Research Insights
AI and ethical considerations In a pulse survey, conducted in January 2025 by the Alberta Teachers' Association, teachers emphasized the importance of integrating AI education into the curriculum, focusing on teaching students how to use it ethically and effectively:
Contemporary writing platforms now integrate machine learning to suggest sentence revisions, flag stylistic inconsistencies and even model alternative phrasing based on tone or audience. Used thought- fully, these tools can make the drafting process more dialogic—helping writers notice patterns in their prose; clarify intent; and refine expression through continuous, adaptive feedback. A teacher can design a writing assignment to tap into the assistive dimensions of AI by specifying how, whether and when students should consult it as part of their writing process. For example, a teacher may ask students to use a platform like Grammarly to check for proofreading and editing suggestions before turning in a draft. Another may invite students to annotate and “talk” through their draft with a personalized chatbot on a platform like Writing Partners. There are many ways teachers can design an as- signment that directs students to use AI’s assistance in particular ways, including requiring students to submit documentation about how they did so, for example, by providing a transcript of the conversa- tion or a report. RESISTIVE: HIGHLIGHTING STUDENTS’ OWN VOICES A resistive approach to AI involves designing assign- ments that resist AI use by foregrounding students’ own ideas and voices. This could involve assign- ments that focus on personal or process-driven writing, where students are asked to create original work without AI assistance. Many educators have ethical concerns about using AI. Indeed, not all assignments should use AI. One way to design writing assignments that resist AI is to work with genres and topics that are rooted in particular contexts. For example, a teacher may de- sign a class zine or podcast project in which students develop their own topics, research and produce con- tent across multiple drafts and modes, and present the work to different audiences. Or perhaps the teacher can draw on local texts that are specific to the school, neighbourhood or city, inviting students to use personal experience and creative expression. CREATIVE: COCREATING WITH AI Creative use of AI involves leveraging its creative capabilities to enhance students’ self-expression. AI then becomes a tool for students to experiment with different forms of writing and media, which might include cowriting a story, generating character dia- logue or even producing illustrations to accompany their narratives. If an educator’s goal is to explore students’ creative expressions, writing assignments that help
Teaching writing in the age of AI Strategies for educators
If students are taught how to use AI as a tool, then I believe it will be a major benefit, but if students are using it to do their work for them, it will be detrimental.
Robert LeBlanc
Amy Stornaiuolo
University of Lethbridge
University of Pennsylvania
Students must be taught educational ethics and to view AI as a tool to develop their product, not as it is often misused to be their end product.
We need to teach students how and when to use AI. Education is always changing, but we still need to gauge what each student is capable of without AI.
“ By reimagining writing assignments with AI, we hope to inspire thoughtful and equitable uses of this technology that empower students as writers.” — Robert LeBlanc, Amy Stornaiuolo
Source: Literacy and Numeracy Screeners, Classroom Conditions, Cellphone Bans and AI in Alberta’s K–12 Schools: ATA Pulse Research Study (January 9–31, 2025).
GENERATIVE ARTIFICIAL intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing how people write and communicate. Many educators, however, are unsure what role this technology should play in their teaching due to con- cerns ranging from ethics to AI’s impact on student creativity. But rather than avoid AI or simply react to its presence, educators have an opportunity to design their instruction intentionally to align with their teaching goals. We offer a practical guide for educators to de- sign how and when to incorporate AI into writing assignments. Our framework highlights five key pedagogical purposes—assistive, resistive, creative, rhetorical and critical—and provides a roadmap for intentional AI integration in the classroom. By reimagining writing assignments with AI, we hope to inspire thoughtful and equitable uses of this technol- ogy that empower students as writers. THE CHALLENGE OF AI IN WRITING EDUCATION As AI reshapes everyday writing practices, educators are left navigating a continually evolving landscape. Many teachers worry that students are using AI without guidance, potentially crossing ethical lines or undermining their own voice. At the same time, there is a growing interest in how AI can assist with lesson planning, feedback and personalized instruction. But what’s missing? While there is a wealth of resources for using AI for administrative tasks, such
FIVE KEY WAYS TO APPROACH AI WHEN CREATING WRITING ASSIGNMENTS
as creating rubrics or scaffolding lessons, there is little guidance on how to craft writing assignments that explicitly consider AI. Many educators have also expressed concerns about AI’s potential to erode originality and diminish student engagement. As we explored these concerns, we recognized a need for a clearer, more systematic approach to integrating AI into writing assignments. In our work with teachers, we found that they were looking for a concrete guide that would help them understand when and how to use AI without comprom- ising their values or pedagogical goals. OUR FRAMEWORK FOR DESIGNING WRITING ASSIGNMENTS WITH AI Through our ongoing collaboration with educators, we identified five key ways to approach AI when creat- ing writing assignments: assistive, resistive, creative, rhetorical and critical. ASSISTIVE: HOW AI CAN ASSIST IN WRITING Assistive use of AI involves identifying specific ways that assignments can incorporate AI to assist students in the writing process, whether that’s through gram- mar checks, idea generation or real-time feedback. The goal is to help students learn when to use AI strategically to refine their thinking and improve their writing—and when not to use it. It’s worth remembering that AI’s assistive role extends far beyond simple grammar correction.
• assistive • resistive • creative • rhetorical • critical
RECOMMENDED RESOURCE
Artful AI in Writing Instruction: A Human-Centered Approach to Using Artificial Intelligence in Grades 6–12 Brett Vogelsinger Available through the ATA library.
ATA Magazine Fall 2025
32
33
THE ALBERTA TEACHERS’ ASSOCIATION
Made with FlippingBook - PDF hosting