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- PinnedNewsEdSurge15 Jul 2026
How My School Used Common Sense and Collaboration to Confront AI
This news article describes how an Indigenous school's instructional technology coordinator helped teachers confront the challenge of AI-generated student writing through collaboration and common sense. They addressed the phenomenon of 'unproductive success' where students use AI to complete assignments without learning. The piece highlights the need for pedagogical shifts and teacher training in response to AI tools.
Original abstract
<p>We’ve all had some version of the nightmare: You’ve been inexplicably thrown back into high school, and now you’re standing in front of the class. You’re about to give a speech, but you can’t remember a word. The panic is exacerbated by the faces of students staring at you, some hiding snickers and others openly laughing. Everyone knows what’s going on but you.</p><p>I was reminded of this bad dream over the past few years. As my Indigenous school’s instructional technology coordinator, I have seen my office transform from a routine integration hub into a digital confessional. Colleagues and teachers who are trying to navigate destabilizing technology changes slip inside and close the door. Some are looking for practical technology triage, or just a safe space to vent their frustrations, only to recount a similar nightmare. </p><p>For these educators, the experience triggers a sharp wave of panic, a sudden realization that the pedagogical ground has shifted beneath their feet and they can no longer trust their own instincts or traditional technology guardrails. But what follows the panic is a deep, stinging embarrassment. </p><p>With open and hopeful hearts, these teachers publicly praised student writing, extolling the hard work and growth they believed the student had demonstrated, only to find themselves surrounded by the giggles of classmates who already knew the truth: the writing had been fully generated by an AI tool.</p><p>The students had technically succeeded while learning very little, a phenomenon Micah Miner describes as <em>unproductive success</em> in “<a href="https://minerclass.github.io/dissertationquestionsbeta/dissertation-sites/"><u>Beyond Secondary Orality</u></a>.” As a result, teachers and administrators are left trying to respond to tools and behaviors they don’t yet fully understand and have never been trained to address. </p><p>These individual instances of unproductive success were not isolated classroom frustrations; they were early s
- NewsEdSurge22 Jul 2026
We Must Stop Using AI to ‘Level-Down’ Our Students
This article argues that using AI to simplify texts for students, a practice known as text leveling, reduces the richness of literature and prevents students from engaging in effortful thinking. Instead, teachers should scaffold access to complex texts rather than dumbing them down. The author cautions against the temptation of AI shortcuts in education.
Original abstract
<p>No one would remember the line, “Keep being good and special, Ponyboy. Don’t change.” It just doesn’t hit the same as <a href="https://www.sehinton.com/"><u>S.E. Hinton’s</u></a> classic line, “Stay gold, Ponyboy, stay gold.” </p><p>Many English teachers, myself included, would consider it an atrocity to diminish this canonical line in literary history to such sterile and lifeless simplicity. Students deserve a better reading experience than that. Yet this is just what happens when teachers decide to level a text down to a student’s “instructional level” rather than scaffolding up their access to a complex text. </p><p>In my own district, just two years ago, educators raved about a new AI tool that helps teachers level text and encouraged the department to spend thousands of dollars on it. When I first heard about it, I admit, I was dazzled. The most time-consuming and work-intensive part of teaching for me has always been differentiating for the small percentage of kids who just don’t get it the first, second, or even third time you teach something. </p><p>This program was going to do it all for me, but the caveat was that it would also do all the thinking for the kids. When we keep kids from actually doing work that requires effortful thinking, they don’t learn anything at all. </p><p>While <a href="https://www.thereadingleague.org/compass/policymakers-and-state-education-agencies/"><u>many states</u></a> are passing legislation that focuses on the Science of Reading, moving districts away from programs that promote text leveling, many edtech companies are promoting this practice through their newest AI models. In our world of quick and snappy AI solutions, the leveled text shortcut is all too easy to take, but we should not give in to temptation. </p><h2>The History of Text Leveling</h2><p>The practice of teaching students at their “instructional” level has a long, storied history leading back to the founding colonies. If that sort of history interests you, I
- PaperLanguage Teaching Research22 Jul 2026
AI-Assisted Digital Storytelling in EFL Teacher Education: A Qualitative Case Study of Digital and Multimodal Literacy Development
Bessie Mitsikopoulou
A qualitative case study examined how EFL student teachers used generative AI tools (text-to-image, video editors, speech synthesis) to collaboratively design digital stories. Analysis of 69 reflective papers found that algorithmic limitations prompted students to become critical designers of meaning, with the human element remaining essential for narrative coherence.
Original abstract
This qualitative case study explores how English as a foreign language (EFL) student teachers engaged with generative artificial intelligence (GAI) in the collaborative design of digital stories within an advanced undergraduate course in 2024. During the semester, participants critically evaluated and applied various AI applications, such as text-to-image generators, automated video editors and speech synthesis tools, to support different stages of multimodal story production, including script drafting, visual design, audio narration and video editing. Drawing on a corpus of 69 reflective papers (approximately 75,000 words), the study examines how student teachers integrated visual, auditory and textual elements to achieve multimodal cohesion and narrative coherence. The analysis focuses on participants’ practices and strategies for aligning modes, maintaining consistency across media, and adapting to the constraints of AI-generated content. Findings indicate that the project’s primary pedagogical significance lay not in technical efficiency but in the productive ‘friction’ generated by algorithmic limitations, which led participants to move beyond passive tool use and become critical designers of meaning, demonstrating sophisticated multimodal awareness. While AI supported rapid content generation, the human element remained the narrative’s essential ‘emotional glue’, ensuring affective resonance and coherence. Overall, the study suggests that experiential engagement with AI-assisted composition may enable future educators to move beyond functional skills and develop into critically reflective architects of digital narratives.
- NewsEdSurge22 Jul 2026
What Does AI Cost When We Skip the Work?
This EdSurge podcast episode discusses the enduring value of a college degree and writing skills in the age of AI, featuring guests who argue that the benefits of these experiences—such as personal growth and deep learning—cannot be replicated by artificial intelligence.
Original abstract
<p>Every few months, another headline declares the college degree dead. <strong>This Week with EdSurge</strong> examines what still holds up when artificial intelligence moves fast, through two guests who are both defending something slow against something fast.</p><h2>A Four Year Degree in the Age of AI</h2><p><a href="https://www.edsurge.com/author/rita-finkel--9b5e61f9-c70d-441e-b13a-0c1a116d3d60"><u>Rita Finkel</u></a>, co-president of the Armory Foundation and director of the Armory College Prep program, argues that a college degree was never just about a technical skill. She says the data tells a different story than the headlines suggest, and that the value of a degree comes from something artificial intelligence cannot replicate.</p><h2>The Fourth Essay</h2><p><a href="https://www.edsurge.com/author/cobretti-williams"><u>Cobretti Williams</u></a> of the <strong>EdSurge</strong> Voices of Change Fellowship makes a similar case for writing. He talks about the beauty in imperfection, and how a fellow's fourth essay reads nothing like the first, growth that only comes from doing the work yourself.</p><p><a href="https://www.edsurge.com/podcasts"><u>Listen to the episode</u></a>.</p><h2>Stories Mentioned in This Episode</h2><p><a href="https://www.edsurge.com/news/2026-05-28-why-college-degrees-matter-in-the-age-of-ai"><u>Why College Degrees Matter in the Age of AI</u></a></p><p>by Rita Finkel</p><p><a href="https://www.edsurge.com/collections/edsurge-voices-of-change-writing-fellowship"><u>EdSurge Voices of Change Writing Fellowship</u></a></p><p>by EdSurge</p><p><strong>This Week with EdSurge</strong> is a weekly podcast from <strong>EdSurge</strong>. Subscribe to the <a href="https://www.edsurge.com/newsletters"><u>EdSurge newsletters</u></a> for more news and analysis on education and technology.</p><p> </p>
- PaperOpenAlex — TESOL research20 Jul 2026
Teaching with Technology, Leading with Values: ELT Teachers and the Future of AI in Education
Senem Zaimoğlu
This paper explores how ELT teachers can integrate AI in education while upholding humanistic values, emphasizing the need for value-driven leadership in technology adoption.
- NewsEdSurge16 Jul 2026
AI Meets ESL, and Teachers Are Intrigued
This news article discusses how artificial intelligence is being used to support bilingual and ESL learners by adapting materials, providing scaffolding in home languages, and enabling chatbots for student-parent dialogues. Teachers and researchers express optimism about AI's potential to close gaps in multilingual education, though they emphasize careful implementation.
Original abstract
<p>As he instructs bilingual learners in the humanities and social studies, Daniel Gomez sees big promise in artificial intelligence.</p><p>“Teachers in general cannot be knowledgeable about every single subject,” and certainly not in multiple languages, says Gomez, who teaches at the bilingual K-12 Ideal School in Tampa, Florida. AI can help close the gaps. “It will be able to pick up any topic students are interested in and handle the topic reasonably well.”</p><p>He isn’t alone in this assessment. Harvard researchers, for example, are actively exploring how AI-powered chatbots can support bilingual student learning and parent–child dialogues.</p><p>“There are lots of opportunities to use AI to adapt learning materials into different languages, which can expand access for bilingual learners,” says<a href="https://www.gse.harvard.edu/directory/faculty/ying-xu"> <u>Ying Xu</u></a>, an assistant professor of education at Harvard and one of the researchers involved in the work.</p><p>“Some projects are also exploring how AI can provide additional scaffolding to help children comprehend content in their home language,” she adds. “For example, a multilingual language model might keep the core learning content in English while offering explanations, prompts or supports in the child’s home language.”</p><p>Experts see great potential for AI to elevate bilingual education — if it’s done right.</p><h2><strong>Chatbots as Educational Aids</strong></h2><p>“Bilingual learners are obviously learning the language and culture of the classroom and the environment that they’re in,” says<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/krystlesalas/"> <u>Krystle Salas</u></a>, assistant director of special populations at Second Mile, which operates alternative education charter schools for at-risk students in several states.</p><p>“They don’t necessarily have access to the instructional materials or even just the conversations going on in the classroom — and certainly not at the level of their p
- NewsEdSurge15 Jul 2026
What Is the AI Cheating Panic Really About?
Microsoft's 2026 AI in Education Report shows high trial rates but low daily use, a drop in student optimism, and training gaps. Pat Yongpradit argues the cheating panic reflects longstanding temptation, not AI alone.
Original abstract
<p>Microsoft just released the third edition of its AI in Education Report, surveying more than 3,000 students, educators and leaders across six countries. Ira Apfel sat down with <a href="https://conference.iste.org/2026/program/search/detail_presenter.php?id=118445480">Pat Yongpradit</a>, general manager of global education and workforce policy at Microsoft, which sells AI tools including Copilot to schools, at <a href="https://conference.iste.org/2026/">ISTELive 26</a> in Orlando, to talk through what the data reveals about daily use, trust, training gaps, and where the policy backlash against AI in schools may be headed next.</p><h2>Pat Yongpradit on Adoption, Trust and Cheating</h2><p>Yongpradit walks through why daily AI use in schools still lags far behind overall adoption, even though nine in 10 educators, students and leaders report having tried the tools at least once. He addresses the recent drop in student optimism, framing it as a predictable dip on a familiar technology adoption curve rather than a warning sign.</p><p>The conversation also covers the wide gap between how much training school leaders believe their staff have received and what teachers and students say they have actually experienced. Yongpradit also shares his candid take on academic integrity, arguing that the panic around cheating has more to do with long-standing temptation than with any single tool.</p><p>Listen to the episode:</p><h2>Stories Mentioned in This Episode</h2><p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/posts/patyongpradit_2026-ai-in-education-report-ugcPost-7475673037405679616-_qCk/"><u>2026 AI in Education Report</u></a> by Microsoft</p><p><strong>This Week with EdSurge</strong> is a weekly podcast from <strong>EdSurge</strong>. Subscribe to <a href="https://www.edsurge.com/newsletters">EdSurge newsletters</a> for more news and analysis on education and technology.</p>
- NewsEdSurge14 Jul 2026
Anthropic Introduces Claude for Teachers
Anthropic launched Claude for Teachers, a free large language model for U.S. K-12 educators, featuring a library of teaching skills and connection to evidence-based curricula mapped to academic standards. The tool aims to ease lesson planning but faces skepticism from some educators regarding AI in classrooms.
Original abstract
<p>Artificial intelligence giant Anthropic today upped the ante in its quest to win the increasingly competitive market for AI in education by debuting <a href="https://claude.com/solutions/teachers"><u>Claude for Teachers</u></a>, a free large language model designed for U.S. K-12 educators.</p><p>Claude for Teachers includes a library of teaching skills and a “direct connection to evidence-based curricula, mapped to academic standards in all 50 states,” the company <a href="https://www.anthropic.com/news/claude-for-teachers">said</a> in a statement.</p><p>The move by Anthropic is the latest in a series of initiatives by tech giants including <a href="https://openai.com/index/chatgpt-for-teachers/">OpenAI’s ChatGPT for Teachers</a>, <a href="https://elevateforeducators.microsoft.com/">Microsoft Elevate for Educators</a>, and <a href="https://edu.google.com/learning-center/google-ai-educator-series/">Google AI Educator Series</a> to earn market share in an increasingly competitive AI and edtech space.</p><p>“We built Claude for Teachers to close the distance between what the evidence recommends and what a teacher’s week allows,” the Anthropic statement continued.</p><p>Although some educators are skeptical of AI usage in the classroom, particularly in early childhood education, Anthropic cited<a href="https://scale.stanford.edu/research-in-action/understanding-evidence-base-ai-k12-education"> <u>Stanford research</u></a> suggesting that AI tools, when designed and used correctly, can aid teachers and improve student learning.</p><p><strong>Privacy and Security Measures</strong></p><p>Claude for Teachers has access to academic standards in all 50 states, so it can create lessons that are “scaffolded and aligned to teaching standards.” The tool’s library of skills, co-developed with Learning Commons, was piloted with teachers in Prospect Schools in Brooklyn, New York, and other sites. Anthropic said it plans to evaluate Claude for Teachers in the Detroit Public School
- NewsEdSurge13 Jul 2026
Study: The National AI Policy Landscape in K–12 Education
A study of 122 US K-12 districts and schools found that most have reactive AI policies, with many restricting or prohibiting AI use and only a small fraction taking proactive approaches. The dominant posture is conditional permission and teacher-delegated decision-making, reflecting a field managing uncertainty rather than leading.
Original abstract
<p>In the span of just two years, artificial intelligence has moved from an emerging curiosity to an operational reality in American K–12 classrooms. Students are using it to draft essays and build interactive study apps. Teachers are using it to generate lesson plans, differentiate instruction and develop assignments. Administrators are using it to summarize data, create chatbots and organize teams. And most school districts are scrambling to update or create policies that reflect the ever-changing world of AI. But what does an AI policy landscape look like? How many districts have formal AI policies at all? What do those policies say? And what does the distribution of approaches reveal about the state of readiness, equity and strategic thinking in K–12 education? To answer those questions, we built the<a href="https://policy.aiandeducationstudio.com/"> <u>AI School Policy Database</u></a> by using a five-level AI policy continuum to code 122 districts and schools across 38 states and then analyzed the results. What we found is a snapshot of a field that is neither panicking nor confidently leading: it is waiting, watching and managing uncertainty one teacher-directed decision at a time.</p><h2>What This Snapshot Tells Us</h2><p>The dataset does not capture every district/school in America; it is a structured sample. But the patterns it reveals are consistent and interpretable. Taken together, they point in the same direction.</p><ul><li><p><strong>Most districts/schools are reactive. </strong>The dominant posture is conditional permission, teacher-delegated decision-making and a wait-and-see attitude toward systemic AI integration.</p></li><li><p><strong>Some districts/schools are still trying to stop the clock. </strong>Nearly 30% are actively restricting or prohibiting AI use, an approach that is increasingly difficult to sustain as student access to AI tools extends far beyond school networks.</p></li><li><p><strong>Only a small fraction is daring to lead.</str
- NewsEdSurge8 Jul 2026
What Did ISTELive 26 Teach Us About Relational Intelligence?
This EdSurge podcast episode recaps ISTELive 26, focusing on the emerging concept of relational intelligence and the negative impact of 'AI slop' on education. Hosts Ira Apfel and Sarah McKibben reflect on key takeaways from hallway conversations and presentations, including insights from Pat Yongpradit and Dr. Nneka McGee.
Original abstract
<p>Ira Apfel sits down with <a href="https://www.edsurge.com/author/sarah-mckibben-educational-leadership"><u>Sarah McKibben</u></a>, Editor-in-Chief of <strong>EdSurge</strong> to close out a full week of coverage from <a href="https://conference.iste.org/2026/"><u>ISTELive 26</u></a> in Orlando. This conversation is a recap of everything that stood out once the keynotes ended and the convention floor quieted down, from a new idea called relational intelligence to a phrase about AI slop that stuck with educators all week. It only scratches the surface of what the <strong>EdSurge</strong> team gathered on the ground. Many more conversations recorded live at the conference are set to roll out across upcoming episodes in the weeks ahead. Listen now to hear what Apfel and McKibben took away from <strong>ISTELive 26</strong> before the rest of the coverage arrives.</p><p><a href="https://www.edsurge.com/news/this-week-with-edsurge">Listen to the episode</a>.</p><p><strong>Stories Mentioned in This Episode</strong></p><p>This is a special recap episode from ISTELive 26 in Orlando where Ira and Sarah reflect on the hallway conversations, speaker presentations, and podcast interviews they enjoyed throughout the week. Featured speakers include:</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://conference.iste.org/2026/program/search/detail_presenter.php?id=118445480"><u>Pat Yongpradit</u></a>, GM, Education and Workforce Policy at Microsoft</p></li><li><p><a href="https://conference.iste.org/2026/program/search/detail_presenter.php?id=118459684"><u>Dr. Nneka McGee</u></a>, Fmr. Chief Academic Officer and Founder of Muon Global</p></li><li><p><a href="https://conference.iste.org/2026/program/search/detail_presenter.php?id=118546021"><u>Isabelle Hau</u></a>, Executive Director of the Stanford Accelerator for Learning</p></li><li><p><a href="https://conference.iste.org/ASCD2026/program/search/detail_presenter.php?id=118504801"><u>Heather E. McGowan</u></a>, Bestselling Author, Leadership Expert,
- NewsEdSurge8 Jul 2026
How a Vinyl Record Resurgence Helped Me Understand the Future of AI in Education
The author draws a parallel between the vinyl record revival and AI integration in education, arguing that as technology makes tasks easier, it forces educators to reconsider what students must still learn to do independently. The piece reflects on a capstone project involving English, science, and global studies to illustrate the tension between convenience and meaningful engagement.
Original abstract
<p>A few months ago, I found myself standing in the vinyl record section of a bookstore with my children.</p><p>“What even is a record?” one of them asked.</p><p>After a quick explanation, another question followed.</p><p>“Why would anyone buy one when you can stream everything?”</p><p>I laughed. Then I realized, I wasn't entirely sure how to answer that question.</p><p>After all, they weren’t wrong. Streaming gives us access to nearly every song ever recorded. It’s cheaper, faster, more portable, and infinitely more convenient than vinyl. By almost every measure, it is better technology. Which makes the resurgence of vinyl so unexpected.</p><p>What struck me wasn’t that my children didn’t know what a record was. It was that they couldn’t imagine why someone would want one.</p><p>To them, music is immediate. Infinite. Effortless. The idea of listening to an album from beginning to end seemed almost irrational. This friction between convenience and engagement is exactly what I’ve been wrestling with as AI has become more prevalent in the classroom.</p><p>Vinyl records and AI are actually similar technologies. Both seem to provoke a human response to technology: the easier something becomes via technology, the more we begin questioning what was valuable about the underlying use in the first place.</p><p>In my own experience with AI, I can’t remember another issue that has prompted so many conversations about what learning is actually for. But as I listen to educators wrestle with these questions, I increasingly hear another one emerging beneath them.</p><p>It’s not a question about technology. Rather, it’s a question about learning: What should students still need to do themselves?</p><p>I found myself thinking about that question recently while sitting in on rehearsals for our ninth grade capstone presentations.</p><p>This capstone project brings together English, science, and global studies and asks students to partner with local nonprofits, investigate real-world c
- NewsEdSurge29 Jun 2026
International Society for Transforming Education Expands its “AI-Ready Graduate” Framework
The International Society for Transforming Education released an expanded version of its 'Profile of an AI-Ready Graduate' framework, designed to help K-12 educators teach higher-order skills for working with AI. The updated framework defines six student roles—Learner, Researcher, Synthesizer, Problem Solver, Connector, Storyteller—with 30 specific skills, moving beyond basic AI literacy to practical applications. The framework is available for free download and aligns with existing educational standards.
Original abstract
<p>On June 28, the International Society for Transforming Education — the organization behind the editorially independent news site EdSurge — released an expanded version of its “<a href="https://iste-ascd.org/ai-ready-graduate">Profile of an AI-Ready Graduate</a>,” a framework designed to help K-12 educators teach students how to work with artificial intelligence.</p><p>The updated framework, designed with support from the nonprofit Britebound, goes beyond basic literacy to higher-order skills. It identifies six roles the organization says students should fill when using AI tools: Learner, Researcher, Synthesizer, Problem Solver, Connector and Storyteller.</p><p>“Today, we are releasing a fully fleshed out version, 30 skills aligned with each of these roles to help model using AI to support our uniquely human skills,” said Richard Culatta, CEO of the organization. “Humans have always used tools to accomplish human tasks. AI is no different, but when we teach AI as a way to support us being better at being human, it is far more relevant and far more meaningful than when we just talk about what AI is.”</p><p>The announcement was made at the organization’s annual conference in Orlando, Florida, one year after the initial rollout of the Profile. While the original framework focused on basic technical understanding of AI, the updated version shows what those skills look like in practice — with role-by-role descriptions, classroom examples and articulations for middle and high school. </p><p>The framework is intended to layer on to the work educators are already doing and aligns with the International Society for Transforming Education’s existing student standards and “Transformational Learning Principles.”</p><p>The updated Profile of an AI-Ready Graduate is available as a free download <a href="https://iste-ascd.org/ai-ready-graduate">here</a>.</p><p><em>(Editor’s note: EdSurge is an editorially independent newsroom of the International Society for Transforming Educati