEM careers. By demonstrating that there are many ways to contribute to STEM, you can help more students develop the capabilities and confidence that are essential to building a strong STEM identity.

What Educational Leaders Can Do

Consider how your school’s policies support interdisciplinary learning. Start by examining whether scheduling practices unintentionally discourage students from taking electives outside their intended majors. When every period is devoted to technical coursework, students may lose valuable opportunities for broader, well-rounded development.

Next, you can encourage collaboration across departments. Invite STEM and humanities teachers to co-design interdisciplinary projects that address authentic problems. Students might combine environmental science with persuasive writing, computer science with graphic design, or engineering with ethics.

You can also celebrate diverse pathways into STEM. Highlight alums and professionals whose careers show the importance of interdisciplinary experiences. Share examples of computer scientists who value philosophy or healthcare professionals whose language skills improve patient care. These stories can help students understand that success in STEM does not require limiting themselves to technical coursework.

Rethinking Success

The pressure to optimize courses for college admissions or career readiness can unintentionally limit students’ educational experiences. Valuable learning also takes place in classes outside a student’s major.

When schools value nonmajor requirements, they focus on developing adaptable thinkers rather than just technically skilled graduates. This broad approach helps students communicate effectively, think creatively, collaborate well, and become resilient learners. They gain confidence in academic mastery and in their ability to address real-world problems.

About Tessa

About Rachelle’s work

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 via bit.ly/thrivineduPD for my training and speaking services.

About Rachelle

Learning Together in Immersive Worlds: Exploring Multiplayer in Delightex Edu

August 4, 2026July 24, 2026Dr. Rachelle Dené Poth Leave a comment

In collaboration with Delightex Edu.

I started using Delightex (formerly CoSpaces Edu) many years ago in my STEAM and Spanish classes. I dove into creating projects and finding options and opportunities for students to explore and have fun learning. For more than 9 years, I have used Delightex Edu with my students and have been continually awed by the platform’s enhancements.

Each year, a variety of new features are added to the already robust platform. What I love about it is that the new features spark curiosity, inspire creativity, and, most importantly, give students more ownership of their learning. The loss of these skills is a concern in the rapidly advancing technological landscape in education. Delightex continues to open up more opportunities for educators and students to leverage technology in meaningful ways. Earlier, they added the AI features and AI buddies, and now there is Multiplayer!

With the new Multiplayer activity, students and teachers can enter the same virtual Project and explore, communicate, and solve problems together in real time. Multiplayer has been a game-changer for my students and for educators who explore it! It is a great opportunity to engage students and promote digital citizenship and the appropriate, responsible use of technology.

For years, I’ve spoken about the need to move students from consumers to creators to innovators. With Delightex Edu, students do more than view and interact with stagnant digital content. Students create and collaborate to design interactive environments, dive into coding experiences, narrate and bring their stories to life, and create immersive worlds for themselves and others to explore. Multiplayer is a game-changer because it adds a whole new dimension, transforming students’ individual creations into shared learning experiences others can enjoy! And when that happens, it is so much more meaningful for learning.

Individual Exploration to Shared Experience

In a Multiplayer Project, teachers launch a live session, and then they become the host. Delightex Edu generates a join link and a session code that can be shared with the class. Students can choose a personalized avatar and enter the same virtual environment as their classmates. When they do this, they can explore, interact, complete challenges, and learn together.

Does it take a lot of time? No. It is easy to get started. Teachers can set up a Multiplayer Project directly or select Multiplayer when creating an Assignment. The technology itself is exciting, but the true value lies in the learning design. Multiplayer is not simply about interacting as avatars in the same digital space. Rather, it is an innovative option that creates opportunities for discussion, negotiation, shared decision-making, peer teaching, problem-solving, and reflection. It fosters the development of essential skills for students.

Why Multiplayer Learning Matters

Research has consistently demonstrated the value of active learning. Studies have shown that active-learning approaches improve student performance. Collaborative learning also creates academic, social, psychological, and assessment benefits because learners work together toward a shared goal or outcome.

Immersive learning environments also increase engagement by giving learners a sense of presence within the experience. In my own classroom, I’ve seen greater engagement, motivation, time on task, and more positive learning experiences. It is important to always focus on the learning target itself and then design the experience leveraging the technology in purposeful ways. This distinction is important. Multiplayer should be connected to clear learning goals. Perhaps students need to gather evidence, explain concepts, solve a challenge, evaluate competing ideas, or create something collaboratively. The virtual environment becomes a space for meaningful interactions rather than feeling like a digital field trip that lacks a clear learning purpose.

Ideas for Early Elementary Classrooms

For younger learners, Multiplayer Projects can emphasize exploration, communication, vocabulary development, and simple problem-solving.

Students might enter a virtual community and work together to identify important places such as a school, library, hospital, fire station, or park. They can discuss what happens in each place and how community members help one another.

To build literacy skills, students could explore the setting of a familiar story, identify characters and objects, and retell events in sequence. A teacher-created AI Buddy could serve as a story character, narrator, or guide, asking age-appropriate questions, and this is a great way to help students understand how to use AI safely to enhance learning.

For math, students could complete a shape hunt, sort virtual objects, compare quantities, or follow directional clues through a maze. In science, they might visit a habitat and identify what different plants and animals need to survive.

At this level, teachers can model digital citizenship by establishing expectations for movement, turn-taking, communication, and helping classmates.

Ideas for Middle School

As students become more independent, Multiplayer can support increasingly complex collaboration. In science, groups might explore a solar-system exhibition, identify planetary characteristics, and work together to solve a sequence of clues. They might investigate an ecosystem or enter a model of a cell and explain the function of each structure.

Social studies students could tour a virtual museum, analyze artifacts, compare civilizations, or participate in a simulation where they assume the role of a historical figure or community member. Rather than just reading about an event, students can explore different perspectives and discuss how decisions affected various groups.

Language arts students might enter the setting of a novel, examine visual clues, interview AI-powered characters, or solve an escape room based on plot, theme, vocabulary, and textual evidence.

World language students can practice asking for directions in a virtual city, ordering food in a restaurant, describing their surroundings, or completing a collaborative cultural scavenger hunt.

Ideas for High School

Students can use Multiplayer Projects for simulations, debates, design challenges, and role-based learning.

A government or civics class could simulate a town council meeting, a legislative hearing, a courtroom proceeding, or an international summit. Students could enter the environment with assigned roles, examine evidence, question one another, and negotiate a solution.

Science and career-technical education students could complete safety inspections, analyze environmental conditions, investigate virtual crime scenes, or troubleshoot a simulated workplace problem. Health science students might explore an anatomical model or practice communicating with an AI Buddy designed to represent a patient.

In literature and history, students could build and lead virtual exhibitions. Rather than submitting a traditional presentation, teams could design an environment, curate primary sources, create interactive characters, and guide visitors through their interpretation.

Creating the Future of Learning Together

The future of education is not simply about giving every student access to more technology. It is about creating opportunities for students to think, communicate, design, question, and solve problems together. Focusing on the learning goals and then adding in various methods and tools to reach those goals.

Delightex Edu’s Multiplayer feature brings these goals into a shared, immersive environment. Whether students are navigating a maze, exploring the solar system, touring a virtual museum, practicing another language, or solving a real-world challenge, they are actively participating in the learning process.

They are not just watching an experience unfold. They are inside it, learning together and building skills that will lead them to a successful future.

About Rachelle

Dr. Rachelle Dené Poth is a Spanish and STEAM: What’s Next in Emerging Technology Teacher. Rachelle is also an attorney with a Juris Doctor degree from Duquesne University School of Law and a Master’s in Instructional Technology. Rachelle received her Doctorate in Instructional Technology, with a research focus on AI and Professional Development. In addition to teaching, she is a full-time consultant and works with companies and organizations to provide PD, speaking, and consulting services. Contact Rachelle for your event!

Rachelle is an ISTE-certified educator and community leader who served as president of the ISTE Teacher Education Network. By EdTech Digest, she was named the EdTech Trendsetter of 2024, one of 30 K-12 IT Influencers to follow in 2021, and one of 150 Women Global EdTech Thought Leaders in 2022.

She is the author of ten books, including ‘What The Tech? An Educator’s Guide to AI, AR/VR, the Metaverse and More” and ‘How To Teach AI’. In addition, other books include, “In Other Words: Quotes That Push Our Thinking,” “Unconventional Ways to Thrive in EDU,” “The Future is Now: Looking Back to Move Ahead,” “Chart A New Course: A Guide to Teaching Essential Skills for Tomorrow’s World, “True Story: Lessons That One Kid Taught Us,” “Things I Wish […] Knew” and her newest “How To Teach AI” is available from ISTE or on Amazon.

Contact Rachelle to schedule sessions about Artificial Intelligence, AI and the Law, Coding, AR/VR, and more for your school or event! Submit the Contact Form.

Follow Rachelle on Bluesky, Instagram, and X at @Rdene915

**Interested in writing a guest blog for my site? Would love to share your ideas! Submit your post here. Looking for a new book to read? Find these available at bit.ly/Pothbooks

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AI in Education vs. AI Education: Why Policy and Practice Must Move Together (Part I)

July 21, 2026July 18, 2026Dr. Rachelle Dené Poth Leave a comment

Posted via my LinkedIn page and ThriveinEDU newsletter.

Over the past year, I’ve had the tremendous opportunity of working with district leaders, educators, students, families, and even policymakers across the country. Throughout this work, one question has come up repeatedly:

Is there a difference between AI in education and AI education?

I will pause…to let you consider.

For me….

My answer is always yes.

Although the terms are often used interchangeably, they represent two distinct priorities. AI in education focuses on how artificial intelligence is being implemented in teaching, learning, and school and district operations.

AI education focuses on helping students understand artificial intelligence itself. They know how it works, how it generates information, how it influences decisions, and understand that it will shape their futures. These two phrases are not the same, and not having a clear distinction creates gaps in policy, instruction, and student preparedness.

When people hear “AI in education,” they often think about tools and how they are being used. One example I have shared is a student using AI to generate a first draft of an essay. AI in education asks: What classroom expectations and policies should guide this use?

AI education asks: Does the student understand how the AI generated that response, what biases may exist, and how to evaluate its accuracy?

In my work, I’ve come up with a series of questions as starting points for conversations:

How are schools using AI platforms?
What tools are allowed, and who is vetting them?
How are educators integrating AI into instruction?
What policies are in place or are needed to guide its use?

These are just a few of the important questions that need to be considered and answered specifically for AI implementation. However, there is another conversation that is equally important to have in our schools, and the focus is on AI education.

AI education is more than tools. It is about preparing students to understand artificial intelligence, how it works, how it processes and generates information, how it influences decisions, and how it will impact their future.

Both are important, and from the many opportunities I’ve had to work with educators and speak with students, it seems there is confusion. We need to align on the meaning of these terms so we can fully provide the learning support our students and schools need.

What I’ve Seen in Schools

Across the districts I have supported, interest in artificial intelligence has increased. During the past year, I’ve seen the mindset shift from one of hesitation to exploration.

Educators are curious. Students are experimenting. Leaders are asking thoughtful questions and also seeking guidance for their schools.

But when it comes to AI implementation, whether school- or district-wide, it is not always consistent, and consistency matters.

Some schools are exploring AI tools without clear guidance, while others are restricting its use out of caution. And some are writing policies without fully understanding and addressing classroom realities. And this is why I recommend that administrators involve educators, students, and families in the conversations or create a task force specific to AI. By doing this, schools can better understand how AI is being used, the support students receive at home and at school, and what their needs are. Because in many places, students are using AI outside of school without learning how to use it responsibly, which creates yet another gap.

It creates a gap between access and understanding and between use and responsibility. However, by establishing a policy and ensuring consistent implementation, we can work toward closing the gap and making meaningful progress in an increasingly AI-surrounded world.

This Also Matters for Legislators

Artificial intelligence is not a future issue. It is a present reality shaping:

How students learn
How educators teach
How information is created and consumed
How future work will be defined

Legislators throughout the country are increasingly being asked to make decisions about data privacy, student protection, AI tool access, digital equity, and workforce readiness. These are important decisions that carry real implications for classrooms.

But having an effective policy requires more than regulation. It requires understanding how AI is actually being used and how it should be used in educational environments.

I’ve reached out to and spoken with legislators from different states over the past six months, and some of the common thoughts around policies are:

-Policies that focus only on restrictions will fall short.

-Policies that ignore implementation will create confusion.

And policies that fail to address AI education will leave students unprepared.

Why Does This Matter for Educators

Educators are at the center of the shift in classroom instruction, especially now with AI. Educators are adjusting to technological changes, navigating new tools, fielding student questions, balancing innovation with responsibility, and working to support student learning in real time.

My own research showed that many educators are being asked to adapt without the necessary guidance or support. I’ve been asked many times:

“Do I need to teach about AI?”
“What should I allow in my classroom?”
“How do I know if students are using AI appropriately?”
“How do I design lessons where students are still doing the thinking and not having AI do the work for them?”

These are not simple questions with simple answers. They are instructional, ethical, and professional questions. And these questions require communication and preparation, and not just policy. It is a process and an iterative one.

The Risk: Where Do We Focus?

If we focus only on AI in education, we risk:

over-reliance on tools
inconsistent expectations
unclear boundaries for educator and/or student use
missed opportunities for deeper learning

If we focus only on AI education, we risk:

teaching theory without application
disconnecting learning from real-world tools
failing to prepare students for how AI is actually used now and the future possibilities

The solution? It’s not about choosing one over the other, but rather finding a way to align both in our schools, because that is how we guide students toward success.

What Alignment Looks Like in Practice

Across the districts I support, I see the most progress when schools intentionally connect AI in education with AI education. Schools making progress have:

Clear Expectations for Use: Students and educators understand when and how AI can be used, and what responsible use looks like.

Instruction That Builds Understanding: Students are not just using AI. They are learning how it works, the importance of questioning it, and how to evaluate its outputs.

Professional Learning for Educators: Teachers have the time, support, and guidance to meaningfully integrate AI into instruction. And this is consistent and ongoing throughout the year.

Policy That Reflects Practice: Policies are designed with classroom realities in mind and focus on guidance rather than restriction. Schools have committees or task forces to be better informed and able to adjust as needed.

Ongoing Conversations: Schools engage students, educators, and families in discussions about AI, digital wellness, and responsible technology use.

AI Literacy Is Workforce Literacy

The students graduating now will enter a workforce shaped by automation, intelligent systems, and rapidly evolving expectations regarding their skill sets.

According to global workforce trends and the World Economic Forum’s Top 10 Skills for 2030, technological literacy, AI understanding, and cybersecurity awareness are among the most in-demand skills for the coming decade.

And when it comes to AI literacy, we must remember that it is not just about technical knowledge. It is about:

critical thinking
ethical decision-making
information evaluation
adaptability
communication

These are the essential, in-demand skills that must be intentionally taught in our classrooms through a variety of learning opportunities and supports.

We Share Responsibility

Preparing students for an AI-shaped future requires collaboration between:

Educators
School leaders
Policymakers
Families
Communities

Each group plays a role in preparing students and guiding them toward future success.

Legislators can create frameworks that support responsible implementation and that focus on protecting students.

Educators can design learning experiences that build understanding and confidence and model appropriate and safe use of AI for students in their classrooms.

School leaders can align systems, expectations, and communication.

When everyone is involved in navigating the AI space together, it creates coherence.

Artificial intelligence is changing education. It is moving fast, however, when it comes to our work, the most successful systems are not those that move the fastest. Success comes with clarity. Clarity about expectations. Clarity about purpose. Clarity about how technology supports learning rather than replacing it.

Across the country, I have seen schools and districts working to build that clarity and consistency. They are asking questions and working together to find answers as a start. They are not seeking perfection, just ongoing progress.

Preparing students for the future

We cannot prepare students for the future by focusing only on the tools they use today. We must also prepare them to understand the systems shaping their world.

And the decisions we make now, at both the classroom and policy level, will determine whether students are ready not just to use technology, but to think critically, act responsibly, and lead in a world where artificial intelligence is part of everyday life.

That is the work ahead, and it is definitely the work worth doing.

AI in education matters, but AI education matters just as much. Think about your school and district. Are these distinctions clear? Stay tuned for part II in the series, with actionable strategies, and contact me to provide training for your school.

Subscribe to my ThriveinEDU newsletter to stay informed.

If Your Organization Is Beginning This Work

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 via bit.ly/thrivineduPD for my training and speaking services.

Image generated by Canva AI that shows neural network and AI in the center.

Leading Forward in AI, Part VII: Building Professional Learning Systems That Last

July 7, 2026July 3, 2026Dr. Rachelle Dené Poth Leave a comment

How do we build sustainable professional learning systems for educators?

In the first six 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. Over the course of my Leading Forward Series, I’ve 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.

We’ve explored:

curiosity over fear
educator readiness
leadership and systems
measuring what matters
trust as the foundation
designing for thinking
true partnerships

These conversations led to a bigger question, which is how do we build systems that last? Because the goal is not to have one answer and end the conversations, it is to prepare schools to adapt continuously to be ready to meet the changing educational landscape.

After reviewing my notes, reflecting on conversations, and gathering insights from surveys, I noticed some key takeaways.

One-time Training Is Not a Strategy

One of the most common concerns expressed was that professional development is often seen as a one-time event. Sometimes it is a workshop, maybe a keynote, or a specific training session focused on a new platform or a mandate. These are all valuable learning experiences, but they are not enough, especially with the rapidly changing technologies we are seeing in education and the world.

Artificial intelligence is evolving so fast, new tools are emerging constantly, and expectations are frequently changing or, at times, may be inconsistent. A single session is not enough to prepare educators to adapt to ongoing changes. Schools need sustainable systems for learning.

What Sustainable Professional Learning Looks Like

In the districts I support, I have noticed several common characteristics that have positively impacted the educators and ultimately students and families.

1. Learning is ongoing, not just an event.

It is embedded in the school year. Educators have regular opportunities to explore new tools, reflect on practice, share strategies, and learn from one another. It should also be a time for educators to explore new ideas in the classroom and partner with students to gather additional feedback and to learn together.

2. Learning Is Collaborative

Powerful learning does not happen in isolation. It happens when educators work in teams, have opportunities to observe one another, take time to share successes and challenges, and build collective understanding. Collaboration like this leads to system-wide progress and better outcomes for educators and students.

Continue reading via my newsletter on LinkedIn.

If Your Organization Is Beginning This Work and is Seeking Consistent Support, Contact me:

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 via bit.ly/thrivineduPD for my training and speaking services or reach out via email, Rdene915@gmail.com.