I co-teach AP Computer Science A through Microsoft’s TEALS program. The classroom runs on Chromebooks, Google Classroom, and code.org (AWS). Corporate infrastructure top to bottom. This year I added an AI tutor. That’s apparently the controversial part.
The research is interesting: a Wharton study found students using standard ChatGPT performed 17% worse on exams—the “crutch” effect. But students using AI with pedagogical guardrails showed no negative effect. The problem isn’t AI in education. It’s unguided AI. So I built a tutor that asks probing questions instead of giving answers. I’m sharing the prompt I use and how to set one up yourself.
While, China made AI education mandatory for six-year-olds this year. We’re still deciding whether to block ChatGPT.
This is so dystopian. Get the kids hooked on XaaS while they are young, and you’ll have a customer for life.
I’m so happy I live in a welfare state, and gee I hope we manage to make the switch away from the US big tech monopoly.