A.I: Friend or Foe? Teacher’s Thinking Partner or Teacher’s Replacement?

With recent developments in technology, A.I. tools have emerged and firmly embedded themselves in the educational system. This evolution has sparked controversial debates: Will AI replace teachers? Will we lose our jobs? Will it enhance teaching and learning, or will students become overly dependent, leading to a decline in their critical and creative thinking skills? Initially, like many educators, I rejected AI. However, my perspective has shifted; it has become a valuable thinking partner.

The Initial Reaction

The immediate response from teachers, administrators, and those involved in education was a resounding call for bans. This three-letter word carried significant weight for educators everywhere. Concerns erupted over potential plagiarism and questions about the integrity of teaching roles. Educators worldwide awaited a formal policy announcement. Even in higher education, opinions were divided.

In retrospect, I too relied heavily on terms like “ban,” “plagiarism,” and “academic integrity.” I scanned my students’ submissions for AI usage and reported those who engaged in academic dishonesty. Yet, how effective was this approach? How could I ban a tool that was already integrated into their learning environments? I initially believed this trend would fade, but it didn’t; instead, it evolved rapidly. My time was consumed checking assignments rather than providing meaningful feedback. Clearly, something needed to change.

My First Action: Developing Awareness of A.I.

The first step was developing awareness and analyzing the reasons behind students’ AI usage. Why are they turning to these tools? What challenges do they face? Are they aware of the consequences of their actions? To address these questions, I initiated discussions with a small group of students to comprehend the ‘why’ behind their behaviors. Their responses varied, citing time management issues, lack of skills, procrastination, and social events; different reasons led to similar actions—copying and pasting.

So, how could I support students in transitioning from a ‘copy and paste’ mindset to one of ‘evaluate and validate’? While I understood their reasons and sympathized with their struggles, my position remained firm: ethical standards are binary—either right or wrong, with no gray areas. This realization propelled me to research different tools and practices that other educators employed.

Deepening My Knowledge of A.I.

Numerous resources are available to enhance one’s understanding of A.I. tools. Dr. Jennifer Wathall, for instance, explores the fundamentals of AI and its impact on education through her webinars and her recent book, AI-Powered Pedagogy. I was fortunate to attend several webinars where she and fellow educators shared practices and strategies applicable in classrooms. I learned to refine my prompts using the I.D.E.A.S. framework, which engages conversation with AI tools to adapt and tailor responses according to my needs. This hands-on adaptation bolstered my digital literacy and critical thinking as an educator. But how could I employ a similar strategy with my students? This question led me to synthesize knowledge from various platforms.

“Is Prompt Engineering Really Prompt “Engineering”?” Jennifer Chang Wathall, 15 January 2024. Accessed 22 December 2025.

Toddle’s sessions on AI proved invaluable; diverse educators presented strategies that not only clarified how to integrate AI into my teaching but also helped minimize logistical challenges like composing emails and grading. For me, the FAB test became foundational, equipping me to guide students in assessing AI responses through lenses of fairness, accuracy, and bias. Reflecting on this, I noted that it did help transform some students’ perspectives. Change often takes time.

Source: Toddle AI Literacy skills Course https://www.toddleapp.com/learn/ai-literacy-skills/about-the-course/ 

Phase One: Understanding School Policies

Revisiting my school’s policy and the IB program guidelines significantly improved communication with my students. Statements like “As per our school’s policy, we need to…” or “According to the Academic Integrity policy…” established mutual responsibility. I explained, displayed, and cited various aspects of these policies, emphasizing the importance of understanding both responsibilities and rights—the first foundational step toward successfully integrating AI into the classroom.

Were all students on board with this approach? Consistency proved crucial; I paused before each task to address challenges as they arose. It required notes, reminders, and sometimes redos. My reflection: stay resilient! It’s not an easy journey, especially when the temptation to copy and paste seems effortless.

Phase Two: Integration in Task Creation

AI platforms became integral to my lesson planning. For a ‘writing an interview’ task, I used Padlet alongside Magic School AI, a Character chatbot tool. Instead of having students conduct traditional research, they engaged directly with a character of their choice. This approach ignited enthusiasm and excitement while teaching them how to formulate interview questions. However, evaluating the relevance and accuracy of their questions stirred essential classroom discussions. We collaborated to refine their questions and edit responses that initially failed to meet our objectives.

Students reflected on their experiences with prompts such as:

• Describe your learning experience using AI to practice writing a text. Consider whether it was positive, negative, or neutral.
• To what extent do you think using Magic School AI enhanced your understanding of the text type? Explain the aspects in which it did or didn’t.

Most students grasped the core lesson: critically evaluate responses. The copy-and-paste phenomenon began to wane, and a healthier balance was restored.

Phase Three: AI as a Thinking Partner

We continued to build on our practices, yet I still felt unsatisfied. How could AI genuinely support my students? One session with the IB organization introduced the term ‘Thinking Partner,’ which interested me. How could students brainstorm and explore ideas in discussions with AI without reverting to “copy and paste”? Initially, my attempts to use AI in collaborative brainstorming yielded disappointing results, as many students reverted to copying ideas. I began integrating AI into tasks while emphasizing the evaluation of the generated ideas, leading to renewed engagement.

To maintain the integrity of the task, I required students to use AI as a thinking partner. I also applied the FAB test to assess the data collected. This practice enhanced their thinking skills while preserving their writing abilities.

You can read the task below and share your ideas in the comments section. 

Final Thoughts

Combining and synthesizing knowledge is vital. Identify your objectives, research, and develop an actionable plan. Consistency is equally important; address challenges while celebrating small victories. As educators, we must continually deepen our understanding of various AI tools and educate our students on the ethical, responsible use of these powerful resources.

My Task- Approach with an Open Mind 

Task Title: Character Analysis of a Historical Figure

Subjects: Language and Literature and Individuals and Societies Integration project (Interdisciplinary borrowing)

Grade Level: Grade 7/ Year 2 MYP IB 

Global Context: Identities and Relationships (Role Models) 

*Teacher’s choice of global context exploration. 

Concept: Character 

GRASP template 

Goal:
Students will use the Hello History platform to investigate factual information about a famous historical figure of their choice, evaluate the information, cite it using MLA 9 format, and create a character analysis essay based on their findings.

Role:
You are a historian tasked with researching and analyzing the life and impact of a significant historical figure. 

Audience:
Your audience will be your classmates and teacher, who are eager to learn about the historical figure you chose and their contributions to society. 

*The audience can expand from your local community to the wider community if the essay was published on an online platform. To link the task more to real life context, think of a historical figure who shaped/s history through their identity or beliefs or moral judgement or leadership skills. (the aspects you want to focus on can be drawn from the global context exploration list.) 

Situation:
You have access to the Hello History app, where you can have conversations and investigate facts about historical figures. Your task is to analyze the information you obtain and use it to create a character analysis essay that explores the personality, motivations, and historical significance of your chosen figure.

Product/Performance:

1. Research:
   
   • Choose a historical figure from the Hello History app.
   • Engage in conversations to extract detailed information regarding their life, achievements, and philosophies.
2. Evaluate:
   
   • Assess the validity and reliability of the information gathered.
   • Identify any biases and perspectives presented by the historical figure.
3. Cite:
   
   • Compile a list of your sources in MLA 9 format. Be sure to include:
     • Author (if available)
     • Title of the page
     • Website name
     • Publication date (if available)
     • URL
4. Create:
   
   • Write a character analysis essay (3-5 paragraphs) that includes:
     • An introduction with a thesis statement about the historical figure.
     • Body paragraphs that analyze key traits, motivations, and the figure’s impact on history.
     • Evidence from your research to support your insights.
     • A conclusion summarizing the significance of the figure in history.

Scoring Criteria:

Checklist including the following details:

• Completeness of research 
• Quality of information evaluation 
• Accuracy of MLA citations 
• Clarity and depth of character analysis in the essay 
• Organization and writing mechanics

Reflection Questions:

1.Describe your learning experience using the AI tool to investigate factual information. Remember, it can be positive, negative or neutral.

2.To what extent do you think using Hello History enhanced your understanding of the historical figure you chose and their contributions to society? Explain the aspects in which it did or didn’t.

MYP criteria can be applied:

• Individuals and societies Criterion B Investigating 
• Language and Literature Criterion A ‘Analyzing’, B ‘Organizing’ and D ‘Using language’. 

*Task specific clarification is created based on the chosen criteria. 

Resources:

Due Date: [Insert specific due date here]