How Generative AI Can Deepen Critical Thinking in K12, Not Replace It
Shifting Schools: Conversations for K12 Educators
Release Date: 11/03/2025
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Shifting Schools: Conversations for K12 Educators
In this episode of Shifting Schools, Jeff Utecht and Tricia Friedman discuss their upcoming training sessions focused on integrating AI into education. They emphasize the importance of understanding AI's impact on the job market, the necessity of prompt engineering as a new skill for educators, and the need for AI literacy among students. The conversation also touches on the evolving nature of AI tools and the importance of addressing mental health concerns related to technology use among students. You can learn more about the five part series: Takeaways AI is reshaping the educational...
info_outlineDiscover how educators are using generative AI not to automate, but to elevate critical thinking and collaboration in K-12 schools. In this episode of Shifting Schools, host Tricia Friedman shows how “disagreement by design” and intentional prompt-engineering transform student and leadership learning.
What you’ll learn:
-
What disagreement by design looks like in real classrooms and leadership teams
-
How prompt engineering unlocks student curiosity and systems-thinking mindset in K-12
-
Why writing bespoke GPT bots might just be the 'new essay' of our times
Who this episode is for:
Any educator, school leader or district-innovator exploring how to responsibly integrate companion AI, AI avatars and prompt-driven dialogue into a learning ecosystem.
🧭 Key Topics
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What “disagreement by design” looks like in real classrooms
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How prompt engineering can unlock student curiosity
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Why generative AI needs to serve learning, not automation
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Examples of schools using AI for civic and digital literacy
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Mindsets for leading change with courage and care
Want to try out the chatbots?
'All about Avatars' https://chatgpt.com/g/g-69000b1682a8819188039180edcc55ce-all-about-avatars
On the Rise of Livestreaming: https://chatgpt.com/g/g-68ffd3cfb750819197dfa42090d38076-making-sense-of-fanum-and-the-rise-of-streaming
Learn more about our amazing show sponsor: Poll Everywhere
Keep learning with Shifting Schools
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Generative AI and Its Misunderstandings
01:36 The Importance of Designed Disagreement in AI
03:57 Prompt Engineering: Thinking Like a Designer
09:26 Creating Custom Chatbots for Specific Needs
13:52 AI Literacy and Community Building Through Technology