How Schools Can Use AI Without Losing What Matters

We explore how AI is changing K through 12 education and why the real story sits between hype and fear. We weigh the benefits against the risks, then share practical ways families and schools can use AI without losing deeper thinking, trust, and human connection. 
• personalized and adaptive learning for different needs and pacing 
• teacher efficiency through grading support and planning drafts 
• engagement and accessibility for multilingual learners and students with disabilities 
• scalable tutoring support through hints and step-by-step explanations 
• overreliance and the crutch effect reducing productive struggle 
• weaker relationships when learning turns transactional 
• equity concerns from the digital divide and algorithmic bias 
• privacy, safety, consent, and long-term wellness questions 
• classroom guardrails like human oversight and AI literacy lessons 
• family-friendly tools like Socratic, Photomath, ChatGPT Study Mode, Grammarly, Canva, and Khanmigo 
Go to this episode link and click on fan mail to send me a text or email me at admin at educatemewell.com. 
If you have ideas for future episodes or questions you'd like me to explore, you can reach me anytime at admin at educatemewell.com and be sure to keep an eye on educatemewell.com. 

Resources:

Artificial Intelligence and emerging technologies | UNESCO

A new direction for students in an AI world: Prosper, prepare, protect | Brookings

The Evidence Base on AI in K-12: A 2026 Review

How to use AI for teaching: 12 proven classroom applications | SchoolAI

AI and Equity, Explained: A Guide for K-12 Schools

Equity and Bias in AI: What Educators Should Know | Edutopia

How AI Could Save (Not Destroy) Education | Sal Khan | TED - YouTube

Socratic by Google - appkingo

Photomath Online - Photo Math Solver with Steps, No Sign-up

Sizzle - Learn anything

Grammarly

Canva AI - Canva

Khanmigo for educators | Khan for Educators | Khan Academy

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Transcript

Welcome And Why AI Matters

Tonya 0:04

Welcome to Educate Me Well, the podcast that brings faith and education together. Hi, I'm Tonya, and I'm so glad you're here. Hey guys, welcome back. Today we're diving into something that's sparking conversations between parents and also teachers in the teacher lounge. That is artificial intelligence or AI in K through 12 education. And look, this isn't a simple AI is amazing or AI is scary story today. The truth, as always, sits right in the middle of all of it. And it's worth us unpacking together. The most important issues in using AI in K through 12 education revolve around striking a balance between powerful new tools and the human elements of learning, development, and equity.

Research Framing

Tonya 1:18

In preparing for this podcast episode on AI, I decided I would do a little bit of research because I sure don't claim to be an expert. So I'm going to tell you about some of my research from Brookings, from Stanford, and from UNESCO, and then some other education organizations. And you can find all of these in my resources under the link for this episode. So be sure and go check those out because I'm going to put quite a few in there this time. So in the discussions of that, they say that AI offers real potential to personalize instruction and support teachers, but it also raises valid concerns about student cognitive growth, relationships, privacy for students, bias, and then also unequal access. Not every student has the same access. And so we're going to talk about the potential benefits of AI and also the potential risk and concerns. And then at the end, I would like to give you a few resources that I found that are pretty good AI resources, and there are tons of them out there. Just all you have to do is go do a Google search or even use your internet browser's AI, and it'll find AI for you that is very helpful in working with students.

The Biggest Upsides Of AI

Tonya 2:56

In the research that I did, some of the potential benefits that I culled were, you know, personalized and adaptive learning. We know that AI can tailor lessons to each student's pace, style, and needs. And then that provides the extra scaffolding for struggling learners or enrichment for advanced ones. Short-term studies show gains in math practice, writing, and programming when students have access. AI also helps teachers be more efficient and have more focus on students. It can automate routine tasks like grading, lesson planning, and administrative work like drafting rubrics or summarizing performance data. I wish I'd have had that when I was teaching. Boy, it sure would have been a big help. It also frees teachers to build relationships with students and mentor and provide individualized attention. You know, teachers have a lot of students in their classroom, and it's a lot of times hard to reach students one-on-one and to meet every single need when you have 30 students in your classroom. Novice teachers especially benefit from real-time coaching tools as well. Also, increased engagement, accessibility, and motivation. Interactive simulations, gamified tools, and immediate feedback make learning more dynamic. AI supports multilingual students, students with disabilities, and diverse needs by adapting content in real time. And then there's scalable support. There are intelligent tutoring systems that deliver hints or step-by-step explanations, and that helps close gaps with one-on-one tutors for every child. How amazing is that? And I'm going to tell you a few of those at the end of the program.

The Real Risks And Tradeoffs

Tonya 5:19

Also, we need to talk about potential risk and concerns. Over reliance on AI can reduce deeper thinking, problem solving, and students thinking about their own thinking. Gains often disappear when AI is removed, and that's called the crutch effect. We all know about that, right? And some evidence suggests it may undermine foundational skills or creativity if students skip the productive struggle of learning, skip that stage. And we don't want them to skip that stage. They need to struggle with learning to a certain degree in order to make it concrete. Weaker human connections. Students report feeling less connected to teachers and peers when AI takes the place at times. AI can subtly shift interactions from relational to more transactional, affecting social and emotional growth and trust in education. And then equity bias and the digital divide. AI amplifies existing gaps sometimes. Not all schools or families have equal access or digital literacy or high-quality tools. And sometimes algorithms are biased. They have data that can perpetuate racial, socioeconomic, or linguistic inequities in recommendations, grading, or predictions. So it's so important that we be very careful and evaluate the AI and what it's telling us. Also, privacy, safety, and ethics can be a concern. Massive student data collection raises breach risk, surveillance concerns, and questions about consent. We sure want to protect them. There are also worries about tech-enabled bullying, misinformation, and lack of long-term research on wellness impacts. Many experts note that current risk, especially cognitive and relational, often outweigh unproven benefits without strong guardrails. We need to take all of this into account, but we also need to realize that AI is fairly new. I mean, it's out there in education for sure, and it's out there in business big time. And I even use it in my personal life oh, all the time. All the time. It helps me research. It helps me do a lot of things. Just ask questions of things that I might have on the top of my head, you know. Of course, evaluate the sources and make sure it's something that I trust. And so in knowing that we need to remember that in the United States causal research in K-12 settings remains limited. Most studies are short-term, small-scale, or they are international. And we heard about Melania Trump doing her initiative. Whether you like her or not, or whether you prescribe to that political pursausion or not, she does have a point that we need to keep up in the world to use AI in education. And a lot of countries are ahead of us. And so we need to keep that in mind.

Practical Classroom Uses With Oversight

Tonya 9:20

What are some practical classroom applications? Effective use pairs AI with strong teaching and human oversight, like adaptive platforms, such as math or reading tools. You know, students get real-time practice at their level, and teachers monitor the dashboards for grouping and intervention. That is so important. Scaffolded tutoring chatbots set, you know, to give hints or explain reasoning rather than full answers. And that's good for homework support or just reinforcing a concept. Teacher planning and feedback tools, you know, AI can draft lesson plans, rubrics, as I said earlier, differentiate reading passages, and the teachers need to review them and then customize them to fit their class and their needs. Simulations and creative scaffolds, science labs via safe virtual experiments, writing assignments where students brainstorm with AI and then revise independently. It's a great thing. Data insights for grouping, AI summarizes performance to suggest small group activities or targeted practice, and then the teacher makes the final call. And then AI literacy lessons. Teach students and family how AI works. You know, what is its biases? How what is ethical use? What is safety? You know, and so all of those things are practical classroom use, and we just need to remember the human that is there.

AI Tools Families Can Use Today

Tonya 11:11

So what are what are some practical AI tools families can use today? I really like to talk to tools that help families, and I put together just a short list of AI-powered resources that I think are great for families. These are tools that I've looked into and I feel good recommending them to you. So for each one, I'll tell you what it does, who it's for, what it costs, and one tip to get started. The first one is Socratic by Google. It is free and it is best for middle and high school students. Socratic is an app by Google, as you might suspect. Your student takes a photo of their homework question. It could be math, science, history, whatever, and it gives them step-by-step explanations. Not just the answer, but the reasoning behind it. This one is a lifesaver for those nights when your kids ask for help with algebra and you're thinking, honey, I haven't done this since 2003. So let Socratic help. The second tool I'd like to tell you about is Photo math. And also there's another one that's kind of like Photo math. It's called Sizzle AI. We used it in our private school. It does the same thing and has a free version with an app as well. The cost of Photo math is free, it's best for grades four through 12, which I personally think we should limit some of the apps in the lower grades and use a lot of them for fourth and fifth grade and up. And that's debatable. But Photo math is all about math. Your child scans a problem with their phone camera, and the app shows animated step-by-step solutions, and it breaks things down visually, which is great for learners who need to see the process. And after your child uses it, ask them to explain the steps back to you. If they can teach it, they've truly learned it. And that's how Sizzle does as well. It goes step by step and it asks questions after each step for the student to see if the student's understanding it. The third tool I'd like to tell you about is Chat GPT (study mode). Did you know Chat GPT had a study mode? I didn't, but when I got to looking, lo and behold, yes, it's it has a free tier available, and you can you can pay for more as always, and it's best for middle school and high school. We've all heard of Chat GPT, it's everywhere, but when it's used intentionally, it can be a powerful study tool. So students can use it for brainstorming essay ideas, researching topics, creating study guides, prepping for tests. But here's a parent tip, set it up together with your child. Sit down, explore it, and establish family rules. What's okay to use it for? What's not? Having that conversation up front makes all the difference. The fourth tool I'd like to tell you about is free. It has a free tier, and I've used this one forever. In when I was a principal, when I was a teacher, I mean it has been a lifesaver at times. Is Grammarly. Did you know that it has AI built into it? Yes, it does. It has a free tier available, and it also has more that you can pay for premium. I would use it for middle school and up, maybe fifth grade. They they probably could use it as well. Grammarly checks grammar, it improves writing clarity and can even catch plagiarism. Great tool for teachers. It works as a browser extension or an app. So it's right there while your student is writing their essays or reports. Usually it's built in if you have it, if you tell it to. So a parent tip is start with the free version. And honestly, for most students, it covers everything they need. You can always upgrade later if you want to. The fifth one is Canva. I know a lot of you have probably used Canva before, and I've used it for many things. I had a small business for a little while, and I used it over and over there. And I still use it for my podcast to make the images for the episodes. So, but it has some AI built into it as well. It is free for K through 12 students and teachers, and it is best for all ages. Canva is a design tool. Think presentations, posters, infographics, and visual projects. It's drag and drop simple, and it makes everything look polished and professional. Your child's science fair poster, their history timeline project. Canva has templates for all of it. They have an education section. Here's a parent tip. This is a great one for making school projects really look good. And the creative kids in your family, they're absolutely going to love Canva. Number six, this one is amazing. I've known about Khan Academy forever, but I did not know about Khanmigo until lately. And boy, I wish I had known it when I was in our private school, but I didn't. So you're gonna get the benefit of it. It is free, uh, it's best for all ages. Khanmigo is an AI tutor built right into their platform, and what makes it special is that it doesn't just give your child the answer, it guides them, it asks questions, it teaches them to think through the problem. Here's a parent tip: if you're brand new to AI learning tools and you're not sure where to start, start here. Khan Academy has earned that trust. And Khanmigo is a beautiful extension of their mission. You can't go wrong.

Bottom Line And Share Feedback

Tonya 18:27

So, what's the bottom line? AI isn't going away. Our jobs as parents, educators, and communities is to steer it so it serves kids, not the other way around. Prosper from the good stuff, prepare everyone with real skills, and protect what makes learning human. What do you think? Have you seen AI help or hinder your school? I'd love to know your thoughts. Go to this episode link and click on fan mail to send me a text or email me at admin @educatemewell.com. Thank you for joining me today on educate me well. I'm grateful you spent this time with me, and I hope the conversation encouraged and equipped you. If you have ideas for future episodes or questions you'd like me to explore, you can reach me anytime at admin @educatemewell.com and be sure to keep an eye on educatemewell.com. The website will be up and growing as new episodes are released. Until next time, keep making a difference in the lives of children.