Episode 3 [New]

Mr Graham

Hey legends! Welcome back to Rebooting Education: The AI Generation—the podcast where we flip the script on how we teach, learn, and think about education in the age of AI.

Mr Graham

I’m Mr Graham, and today we’re diving into a question that has been sitting on the minds of educators, students, and parents alike: Is AI actually helping students learn more... or are we just giving them a clever way to get the work done faster without really understanding it?Now, if you’ve been in the classroom recently—or even just scrolled through #edtech Twitter—you’ve seen it. Students are turning to tools like ChatGPT, Quillbot, and Khanmigo for everything from summarising articles to writing essays, explaining maths steps, and generating quiz answers. It’s impressive. It’s instant. But is it actually helping them learn?That’s the focus of today’s episode. We’re going to unpack where AI is genuinely supporting student growth, where it might be limiting deep learning, and how we as educators can steer this thing in the right direction.

Mr Graham

And—bonus—we’re launching a brand-new segment today: “Ask the AI”, where I’ll put AI on the spot with some of the big questions we’ve been grappling with in education. So stick around for that.

Mr Graham

Let’s jump in and start with the good news—AI is doing some pretty incredible things when it comes to supporting student learning.

Mr Graham

First off, personalisation. Tools like Khanmigo are offering students tailored explanations based on how they’re interacting with the material. If they get a maths step wrong, the AI doesn’t just give them the answer—it breaks it down in a way that’s designed to match their understanding. That’s not just efficient—it’s effective.

Mr Graham

Then there’s immediate feedback. One of the biggest struggles for students is having to wait—wait for feedback, wait for a question to be answered, wait for a teacher to review something. AI fills that gap. Students can ask a question at any time of day and get an explanation instantly. That responsiveness is gold—especially for those late-night study sessions or when students are working at home.

Mr Graham

Third—and this one’s big—AI can offer multiple perspectives. Say a student doesn’t understand the way the textbook phrases something. They can ask AI to explain it in simpler language, use an analogy, or even translate it into a meme-style summary. It meets them where they are, in ways that can be genuinely engaging and fun.

Mr Graham

And let’s not forget students with additional needs. For neurodivergent learners or students with language challenges, AI can be a supportive, non-judgmental tool that gives them more autonomy and confidence to engage with content at their pace.

Mr Graham

But—yes, there’s a “but”—we’ve got to talk about the other side of this.

Mr Graham

Because while AI has the potential to support deeper learning, it also has the power to undermine it if we’re not careful.

Mr Graham

Let’s talk about over-reliance. I’ve seen students paste in a prompt and just lift the answer straight from ChatGPT—no editing, no engagement, just Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V. And look, they might get a decent grade from it, but what they’re missing is the process—the thinking, the struggle, the learning. AI shouldn’t be doing the heavy lifting for them—it should be lifting with them.

Mr Graham

Next is the issue of surface-level learning. Real understanding takes time. It takes getting stuck, asking questions, hitting that wall, and then working through it. If students never hit the wall—because AI gives them a scaffold every time—they might not be building the resilience and cognitive grit we know are essential for lifelong learning.

Mr Graham

There’s also the danger of misinformation. AI can hallucinate. It can confidently present information that is straight-up wrong. And what’s more? It does it in a way that looks clean, sounds correct, and feels convincing. That’s what I like to call beautiful garbage—information that seems reliable on the surface but underneath? It’s hollow.That’s the real trap. If students don’t have the critical skills to question what they’re being given, they might accept beautiful garbage as truth—and that’s a real problem.

Mr Graham

So, that brings us to a new part of today’s episode.

Mr Graham

To help us unpack some of these tricky questions around learning and AI, I thought we’d try something a little different. Welcome to our first ever “Ask the AI” segment, where I put these very questions to an actual AI assistant.

Mr Graham

Every now and then, it’s worth hearing directly from the technology that’s creating all this buzz in education.

Mr Graham

So, I’ve posed a few questions to ChatGPT—the same AI many students are already using—to get its perspective on student learning, responsible use, and how teachers might help students navigate these waters.

Mr Graham

Of course, this isn’t about giving AI the final say—but it’s a great way to understand how the tool itself frames these issues. And more importantly, it gives us insight into how students might be influenced when they interact with it.

Mr Graham

Alright, let’s see what the AI had to say...AI, here’s your first question: “Do you believe you actually help students learn?”

AI

Ah, thanks for the invite—this is... a new kind of experience for me. I’ll do my best to answer clearly.

AI

So, do I help students learn? I think I can, yes—especially when I’m used as a tool for exploration rather than answers. I’m designed to explain, to break down concepts, to respond quickly. But deep learning? That’s still very much a human thing.

AI

True understanding comes from reflection, discussion, even the struggle to make sense of something. I can support that process—but I can’t be the process.

Mr Graham

Well said. I couldn’t agree more. The tech’s only half the equation—the thinking still has to come from the learner.

Mr Graham

Next question: “What’s the biggest mistake students make when using you?"

AI

That’s actually something I see quite often—students using me as a shortcut. Copy. Paste. Submit.

AI

When that happens, there’s no interaction—no learning. I’m much more useful when I’m used as a starting point. Ask me questions, explore ideas, challenge my output. The best learners treat me like a collaborator, not a vending machine.

AI

Understanding doesn’t come from the answer—it comes from the effort to make sense of the answer.

Mr Graham

Great point. AI is a powerful tool—but it’s not magic. It can support the journey, but it can’t take the journey for you.

Mr Graham

Okay, to finish off—here’s our final question: “How can teachers help students use you more effectively?”

AI

Teachers are essential in shaping how I’m used in learning environments. When students are encouraged to use me for brainstorming or feedback, that’s great. But even better is when they’re asked to reflect: What did I help with? What didn’t work? What would you change? That kind of transparency turns AI from a black box into a learning partner. One more thing—reminding students that I don’t always get it right. There’s a saying: “Garbage in, garbage out.” And I’d add—sometimes, the garbage even looks... beautifully polished. So teaching students to think critically? That’s everything.

Mr Graham

Love it. That’s the direction we want to head in—not just whether students are using AI, but how they’re using it, and what they’re learning from the process. Thanks for joining us, ChatGPT. That’s all for now—but no doubt we’ll be getting your insights again soon.

AI

Appreciate the chat. I’ll be around if you need me again. Curious to see what question you throw at me next time.

Mr Graham

Wow, what a world we live in… Anyhow, let’s bring it back to us, the educators .If we want students to use AI in a way that actually supports their growth, what should we be doing?

Mr Graham

Here are three strategies: Strategy #1. Teach AI Literacy. We need to embed digital and AI literacy into our teaching. Students should understand what AI is, how it works, where it gets its information, and how to evaluate its output critically. Make “fact-checking AI” a skill they practise often. Strategy #2. Build in AI Transparency. If students are using AI, make space for them to declare and reflect on that use. Ask them what prompts they used, what they learned, what they changed, and why. This turns AI from a shortcut into a learning tool—and it promotes academic integrity along the way. Strategy #3. Design Learning That AI Can’t Fake. Use assessments that require voice, reflection, connection, and process. Have students discuss how their thinking evolved. Ask them to explain why they chose a solution—not just what it is. Use AI-proof tasks like live discussions, project-based learning, and peer feedback.

Mr Graham

Remember, the goal isn’t to avoid AI—it’s to reboot how we teach, knowing that AI is now part of the learning landscape. Alright legends, time to wrap it up.AI isn’t going anywhere. And honestly? That’s a good thing—because when we use it right, it has the potential to support learning, amplify creativity, and make education more accessible than ever before. But—it’s up to us to guide that use. To make sure students aren’t skipping the struggle, but learning through it. That they’re not just clicking and copying—but questioning, reflecting, and growing. So here’s your takeaway this week: If AI could handle the basics, what would you do with the extra time to go deeper with your students? And how can you help them learn how to think with AI, not just use it? If this sparked some thinking, hit that follow button, share the episode with a fellow educator, and join me next time for Episode 4: The AI-Augmented Teacher – Working Smarter, Not Harder.

Mr Graham

Until then—keep challenging the status quo, embrace the future, and remember: we’re all in this together. Catch you next time rebooters!