Who's Doing the Thinking?

IN THIS ISSUE

🎙️ 3 conversations on who is really doing the thinking

🔎 A fact-checking assignment your students will actually remember

💻 An EdTech founder who hopes you barely use his platform

🔐 A massive student data breach and 3 questions to ask your vendors this week

EPISODE 376 · AI & STUDENT THINKING

Who's Thinking When AI Answers?

with Jeff Piontek

Jeff joined me to talk about his new book, AI, EI, O, and YOU. His framework brings together artificial intelligence, emotional intelligence, oral language, and the educator’s role, and keeps coming back to one question: what cognitive work stays with the student? We also dug into how restricting AI can hit some students harder than others.

✅ Try this Monday: On your next AI-supported assignment, have students explain and defend one decision out loud. If they can’t talk through it, the thinking probably didn’t happen.

Or listen on Apple Podcasts · Spotify

EPISODE 375 · AI LITERACY

Your School Librarian Belongs in the AI Conversation

with Dr. Karina Quilantan-Garza

Dr. Q, a former middle school librarian and now an assistant professor at Sam Houston State University, made the case that librarians were teaching source evaluation long before AI showed up. Now that convincing information takes seconds to generate, that expertise matters more than ever. Her challenge: before you use AI, ask what part of the thinking you’re handing to the machine.

✅ Try this Monday: Invite your campus librarian into your next AI lesson plan or PLC. If your librarian isn’t at the table when your district talks AI, ask why.

Or listen on Apple Podcasts · Spotify

EPISODE 374 · DISTRICTS & VENDORS

Whose Problem Is EdTech Solving?

with Jacob Kantor

Jacob, the “Chief DODO” (District Office Door Opener), brought 19 years of EdTech experience to a candid talk about why district doors stay closed, how sales targets get in the way of listening, and why well-liked vendors still lose contracts when budgets tighten. His story of arriving from Ukraine without knowing English brought it all back to the kids and families our decisions affect.

✅ Try this Monday: Before your next demo or renewal, write down the specific classroom problem you need solved. Then hold the vendor to that problem, not their feature list.

Or listen on Apple Podcasts

AI LITERACY · TECH & LEARNING

Fact-Checking Google’s AI Overviews With Students

The story: Erik Ofgang has students quiz Google’s AI Overviews about something they know cold (their school, their town, their favorite team) and keep going until they catch a mistake. Then they trace the source and explain what went wrong. His finding: students only really believe AI makes errors when the error is about them.

My take: This is exactly what Dr. Karina described on Ep. 375. For our bilingual classrooms, have students ask the same question in English and Spanish and compare. Same answer? Same sources? One caution: with younger students, skip searching their own names and stick with the school or town.

EDTECH DESIGN · ESCHOOL NEWS

“I Run an EdTech Platform I Hope You Barely Use”

The story: Zachary Cote of Thinking Nation describes a week of pencil, paper, and primary sources before students ever opened a laptop. Tech only came in at the end, for feedback and data. With LAUSD and several states limiting screen time, he argues platforms should design for less dependence on themselves.

My take: Refreshing to hear from someone who runs a platform, and it connects straight to Jacob’s question on Ep. 374. I’d still ask what student writing the AI grading collects, how long it’s kept, and who sees it. “Barely use” is a great design value. I’d love to see it paired with “barely collect.” The goal is intentional use, not zero use.

🔐 STUDENT PRIVACY · EDUCATION WEEK

Hackers Steal Data of Millions of California Students

The story: One compromised login gave someone months of access to files at ETS, the nonprofit that runs California’s state testing. Exposed data includes names, birthdates, addresses, primary language, country of origin, English learner status, and disability information for every student enrolled in the past three years.

My take: As a district assessment coordinator, this one hits close to home. Primary language, country of origin, EL status: for our bilingual and immigrant families, that’s some of the most sensitive data we hold. Districts can outsource data storage, but not the consequences. Ask your vendors this week:

• Is multi-factor authentication required for every account that can access student data?

• How long do you keep records of students who have left our district?

• If there’s a breach, who do you notify, and how quickly?

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