My “How Might We” question became “How might we redesign writing and discussion questions so that both the process and assessment celebrate student growth, building confidence in their original thinking?”
After the 2nd face to face, the thinking behind my question had really progressed from just deterring the use of AI for assessments to a broader consideration for the encouragement of original thinking. My current high school students heavily rely on AI to support the completion of their work because it is faster than taking the time to think and write on their own. However, after some conversations and thought, the question grew to encompass the thought of what teachers can do to encourage and develop critical thinking. Instead of forcing or micro-managing students in their AI use, it is more important to consider what tactics and assessments can promote student growth and celebrate their originality.
As of now, my Action Plan is still in the process of being configured, but there are a few steps that I would hope to accomplish between now and June. On assessments, I would hope to include more in-class activities that promote conversation between students rather than having a focus on screens. With the majority of assessments being completed in class, there is the benefit of interaction to draw conclusions and ask or answer questions with a minimal need for AI, while any homework to be completed would be of a formative nature. Although the probability of providing more work time in class may be low due to the already busy curriculum, it might also prove to allow teachers to have a better understanding of their students as learners, where improvements such as better study habits might be identified and modelled for students.
@joycema
Joyce, your How Might We question has evolved in a meaningful way, shifting from deterring AI use to celebrating and fostering original thinking—a much more sustainable and empowering approach for students. Rather than focusing on restriction, you are reimagining assessment and learning experiences to help students engage deeply and build confidence in their ideas.
Here are some next steps and considerations that might help refine your Action Plan:
1. Structuring In-Class Discussions to Strengthen Critical Thinking
• Use structured dialogue models like Socratic Seminars or Harkness Discussions, where students build on each other’s thinking.
• Assign roles (devil’s advocate, evidence seeker, summarizer) to encourage deeper analysis.
• Consider collaborative writing exercises where students co-develop arguments before writing independently.
💡 Resource: Harkness Discussion Guide – https://www.edutopia.org/article/using-harkness-discussion-students
2. Designing Assessments That Prioritize Thought Over Speed
• Consider process-based assessments where students submit multiple drafts, tracking their thinking evolution.
• Use thinking routines like “Claim, Evidence, Reasoning” to help students construct and defend their ideas.
• Integrate AI-reflection checkpoints, where students analyze their AI use (e.g., What did AI add? What do you need to revise on your own?).
💡 Resource: Thinking Routines from Project Zero – https://pz.harvard.edu/thinking-routines
3. Encouraging Confidence in Student Voice & Originality
• Start low-stakes, quick writing activities (one-minute essays, thinking journals) where students practice unfiltered, authentic expression.
• Try AI-resistant prompts, such as:
• “Defend an unpopular opinion you hold.”
• “Write about a moment that changed your perspective and why.”
• “What would AI get wrong about this topic?”
• Celebrate student writing publicly—perhaps through class anthologies, blog posts, or spoken-word showcases.
💡 Resource: Authentic Writing Opportunities in High School – https://www.ncte.org/blog/2022/10/authentic-writing-opportunities-in-high-school/
4. Balancing AI & Student Thinking Without Over-Policing
Instead of eliminating AI use, you could explore teaching metacognition around AI—helping students recognize where it aids or hinders thinking. Consider:
• AI vs. Human Thinking exercises: Have students compare their own writing to AI-generated responses and reflect on differences.
• Revising with Purpose: Ask students to revise AI-generated ideas into more personal, thoughtful arguments.
💡 Resource: Stanford’s Approach to Teaching AI Literacy – https://hai.stanford.edu/news/teaching-ai-literacy
Your next step might be to pilot one of these approaches in class and collect student feedback on how it impacts their confidence in their own ideas. Looking forward to hearing how your Action Plan develops at the 3rd Face-to-Face session this Friday at Montcrest, where we will continue to refine and iterate on our ideas!
I love how you have evolved your question from trying to prohibit the use of AI to celebrating creativity. This takes the emphasis from what students can’t do and instead places a spotlight on what students can do. I feel this direction is motivational. Students are encouraged to create, maybe AI will be part of it and maybe not. I feel that this positive lens will be a great factor in the success for you engaged students.
I love the way your HMW question articulates clear goals and purpose for writing and discussion questions.
If you shared your question with students, I wonder what ideas they might have…