7 Takeaways from a Year on the Road

Separating fact from fiction - and a few changes are afoot

I’ve been on the road for a year now. Working with universities, K-12 schools, and institutions has provided a lens into the way the market is changing.

Here’s a brief list of some of the major takeaways and changes I notice at educational institutions across the country.

1. Educators Aren’t Caught in the Hype Cycle

Most educators aren’t caught up in the flashy AI headlines or viral posts. They’re measured, skeptical, and thoughtful. Many are experimenting with GenAI tools, but few are buying into the idea that it’s a silver bullet. Among educator users, there is a reasoned understanding of the risks and dangers, alongside the benefits and reality.

2. Assessment Is [Still] the Elephant in the Room

No matter how efficient or impressive a tool is, the conversation always circles back to the assessment question. There’s no one-size-fits-all answer yet, but the hunger for guidance here trumps most other issues.

3. The Emotional Toll Is Real

Roughly a third of every group I work with expresses real frustration, even grief. Many see the rollout of these tools by tech companies as irresponsible, at best. An underrated storyline within all of this is the psychological and emotional toll that educators are and have been experiencing for the last three years. We should not ignore this.

4. January to May Changed Everything

Back in January, many sessions were still about showing people what was possible. By May, that had changed. Educators had seen enough to move past the “magic trick” stage. The conversation is maturing rapidly.

5. Students Want to Talk About It

Despite the prevailing myth that young people want to be left alone with GenAI, I found the opposite. Students are eager - even desperate - for adult guidance. They want to know how to use these tools responsibly, creatively, and ethically. What frustrates them the most is silence. It’s when educators ignore the elephant in the room.

Furthermore, parents are desperate for guidance. I can’t tell you how many parents of high school-aged students ask me to run a workshop for their kids and their friends. I’m not sure what a scalable solution looks like here, but parent guides continue to pop up, which is a good thing.

6. Being “AI-Forward” Is No Longer a Scarlet Letter

In Fall 2024, many teachers told me they felt they had to hide their GenAI use. That’s changing. Increasingly, schools are highlighting and celebrating educators who are thoughtfully incorporating AI into their practice. It’s a subtle shift, but one that signals cultural momentum.

The best part of this change is that educators who are experimenting and trying to learn no longer have to pretend they aren’t using GenAI. They can talk about it, and people want to hear what they have to say.

7. You Can’t Solve a Problem You Haven’t Played With

Late adopters often want immediate answers to the student-facing challenges—assessment, integrity, plagiarism. But there’s a tension: you can’t design good GenAI-era pedagogy if you haven’t built your own literacy first. The solution starts with experience. With play. With discomfort. You have to use it before you can teach with it, about it, or around it.

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If you’re interested in catching up, let me know. I won’t be on the conference circuit this fall but will be visiting and working with institutions in GA, MD, NM, WA, AL, OH, and NJ - including Ohio Wesleyan University and The University of Washington.

Hope to see you out there!