What happens when students stop creating for the teacher and start creating for real people?
One thing AI has made me reflect on lately is this:Maybe the problem was never “students don’t want to write/speak/create.”Maybe too much schoolwork simply never felt real to them.Some of the most engaged I’ve seen my students weren’t during tests or workbook activities. It was when they were:recording podcast episodesinterviewing each othercreating presentations for audiences outside the classroomdiscussing topics they actually cared aboutusing AI as support, not as the final productIronically, AI pushed me to focus even more on the human side of learning:voice, opinion, identity, discussion, collaboration.I’m curious:Have any of you noticed the same shift?Has AI changed what you value in student work or classroom design?
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The work gets honest.I ran Create. Code. Change. at two scales last year: globally (3,000+ students, 41 schools, 19 countries) and as a unit with my own Year 7s. The brief was the same both times. Find a problem that matters to someone real. Build something that touches it.Here's what I didn't expect. The students started asking different questions. Not "is this what you wanted?" but "would...
Hi Fenia,I was just scrolling through some of the discussions on the site and saw your discussion. The timing couldn't have been better because I just finished reading an education blog by Dave Cormier that touches upon human centered discussions regarding AI in assessment...and what you shared in terms of where you have found your learners most engaged, really reminded me of what he shared...
Hi Paula, since you enjoyed the assessment blog, here's the last of the 4 part series The teaching challenge – AI and classroom practiceIn case you're interested in all 4 parts:https://leighlancasterconsulting.com.au/our-services/ai-curriculum-and-school-mathematics/
Thank you, Paula. I'll definitely have a look.What you shared resonates with what I've been observing through our student podcast and inquiry projects. The more authentic the audience and purpose, the more invested students seem to become. AI has only reinforced that belief for me.Thanks for pointing me in Dave's direction!
Thanks Paula, my colleague and I have been exploring something similar to the blog you shared with a focus on secondary mathematics assessment: The evidence question – AI and assessment in mathematics. - What should count as evidence of mathematical learning when AI can now generate substantial parts of mathematical work?
As a GCSE Spanish and Computing teacher, I've found that students' motivation and quality of work often increase dramatically when they know there is a real audience beyond the classroom.In Computing, this might mean designing real apps, or digital products for younger pupils or local business. Students start thinking more carefully about usability, accessibility, and communication because...
Everything. The entire dynamic shifts.When students are creating for the teacher, the goal is invisible. They're interpreting what the teacher wants, reverse-engineering the rubric, producing evidence of learning on demand. The thinking is oriented toward compliance. "Did I give her what she's looking for?"When students create for someone who will actually use what they make, or read it, or be...
HI Carol,In Canada, there is an organization called Riipen that does just that.Riipen: The #1 Experiential Learning Platform for Educators, Learners, and EmployersWorth taking a look because their projects are just fascinating.
AI has changed education from whether students can produce something to whether the learning experience has enough meaning, voice and purpose for them to want to think deeply in the first place.In my own classroom, the most powerful work is rarely the neatest worksheet. It is when students are explaining their thinking aloud, challenging each other’s ideas or connecting the learning to...
I would love to find a resource that connects students with businesses looking for real world solutions or work.