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This Week's Question

Week of March 24, 2026

What's one thing you tried with AI this semester that surprised you — either because it worked better than expected, or failed in an interesting way?

We're collecting honest reflections, not success stories. The interesting stuff lives in the unexpected.

AI SummaryBased on 3 responses

A clear pattern: AI tools work differently depending on the learner's existing confidence. Confident students use AI to deepen thinking; struggling students can feel more alienated. The most valuable applications create productive friction rather than reducing effort.

TP

Responses (3)

PA

Priya Anand

Ed.M. '26 · TIE · 3 hours ago

I had students use Claude to generate counterarguments to their own thesis statements. Expected them to just copy-paste — instead, several said it forced them to actually understand the opposing view for the first time. The surprise was that the AI made them think harder, not less.

DD

David Dockterman

Faculty · 5 hours ago

Tried using an AI to summarize student discussion posts before our seminar. The summaries were technically accurate but stripped out all the interesting tensions and contradictions. Reminded me that what matters in a discussion isn't the conclusions — it's the friction between ideas.

LZ

Ling Zhang

Researcher · Next Level Lab · Yesterday

Failed experiment: I gave an AI tutor to a group of 4th graders for math practice. The kids who were already confident loved it. The kids who were struggling got more anxious — they said the AI 'didn't understand what they didn't understand.' Huge insight for how we think about scaffolding.

QUESTION

4 hours ago

MC

Marcus Chen

Ed.D. Candidate

How are you handling AI detection in student work?

Our department just had a heated meeting about this. Some faculty want to use GPTZero on everything, others think detection tools are unreliable and create an adversarial dynamic with students. I lean toward the latter but I don't have a good alternative framework yet. What are you all doing?

AssessmentPolicyEthics

RESOURCES

6 hours ago

TR

Tomás Reyes

Ed.M. '26 · LDIT

AI Tutoring Systems Show Promise but Struggle with Affect

Affective Responses to AI Tutoring in Elementary Mathematics

arxiv.org

This confirms what Ling's team saw in the 4th grade pilot — AI tutors work well for confident learners but can increase anxiety for struggling students. The affective dimension is the missing piece.

Research MethodsK-12

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COLLAB

3 days ago

LZ

Ling Zhang

Researcher · Next Level Lab

Looking for collaborators: AI-assisted peer review in teacher education

I'm exploring how AI could support (not replace) the peer review process in teacher preparation programs. Specifically: can AI help pre-service teachers give better feedback to each other on lesson plans? Looking for 2-3 people interested in co-designing a pilot.

Research MethodsPedagogyHigher Ed

QUESTION

1 day ago

AH

Amira Hassan

Ed.M. '27 · TIE

Best AI tools for language learners?

Working with ELL students and looking for AI tools that support language development without just doing the work for them. Tried a few chat-based tools but they tend to overcorrect rather than scaffold. Any recommendations?

K-12Pedagogy

RESOURCES

4 days ago

JW

James Whitfield

Alumni '24 · Civic Tech

This NYT piece gets at why the 'AI in schools' debate is stuck

The Schools That Are Teaching Students to Think With AI, Not Just Use It

nytimes.com

The framing is always 'ban it or embrace it' — this article finally names the middle ground: teach students to be critical users. Not revolutionary, but the examples from real classrooms are worth reading.

K-12PolicyPedagogy

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COLLAB

5 days ago

PA

Priya Anand

Ed.M. '26 · TIE

Anyone want to co-write a piece on AI + arts education?

I've been collecting examples of AI being used creatively in arts education — music composition, visual art, creative writing. I think there's a strong article here for EdSurge or similar. Looking for a co-author who brings a different disciplinary lens.

PedagogyEthics

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