In this short video presentation, I wanted to address how educators can shift the culture of AI use, from seeing it as a shortcut to answers, to using it as a catalyst for deeper thinking. While many articles and studies warn that AI is weakening our ability to think critically, I argue that, with the right guidance and boundaries, it can actually help us think better. There are articles and studies that support this, and let me tell you what. There is no AI tool that will do the job for us. It rather emphasizes the importance of educators’ role in guiding students to think critically.
This issue might not feel as urgent for adults or professionals who already have established thinking habits, but for high school students still developing their sense of self and reasoning skills, it’s crucial. As educators, we have a responsibility to teach them not just how to use AI, but how to think with it.
Hi Rachel,
Your video highlights an important point that often gets overlooked. AI does not have to replace critical thinking, and in fact, using AI requires it. With the right structure and expectations, it should actually spark deeper thinking. I appreciated the way you focused on shifting the culture of AI use instead of approaching it with fear. Many discussions focus on how AI weakens thinking, but you showed how it can strengthen it when teachers guide the process with intention.
Your message made me think back to my own introduction to critical thinking. As a child, I watched my dad work through his master’s degree which centred on Critical Thinking and I remember the way he questioned ideas at the dinner table. Even though I did not fully understand the content, I learned a lot from seeing how he explored problems and challenged assumptions. That early exposure shaped how I think today.
In my Grade 7 classroom, I saw how tempting it was for students to look for quick answers. When AI tools appeared, many of them treated the technology as a shortcut. With intention and effort, however, I was able to turn AI into something that supports the thinking process. When students compare their own ideas to an AI generated response or revise and critique what the system produces, the quality of their thinking improves.
I agree with your conclusion. AI does not reduce the role of educators. It makes our guidance even more important as we teach students how to think with the tool instead of letting it think for them.