How Not To Use AI

When I transitioned from classroom teaching to being a Digital Learning Specialist, I envisioned my role as supporting teachers in using Google tools and maybe some Canva and video or audio editing software. Then ChatGPT arrived and everything changed. Suddenly I had to make myself an expert in AI. I spent the last couple of years teaching students and teachers everything I've learned. And now we're here...in a world where large cities and school districts are banning all AI usage for students and discouraging it for teachers. People are (rightfully) concerned about academic/professional integrity, critical thinking, and the environment. It's been a wild ride.

So where does that leave us? Should students learn about AI? Should they use it? What about teachers? I know I'm a bit biased, but I don't believe any technology is inherently bad. Social media is great for keeping families and friends connected all over the world and providing a free online presence for small businesses. But there are people who choose to use it to spread misinformation or to bully others. AI is great for brainstorming ideas and getting feedback. But there are people who choose to use it to cheat or to create fake imagery to hurt others.

I don't have a magic solution, so the best I can do is to continue showing APPROPRIATE and ETHICAL use of the tools. I've given plenty of examples of how teachers and students can use it. Now it's time for me to give you the "what not to do". I'm not going to give you the obvious...of course you shouldn't create content that would harm people. Of course you shouldn't pass off AI written work as your own. This list is more about the "innocent" uses that I'd just like you to think twice about.

The AI Generated Flyer/Poster You've seen it. They all look the same. They're on social media, they're on signs, they're even in Market Basket! Here's one I made with the following prompt: "Generate a flyer/poster for a dog adoption event at 123 Sesame Street from 5-7pm on September 12, 2026."

Sure, that's great...it took seconds of my time and gave me a nice looking visual. If I'm pressed for time, this is super helpful. But...it just screams AI generated. The "N" is yellow for no apparent reason. It is extraordinarily busy. Some of the dogs are bigger than the people. The one with their paws on the woman has a bandana with gibberish on it. Balloons are randomly floating and attached to nothing. The guy in the green is waving some sort of ticket like he's bidding on the dogs. I could go on...

I'm not going to tell you that you shouldn't use AI for flyers and posters. Would I prefer you find a template in Canva and work from that? Yes. I believe those look significantly more professional (because they are created by real live graphic designers!) But I get it...you're pressed for time and this is even faster than a Canva template. But I'm asking you to at least consider asking AI to make changes to the output. Here's a simple re-prompt: "Make this MUCH simpler. Reduce the number of colors used and just use one person and dog."

Not perfect, but much better. You can certainly keep re-prompting, but it would be better to start with a more detailed prompt that includes your design preferences. Or even upload a reference image of a past poster.

The Word Salad

"Write an email to a parent of a high school student named Bruce Banner expressing frustration about his anger issues in class."

Any time you ask AI to write for you, it inevitably defaults to something wordy with heavy vocabulary (and a bunch of em dashes). It's not necessarily poorly written, it just sounds robotic and loses any amount of personal touch and tone.

If you want AI to help you with writing emails, I suggest starting by writing the email entirely yourself. If you feel like it needs adjustments, don't just ask AI to rewrite it for you, because it will strip the "you" out of it. Instead, try asking it to provide comments or suggestions based on something specific. For example, maybe your writing isn't organized as well as you'd like or it feels too emotional. You could paste it into AI and say something like "Give me suggestions on how to make this email more organized and less emotional. Do not re-write anything, just give me comments and feedback."

Now you can take or leave this feedback to make adjustments to your original writing!

The Phantom Answers

AI has changed a lot in the last few years, and many tools now incorporate a web search feature, but it is important to remember that AI does still "hallucinate" and can provide completely wrong answers. I often use AI to help me learn new digital tools and more than once, it has taken me on a wild goose chase for pages or settings that simply don't exist. I've asked for videos, books, or websites and although some results are perfect, others are just dead links. One time I asked AI when trying to figure out the title of a book that a student couldn't remember...it gave me a list of 5 books - and none of them existed. Don't even get me started on asking it to help develop word puzzles!

Remember, this technology is only as "intelligent" as what it was trained on - and in some cases its training is simply incorrect. Just like any other research, you should always confirm the sources before sharing or using the information.

At the end of the day, AI is a tool that can be used for good or for evil. Focus on finding ways to retain your own creative control over your content.