# data[].attributes.headline
This article gives ideas about engaging ways to support deeper learning for students.

# data[].attributes.subject
This article gives ideas about engaging ways to support deeper learning for students.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
When students engage multiple senses to learn-drawing or acting out a concept, for example-they're more likely to remember and develop a deeper understanding of the material, a large body of research shows.

It might seem like a scene from a wildlife documentary, but turning students loose to stride and hop around the classroom pretending to be lions, and then gazelles, is a powerful lesson on the differences between predators and prey. A growing number of studies reveal the neural underpinning of what researchers call "embodied learning" or "multimodal learning"-using your body to encode material more deeply by drawing, singing, or dancing, for example-and provide a window into how and why the approach works so well.

"When students learn through multiple senses, their brains create stronger, more integrated memories," explains Brian Mathias, a neuroscientist at the University of Aberdeen. In a comprehensive 2023 study co-authored with Katharina von Kriegstein, they demonstrate that information encoded via multiple routes-by putting pen to paper to sketch the parts of a flower, for example, in addition to labeling the diagram-establishes a richer web of connections, and taps into "the wealth of information that is available in more naturalistic settings, where learners have at their disposal an abundance of sights, sounds, odors, tastes, and proprioceptive information."

On the surface, it may seem like fun and games, but there's a lot happening under the hood-and the practice is highly effective. In a 2020 study, Mathias and his colleagues discovered that 8-year-old students learning a new language had 73 percent better recall if they used their hands and bodies to mimic the words-pretending to be a plane while learning the German word "flugzeug," for example. Meanwhile, a 2022 meta-analysis encompassing 183 studies concluded that pairing words with actions-bodily recreating the motion of the earth, moon, and sun when learning what an "eclipse" is, for example-is a "reliable and effective mnemonic tool" with an effect size of 1.23, well above the 0.8 threshold for a "large" impact. Educators should lean on the "multi" in multimodal: "As a rule of thumb, the more modalities implicated, the better memory will be," the researchers conclude.

Here are a few, powerful multi-sensory strategies that integrate the material being learned with a corresponding physical activity, along with a look at the intricate cognitive mechanisms at play.

A Hands-on Approach to Learning Fractions

A simple tweak to a basketball court helps kids grasp the relationship between parts and wholes.

Tapping Into the Power of Sketchnotes and Concept Maps

Abstract mental models are reinforced-and can stand the test of time-when they are doubly encoded through visual and tactile sensory networks.

Finding Your Voice

You can power-up critical, cross-disciplinary skills like reading by producing speech as you read along visually.

Learning ABCs With Whole-Body Movement

The more of the body used to reinforce the material, the deeper the learning.

Why Writing Beats Typing

Brain scans reveal that the fine-motor skills involved in writing by hand light up parts of the brain associated with deeper learning.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Power of Multimodal Learning (in 5 Charts)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
When students engage multiple senses to learn-drawing or acting out a concept, for example-they're more likely to remember and develop a deeper understanding of the material, a large body of research shows.

# data[].attributes.body
The routine use of cold call establishes the students' mental habit – the norm – that when a question is asked, they need to listen, engage and think.

# data[].attributes.headline
Great resource on strategies to strengthen your PBL practices and more

# data[].attributes.subject
Great resource on strategies to strengthen your PBL practices and more

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
https://openingpaths.org - Creating Solutions to Empower Learners

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Collaboration | Science of Collaboration | First Action Steps | Application Strategies

Communication for Collaboration | Feedback | Reading for Understanding | Deeper Thinking & Reflection

There are many strategies that rely on effective use of Collaboration skills. Defining and building a framework for Collaboration, and implementing a guide and a Coaching Chart all create a context for students to work with others that intentionally teach, coach, and assess Collaboration.

Below is a list of various strategies and tools that when used within this intentional context, the learning experiences can be deeper and more productive. Students are no longer going through the motions of an activity. They are empowered to monitor and support the success of the learning experiences.

Explore these curated strategies and resources by category, using the links below.
Additional Resources

School Reform Initiative
Provides a wide range of protocols that can be adapted for use in classrooms, staff meetings, professional learning communities, and staff development topics. Review this list.

Artful Thinking
Uses visuals to support thinking processes. There are many non-traditional approaches to making sense and building understanding from the list.

Visible Thinking
Project Zero has a wealth of ideas and strategies to support reflection and thinking, such ascollaboration.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Collaboration | Science of Collaboration | First Action Steps | Application Strategies Communication for Collaboration | Feedback | Reading for Understanding | Deeper Thinking & Reflection There are many strategies that rely on effective use of Collaboration skills.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Three Ways You May Be Cognitively Overloading Your Students | Cult of Pedagogy

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
When we make certain choices, often without even realizing it, we can turn a teaching moment from one that should be clear into one that’s confusing.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Catch them Learning: A Pathway to Academic Integrity in the Age of AI | Cult of Pedagogy

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Clear, practical strategies for helping students use AI responsibly and maintain academic integrity.

# data[].attributes.body
Some might feel obvious, others may be new, but there are links to studies that are interesting and remind us of the why behind techniques.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Learning how to manage a classroom full of kids takes time and patience.

Novice teachers, understandably, "tend to focus on behavioral management (e.g., controlling student behavior and establishing rules)," while expert teachers have developed a "more comprehensive understanding of classroom management and its complexity," researchers explain in a 2021 study. By the time they've reached the middle of their teaching careers, educators tend to think about discipline holistically-how it's intimately connected to the clarity of their lessons, the effects of peer dynamics, or even the organization of their physical classroom spaces.

Misbehavior in the classroom, meanwhile, is not always what it seems. As students navigate the social terrain of the classroom, it's normal to expect occasional moments of defiance, says Stephanie Jones, a developmental psychologist at Harvard. Acting out is "not always a sign of intentional disregard or disrespect of others or of the rules" and can be a healthy part of a child's social and emotional development as they test boundaries, learn what consequences are, and assert their independence.

There's no silver bullet to keeping students on track and disruptions at bay-a 2021 study notes that being an effective teacher "requires the adaptive application of a repertoire of different classroom management strategies." Here are eight portable, easy-to-deploy strategies that can make a big impact as you attempt to keep the class focused on the vital academic work at hand.

1. 'The Look'

"Sometimes situations don't warrant words-mere eye contact or going to stand next to where a student is seated will do," writes Rebecca Alber, a teacher trainer at UCLA's Graduate School of Education. "Nonverbal classroom management tactics like these help keep everyone's dignity intact in the room." It's important to use "the look"-an arched eyebrow or a stern glare directed at misbehavior-moderately, both to maximize its effectiveness and limit its (modest) potential to stigmatize students if overused, says Alber.

Drawing on Jacob Kounin's concept of "overlapping," the researchers in a 2025 study suggest that experienced teachers often choose to respond quickly and unobtrusively, "without interrupting the intellectual flow of the instruction." By shooting a quick look, moving closer to the problem area, or deftly inserting the student's name into the lesson-"We're focused on the slope of this line, right, John?"-the teacher "conveys several messages the student and the classmates immediately understand (e.g., 'I saw that,' 'Stop it,' 'First warning') while still carrying on with instruction."

It can feel awkward, but younger teachers can practice techniques like "the look" at home and then try them out in the classroom before refining their techniques. Other educators we've interviewed discuss their preferred nonverbal cues directly with students, describing the intended effect of hand signals and glances to model expected behaviors.

2. Tone of Voice

What may sound authoritative to you may come off as authoritarian to your students.

In a 2022 study, researchers studied how elementary students reacted to typical classroom instructions-"It's time to start the lesson" or "Listen carefully," for example-delivered in tones ranging from demanding to neutral to supportive. While neutral and positive tones led to a warmer, more supportive classroom culture, stricter tones undermined trust and discouraged kids when it came time "to share secrets with their teachers," who subsequently missed out on important information related to bullying, hardships, and even the work students were proudest of.

Finding your voice will take time and practice, but "developing a calm, neutral, assertive voice is part of the teacher's own self-regulation," which in turn allows students to be "self-regulated and secure in the knowledge that the teacher will be receptive to them, but also in control," explains Linda Darling-Hammond, former professor at Stanford and current president of the Learning Policy Institute.

At Van Ness Elementary School, teachers actively work on tone of voice and then model self-regulation through its strategic use. "If we're talking in a voice that is too aggressive, we might accidentally be using fear to manipulate children's behavior," says Cynthia Robinson-Rivers. "Instead of helping them to gain that intrinsic motivation to do the right thing for the right reasons."

3. Getting to Clarity

Preparing a well-thought-out lesson with very clear instructions doesn't just grease the academic wheels, it also helps to minimize student disruptions. In a 2018 study, researchers discovered that 15 percent of misbehavior was attributed to instructional factors such as "an instructor's failure to provide clear expectations or command of the classroom."

Christopher Pagan, a high school physics teacher, regularly surveys his students to gain a clearer sense of the clarity of his lessons. "The purpose of the survey is to give my students a voice to tell me what changes I can make and what practices I can implement to help them perform better in class," he says. The survey "has nothing to do with content. There are no questions about physics." A 2019 study backs his approach, revealing that highly effective teachers audit their materials regularly "to identify what was working or not." For academic work that involves complex instructions, ask students to talk you through what they think the steps are, and take notes on the whiteboard while offering clarifications.

4. Greeting Students at the Door

Spending a few moments at the beginning of class welcoming students-by greeting them as they enter the class or scheduling a morning meeting, for example-not only sets a positive tone, but also can boost engagement and reduce disruptive behavior. In a 2018 study (replicated with older students in another 2018 study), positive greetings at the door increased academic engagement by 20 percentage points while decreasing disruptive behavior by 9 percentage points, effectively adding "an additional hour of engagement over the course of a five-hour instructional day," according to the researchers.

More recently, researchers in a 2024 study explain that low-intensity classroom management strategies such as positive greetings at the door are effective at "defusing problems rather than exacerbating them" and allow students to see teachers less as arbiters of discipline and more as mentors and guides. When students feel welcome in the classroom, they're more likely to put genuine effort into their learning, the research shows.

5. Keeping Distractions In Check

In the battle for student attention, you're not going to beat the lure of electronic devices and whirring, flashing fidget toys. In a 2020 study, students who were seated by a classmate browsing the internet on a laptop scored 9 percentage points lower on retention tests than their distraction-free peers. Even those who couldn't glimpse the laptop screen were distracted, suggesting that they picked up on the subtle cues-a stifled chuckle or slouched posture-that signaled a lack of academic focus, the researchers found.

At the beginning of class, math teacher Rebecka Peterson asks her students to deposit their devices in a cell phone holder. "Don't make phones a big deal; it's just another procedure," she writes. If keeping devices out of reach isn't an option, you can create firm boundaries: "I have a doorbell in my classroom... and students know it means to put phones away and take AirPods out of their ears," writes educator Sarah Said.

Finally, be wary of fidgets that make noise, light up, or can be thrown. "There is not sufficient support for the implementation of fidget toys in the classroom," researchers explain in a 2023 study. That's because students who fiddle with fidget spinners, poppers, and balls-the most distracting of the bunch-tend to score significantly worse on academic tests and often affect the performance of nearby students, a 2019 study reveals.

6. Warming Up Your Cold calls

Many students are wary of participating in class discussions, often because they're shy, afraid to be seen as incompetent, or simply not interested in the topic. It's not uncommon to ask a question and hear crickets in response. Yet not all teachers approach cold calling the same way-a 2022 study found that the practice generally fell into one of two categories: "Encouraging and engaging on the one hand" or "confrontational and intimidating" on the other.

If you want to keep class participation on track, try warming up your cold calls. In the study, middle school teachers who couched their cold calls in an inviting, respectful manner-using language like "I'd like to hear some ideas," for example-were able to assuage their students' fears and anxieties about being put on the spot, leading to more fruitful conversations in which students felt "safe to take risks."

Over time, well-executed cold calling can decrease anxiety levels and increase class participation, since "once a student has participated a few times, it becomes easier to participate," according to a 2013 study. In fact, when teachers regularly integrate cold calling, participation increases from about 50 percent to slightly above 90 percent, the researchers found, and the approach can be especially helpful for typically quieter students, such as girls, according to a 2019 study.

7. Break Time!

A short break after a long lesson can keep students more engaged throughout the day, while reducing classroom disruptions. Brain breaks aren't a fad-they're backed by science and trusted by experienced teachers. A 2024 study, for example, found that 91 percent of K-2 teachers rely on intermittent breaks to refresh student attention spans and improve information processing.

In a 2021 study, scientists used brain imaging to analyze cognitive activity after elementary students engaged in short brain breaks-tossing balls, pretending to be cars and zooming around the classroom, or playing Simon Says, for example. They discovered that four-to-six-minute brain breaks improved "children's neural activity efficiency," leading to "significantly higher odds of being observed on-task" during later instructional periods.

Even older students benefit from brain breaks. In a 2020 study, a brief exercise break reduced off-task behaviors among high school students-gazing off, staring into space, or putting their head down on the desk, for example-by nearly half, making it "a feasible and practical approach" for older adolescents.

8. Let the Small Stuff Go

Trying to catch and fix every minor disruption might seem like a good classroom approach, but it often leads to more misbehavior in the long run. A 2016 study shows that calling students out for minor issues like daydreaming or brief chatter can erode their feelings of connection to the classroom, leading to even more misbehavior down the road. For some students, this negative attention can actually lead to a "negative reinforcement pattern" that "actually amplifies students' inappropriate behavior" over the long haul.

While a stern approach to classroom management may be necessary to combat severe or repeated infractions, it's better to start small and focus on de-escalating or defusing the situation.

When teachers react defensively to student behaviors, they "may become locked in a power struggle or an ineffective pattern of communication," writes special education teacher Nina Parrish. Remain calm and avoid using statements that begin with "You"-for example, "You never listen and follow directions. Don't get out of your seat again!"-which typically triggers defiant behavior. Instead, rephrase it to an "I statement": "I would like for all of my students to sit down, listen, and follow directions so that they know what to do next."

When kids inevitably push your buttons, take things slowly and approach each situation with calm and compassion. Educator Emily Terwilliger suggests playing out tense moments ahead of time: "Think through scenarios that might happen in your classroom and how you want to respond before the start of the year," she writes. "It will make those first redirects and interventions less intimidating."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
8 Small But Impactful Classroom Management Shifts

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
How using subtle gestures, spatial awareness, and tone of voice can nudge your classroom toward smoother operations.

# data[].attributes.headline
This is good. Good project. Good teacher. Good book. Good documentary 

# data[].attributes.subject
This is good. Good project. Good teacher. Good book. Good documentary 

# data[].attributes.body
I had the chance to hear Mr. Hunter speak at a viewing of the doc 10 ish years ago. Even if already familiar with The World Peace Game, the insight and the intention that Hunter brings and has brought to this curated student experience is an inspiring.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
World Peace and other 4th-Grade Achievements Extended Trailer

# data[].attributes.body
I read an interesting article in the New York Times about AI and its potential impacts. As educators, this is an important and polarizing topic. More research and evidence is needed before complete remodeling of the educational landscape is to take place. How will critical thinking (the doing that helps the brain develop understanding) be affected by a powerful tool doing work that the human developing brain needs to do?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Opinion | A.I. Will Destroy Critical Thinking in K-12

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The secretary of education said it would be a “wonderful thing.” Lots of parents disagree.

# data[].attributes.headline
The Daily Podcast: "Have We Been Thinking about ADHD All Wrong?"

# data[].attributes.subject
The Daily Podcast: "Have We Been Thinking about ADHD All Wrong?"

# data[].attributes.body
Worth a listen, about how ADHD diagnoses and prescriptions have risen, and a discussion of how ADHD is (or maybe should be) identified and treated.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.authors[].name
By Rachel Abrams, Paul Tough, Alex Stern, Nina Feldman, Rikki Novetsky, Brendan Klinkenberg, Michael Benoist, Liz O. Baylen, Marion Lozano, Sophia Lanman, Rowan Niemisto, Elisheba Ittoop, Dan Powell and Chris Wood

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Have We Been Thinking About A.D.H.D. All Wrong?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
As diagnoses of the condition in the U.S. have climbed steadily, some longtime researchers are raising fundamental questions.

# data[].attributes.headline
Every Tech Tool In The Classroom Should Be Ruthlessly Evaluated (Gift Link)

# data[].attributes.subject
Every Tech Tool In The Classroom Should Be Ruthlessly Evaluated (Gift Link)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Opinion | Every Tech Tool in the Classroom Should Be Ruthlessly Evaluated (Published 2024)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Screens in K-12 schools need ‘a hard reset.’

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Psychologist David Yeager thinks the conventional wisdom for how to motivate young people is all wrong. His model for helping kids cope with stress is required reading at Steve's new high school.

SOURCES:
David Yeager, professor of psychology at the University of Texas at Austin.

RESOURCES:

10 to 25: The Science of Motivating Young People: A Groundbreaking Approach to Leading the Next Generation―And Making Your Own Life Easier, by David Yeager (2024).

"A synergistic mindsets intervention protects adolescents from stress," by David Yeager, Christopher Bryan, James Gross, Jared Murray, Danielle Krettek Cobb, Pedro Santos, Hannah Gravelding, Meghann Johnson, and Jeremy Jamieson (Nature, 2022).

"Harnessing adolescent values to motivate healthier eating," by Christopher Bryan, David Yeager, Cintia Hinojosa, Aimee Chabot, Holly Bergen, Mari Kawamura, and Fred Steubing (Proceedings of the Natural Academy of Sciences, 2016).

"Breaking the Cycle of Mistrust: Wise Interventions to Provide Critical Feedback Across the Racial Divide," by David Yeager, Julio Garcia, Patti Brzustoski, William Hessert, Valeria Purdie-Vaughns, Nancy Apfel, Allison Master, and Matthew Williams (Journal of Experimental Psychology, 2014).

"The Influence of the National truth Campaign on Smoking Initiation," by Matthew Farrelly, James Nonnemaker, Kevin Davis, Altijani Hussin (American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 2009).

"Tobacco is Whacko Commercial," (2002).

"Florida Tobacco Pilot Program: Thanking Customers," (2000).

"Think, Don't Smoke PSA Commercial," (1999).

"The Mentor's Dilemma: Providing Critical Feedback Across the Racial Divide," by Geoffrey Cohen, Claude Steele, and Lee Ross (Personal and Social Psychology Bulletin, 1999).

EXTRAS:
"The Suit, Savile Row, and Smartly Dressed Men," by The Rest is History (2024).

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Psychologist David Yeager thinks the conventional wisdom for how to motivate young people is all wrong. His model for helping kids cope with stress is required

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Kross agrees. "Even among neuroscientists, there are probably eight different definitions of executive function," he notes. "When thinking about kids in school, moving up one level to the question of self-control-which I define broadly as a person's ability to align their thoughts, feelings, or behaviors with their goals-ends up being a lot more productive."

We took some of their best insights, and pored over recent research, to find eight powerful, evidence-based strategies.

Talking Ourselves Into It

Consider these strategies:

Have kids write about it.

Learning-Do It On Purpose

To link learning and purpose, try these approaches:

Ask about interests and passions.

Pass the torch to the kids.

Make time for (rigorous) projects.

Plan to Practice, Practice to Plan

Keep these tactics top of mind:

Scaffold scheduling, deadlines, and study habits.

Introduce your tech tools.

Introducing a calendar once or twice during the year is not the same as integrating one into classroom routines, and a great gulf lies between assigning an essay that connects learning and purpose, and asking students to make those connections weekly. To get teens to start "aligning goals with behaviors," in Kross' words, we need to find ways to get them to practice, fail, and practice again.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
8 Ways to Bolster Executive Function in Teens and Tweens

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Middle and high school students suddenly face more complex schedules, tougher academic work, and an expanding network of friends. How can we help them manage it all?

# data[].attributes.headline
Tips for addressing suspected AI use with students 

# data[].attributes.subject
Tips for addressing suspected AI use with students 

# data[].attributes.body
From a blog I sometimes look at about teaching writing. Tips for starting convos with students when you suspect AI wrote the essay.

https://movingwriters.org/2025/06/23/when-ai-wrote-the-essay-four-strategies-for-addressing-ai-cheating-with-students/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
By this time, we've all had it happen. Despite our best efforts, classtime commitment, supervision, and offers of feedback, a student turns in a piece that sounds so remarkably different than the voice we hear in class or their informal writing that one thing is clear: the student has turned in work that is entirely manufactured by artificial intelligence.

This is problematic on so many levels. Most importantly, as Dr. Tony Frontier puts it, when we spot AI cheating, a student has used "a tool or resource to misrepresent [their] knowledge and skill," ultimately disrupting learning. And extra galling, this creates a burden of proof for teachers, as "the accuser needs to support a claim about cheating with evidence that cheating occurred.

These situations can yank at our emotions, especially if we have seen the student squander class time or opportunities for feedback and opt for the just-before-deadline shortcut, thinking we wouldn't even clock it. We feel annoyed, disrespected, and maybe even helpless, given the unreliability of AI-checker tools.

So what can we say when this happens? Consider these important related questions:

How can we draw out a student, get them talking about the "why" behind their actions?

How can we convey the cumulative effects that unchecked decisions like this will have not just on a single assignment, but on their entire education?

How can we help them to understand the value of their own voice?

Here are four suggestions that I have found helpful in initiating conversations that not only draw out a confession, but also provoke conversations about student habits, skills, and perceptions that help both of us.
1. "Can you come back at (lunch/study hall/before class tomorrow) to talk about how you went about writing this? I'd like to hear more about your process."
There is a touch of Hercule Poirot baked into this one. It leaves the student wondering what exactly I know or want to talk about. It communicates that I care about the writing process, and that I have registered something that needs improvement in what they considered a final copy.

It also opens doors not just for conversation about what went wrong, but for demonstration of techniques they might use for inviting AI into their writing process in productive rather than reductive or destructive ways, how it can push them to think rather than replace their thinking.

Many schools are adding some sort of flex time into their daily schedule for intervention and enrichment - at my school it is an hourlong period called "Lunch and Learn" - which gives students and teachers more time for conversations about academic work away from the prying ears of classmates at neighboring desks. This time is helpful as we navigate use of artificial intelligence tools in the classroom.

2. "I don't really like this. It isn't very good because it just doesn't sound like you, and I like hearing from you. Can you try drafting this again? I need to hear your voice in your writing."

This statement, followed by a request, never makes an accusation. Rather, it clearly states the truth. Their piece is unpalatable to me as a reader (and as their teacher) because it sounds phony.

Brene Brown is well-known for the straightforward line, "Clear is kind." When I state clearly that I do not really like their finished piece, students often admit that they don't really like it either, they know it doesn't sound like them, and that AI generated the work.

Then conversation can turn to what I like about their voice, imperfect as it is, and why their voice matters in their writing. I've started using an allusion to The Little Mermaid in these conversations: "Don't be an Ariel and give up your voice to the sea witch!"
3. "There is some vocabulary in this piece I would like to talk to you about. I would like to hear more about your reasons for choosing the words you chose to express your ideas, like in this part here . . ."
This communicates to students that I am a teacher who reads their entire essays rather than glossing over them. When a student has used AI to write an essay, they are unable to explain their diction and syntax. But not all is lost.

When students feel that AI creates writing that "sounds good" but that we know sounds inauthentic and soulless, it opens an opportunity to ask which words and phrases appeal to them in the AI draft and why. They can learn more about those words and incorporate these snatches of language in their own work more authentically when they draft the piece a second time. In my new book, Artful AI in Writing Instruction, I incorporate this idea as one of the lesson plans in Chapter 4, "Improving Syntax and Diction With AI."

We can help students use AI's strength - the quick generation of words - to expand their own capacity for interesting diction and syntax, if we slow them down enough to study and think about the words and then apply them artfully.
4. "Tell me about what you learned through the process of writing this piece. Explain which ideas you feel most excited about."
This pair of sentences reminds students that writing helps us to learn more about our topic and helps us to feel more excited about it too. When we outsource thinking, there are intellectual costs, according to one recent study from MIT. (We should note here that this is a small study, still awaiting peer review, and research studies on the obvious and hidden costs of AI usage are ongoing). This study showed that the "brain-only" group, composing essays without any AI assistance, "claimed full ownership of their texts almost unanimously" while the "LLM Group presented a fragmented and conflicted sense of authorship." In other words, overdependence on AI can steal a writer's sense of agency.

When we open a conversation by asking what students learned and were most excited about, we convey that we expect writerly agency and authorship, and the pride it fosters. Meanwhile, related competencies like emotional intelligence and empathy are increasing in value in workplaces outside of school as skills AI is not replacing. When we remove the emotive aspect of writing by replacing ourselves, when we feel excited about nothing we want to say, we allow a fundamental aspect of what it means to be human to atrophy.

In the classroom, let's not underestimate the power of having deeper conversations about what it means to learn and to feel, to be human. They are conversations we should have been having all along, and they are extra important now. These two lines can lead us into deeper conversation about why we write in the first place.
The Good News
There are some incredible things we can help kids to know and do using artificial intelligence as part of their writing process. My new book examines some of those. But like cell phones and social media, using this technology requires restraint, and students do not learn that without adults to guide them and explain the reasons behind the rules.

These four lines help us get to the crux of the matter when things go wrong-valuing student voice, listening to student perspectives, and articulating the deeper purposes of the writing we ask students to do-in hopes that the next time, things go right.
My new book, Artful AI in Writing Instruction: A Human Centered Approach to Using Artificial Intelligence in Grades 6-12 is now available from Corwin Press or on Amazon. My earlier book, Poetry Pauses: Teaching with Poems to Elevate Student Writing in All Genres At Moving Writers, we love sharing our materials with you, and we work hard to ensure we are posting high-quality work that is both innovative and practical. Please help us continue to make this possible by refraining from selling our intellectual property or presenting it as your own. Thanks! is also available from Corwin Press or on Amazon. Tell me in the comments if you are already using ideas from either book, or how you plan to in the coming school year! You can connect with me on Bluesky or Instagram @theVogelman, on LinkedIn, or at my website www.brettvogelsinger.com

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
When AI Wrote the Essay: Four Strategies for Addressing AI Cheating with Students

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
What can we say to students when they turn in writing that was clearly manufactured by AI?

# data[].attributes.headline
Is Technology Really Ruining Teens' Lives? 

# data[].attributes.subject
Is Technology Really Ruining Teens' Lives? 

# data[].attributes.headline
Teachers Have Become AI Super-Users (The Atlantic)

# data[].attributes.subject
Teachers Have Become AI Super-Users (The Atlantic)

# data[].attributes.body
About how AI has now existed long enough that a HS student could have been using it for all four years, and about how many teachers are using AI, and how.