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proactive, not reactive

Reviewed June 2026

Students are already using AI, whether it's allowed or not. So the real question for a school isn't whether they use it, but whether anyone teaches them to use it well.

I believe that all organizing is science fiction — that we are shaping the future we long for and have not yet experienced.

adrienne maree brown, activist & author of Emergent Strategy

Channeling the spirit of Paulo Freire, we must ensure that students are able to understand and wield AI to navigate today's world, while simultaneously using it to make the world a better place. There is no doubt that young people are already using AI in school (whether it's banned or not) and nearly all facets of media and enterprise will incorporate AI in some way.

Merely prohibiting the use of tools does not address the crucial need for instructing students on how to responsibly and appropriately utilize these technologies. Again taking Wikipedia, for instance; it is often the initial online point of reference for most people. However, many lack guidance on when, how, and why to employ Wikipedia as opposed to other sources, especially since it is frequently barred as a valid citation. Because many have not been provided the necessary contextual information for the proper use of it, many people simply presume that academics are disconnected from reality and use Wikipedia unquestioningly. This practice persists, despite the very real risks associated with relying solely on it. The same proactive versus reactive line of thinking could be said for posting personal information on TikTok or critically evaluating the claims of an Instagram post.

two ways to respond

see it both ways: ban it, or teach it?

Real situations teachers run into. Flip the switch to see the same moment handled two ways: as a ban, and as a lesson.

what students take away

Therefore, our goal is to provide a list of ways to get started using AI in the classroom while not losing our humanity in the process. AI is not meant to replace people, but – like Desmos or Wikipedia – is a tool that expands our capabilities. If our students are to understand a future with AI, we need to see through the exaggerated hype and look past the doom-and-gloom to see these tools for what they are. We must be proactive in teaching students how and when to use AI while taking a critical lens to how it works and its potential pitfalls.

The choice was never whether students use these tools; they already do. It's whether we leave them to work it out alone or teach them to use it with judgment. A ban only looks like a decision. It moves the learning out of sight instead of doing away with it.

from banned to taught

try with students

Take a tool your students already use and practice the proactive move: instead of banning it, work out how you would teach it.

  1. list what's banned 5 min

    Ask the class which tools, sites, or apps are banned or frowned on at school: phones, Wikipedia, ChatGPT, TikTok, YouTube, whatever comes up. Write them on the board.

  2. does the ban work? 5 min

    Pick one. Ask honestly, by a show of hands: do students still use it anyway? Then ask what they never get taught about it, because the official answer is just "no."

  3. write the proactive version 8 min

    In small groups, take one banned tool and draft the lesson instead of the ban: when is it genuinely useful, when is it the wrong tool, and how do you use it well? Three or four bullet points is plenty.

  4. write your AI norms optional · AI use

    If you use AI in class, build the norms together instead of handing down one rule. Run through a few different ways AI might get used and decide where each one should land:

    • brainstorming or getting unstuck
    • drafting or rewriting your own work
    • explaining a hard idea or checking your understanding
    • making the final thing you turn in
    • studying: summaries, flashcards, practice questions

    Decide each one on two levels: the class policy (what's fair game for everyone, and how you note when you used it) and your own personal policy (where it actually helps your learning, and where it quietly does the work for you).

  5. share and compare 4 min

    Groups read out their rules. As a class, talk about which version is more honest about how students already live, and which one actually leaves them better at using the tool. Have a short discussion about where the line between helping and shortcutting should sit.

A ban only looks like a decision; it moves the learning out of sight. For where this thinking comes from, read the essay the handbook grows from, Using AI Without Losing Ourselves.

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