What does being a 21st Century language learner mean? The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages asked language learners in the USA what they thought - and here's what they found.
The Manual of AI-Mediated Autonomous Teacher Development is your ultimate guide to using AI as a collaborative partner in your teaching journey. Written by Nik Peachey, an award-winning educator and expert in educational technology, this book takes you beyond generic AI-generated materials. Instead, it introduces collaborative prompting - a groundbreaking approach to professional growth through collaborative prompting - a method that transforms AI from a simple tool into an active mentor, guide, and thinking partner.
How to spark AI creativity. Discover 5 unconventional AI prompting tactics to get bold, creative results. Plus 10 odd prompts to push AI beyond boring responses
The most sophisticated AI tutor in the world is powerless against a culture that reduces learning to grade optimisation. Conversely, even basic AI tools can be transformative in environments that prioritise understanding, growth, and authentic engagement.
Nik Peachey's insight:
On the surface this is an article comparing GPT to Gemini, but there are some more important points about learning and attitudes to learning underlying the discussion.
For many language learners, especially those with academic writing anxiety, the most challenging part of writing is not coming up with the right vocabulary words or checking their grammar; it is simply starting the process in the first place. The blank page can be an intimidating experience, requiring instructors to provide support and healthy solutions to avoid common pitfalls students may experience, such as overreliance on generative AI or the buildup of writing-related stress and anxiety over time. This support can look like guiding the students to break down the writing process into manageable steps through process writing and promoting tech tools that lower the barriers to starting the writing process.
As Artificial Intelligence (AI) increasingly influences how we access information, communicate, and make decisions, AI literacy becomes essential for navigating daily life, creating with purpose, and preparing for the future of learning and work. AI literacy equips learners and educators to understand both the risks and opportunities that AI presents, and to make meaningful and ethical decisions about its use.
“Integrating AI literacy into education is essential to equip students with the critical thinking skills necessary to understand, interact with, and innovate using digital technologies, preparing them to contribute meaningfully to society” (Lidija Kralj)
As Artificial Intelligence (AI) increasingly influences how we access information, communicate, and make decisions, AI literacy becomes essential for navigating daily life, creating with purpose, and preparing for the future of learning and work. AI literacy equips learners and educators to understand both the risks and opportunities that AI presents, and to make meaningful and ethical decisions about its use
In the last couple of weeks I've come across a few interesting articles relating to AI that have made me think and question my opinions, so I'm sharing them here to see what you think and whether they do the same for you.
I increasingly find people asking me “does AI damage your brain?” It's a revealing question. Not because AI causes literal brain damage (it doesn't) but because the question itself shows how deeply we fear what AI might do to our ability to think. So, in this post, I want to discuss ways of using AI to help, rather than hurt, your mind. But why the obsession over AI damaging our brains?
Nik Peachey's insight:
This article is well worth reading. - AI can help, or hurt, our thinking. I particularly like the conclusion “Our fear of AI “damaging our brains” is actually a fear of our own laziness. The technology offers an easy out from the hard work of thinking, and we worry we'll take it. We should worry. But we should also remember that we have a choice.
Your brain is safe. Your thinking, however, is up to you.”
Author Ethan Mollick states, "I increasingly find people asking me, 'Does AI damage your brain?” It's a revealing question. Not because AI causes literal brain damage (it doesn't) but because the question itself shows how deeply we fear what AI might do to our ability to think. So, in this post, I want to discuss ways of using AI to help, rather than hurt, your mind. But why the obsession over AI damaging our brains? - This article is well worth reading. - AI can help or hurt our thinking. I particularly like the conclusion, “Our fear of AI's damaging our brains” is a fear of our laziness. The technology offers an easy out from the hard work of thinking, and we worry we'll take it. We should worry. But we should also remember that we have a choice. Your brain is safe. Your thinking, however, is up to you.”
"Voice technologies are no longer just about recognizing what we say; they are beginning to understand how we say it. As artificial intelligence (AI) advances, it can detect subtle emotional signals in our speech, promising more human-like interactions with machines. Emotional AI is reshaping how voice data is used across industries."
"Paralinguistic voice analysis focuses on non-verbal elements of speech like tone, pitch, volume, pauses and rhythm that convey emotion, intention or attitude. While traditional voice recognition focused on transcribing spoken words, emotional AI adds a new layer: interpreting how those words are delivered. Today’s AI systems use deep learning to identify these paralinguistic features in real time."
"Voice technologies are no longer just about recognizing what we say; they are beginning to understand how we say it. As artificial intelligence (AI) advances, it can detect subtle emotional signals in our speech, promising more human-like interactions with machines. Emotional AI is reshaping how voice data is used across industries."
When we think about media manipulation, we often picture advanced editing software, fake news, or AI-generated deepfakes. But for me, the question starts much earlier and much simpler: can a four or five-year-old understand that a photo might not show what really happened?
When we think about media manipulation, we often picture advanced editing software, fake news, or AI-generated deepfakes. But for me, the question starts much earlier and much simpler: can a four or five-year-old understand that a photo might not show what really happened?
This toolkit has been designed to help educators and learners integrate Socratic thinking into their language learning and storytelling practices, using various AI-powered tools such as ChatGPT, NotebookLM, Socrat.ai, and Gemini. It brings together structured strategies, sample prompts, and classroom-ready templates to promote critical inquiry, reflective writing, and creative expression—instead of relying on ready-made answers.
Nik Peachey's insight:
This looks like a really useful free resource with a guide to prompt engineering, and a toolkit for the socratic method https://www.readco-ai.eu/toolkit/
When students no longer felt the need to write for my approval—or for a letter grade that could make or break their GPA—they wrote for themselves. They took risks. They admitted when they were confused. They experimented with AI tools honestly, instead of sneaking them under the table.
Nik Peachey's insight:
I love this article on how to stop students cheating with AI https://substack.com/home/post/p-171936994 This is something I've tried in the past with tests as well as written assignments - we need to focus more on the learning and less on the assessment.
The world our students are entering is not an upgraded version of the past. It is something entirely new. We are no longer the sole producers of knowledge. But we are still the ones who bring judgment, context, and meaning to it. We are still the ones who ask why it matters, for whom, and at what cost. We are still the ones who care—and teach others to care, too.
Nik Peachey's insight:
This is quite long and covers a lot, but it's worth investing some time in.
The global rise in smartphone and social media use has dramatically reshaped childhood and adolescence, with algorithmically engineered digital environments increasingly influencing young people’s capabilities and functionings. This paper draws on data from the Global Mind Project to examine the population-level impacts of childhood smartphone ownership on mind health and wellbeing in young adulthood.
As a Psychology and ICT major, this article helped me with linking early smartphone use to interface design features (e.g. infinite scroll, notifications, algorithmic reinforcement) and emotional regulation challenges. Worth the read.
In May, I received a grant to provide my fall Composition I students with ChatGPT subscriptions. These students will meet in a computer lab, giving us space to explore these tools in a collaborative setting. With OpenAI access, students will benefit from faster responses, voice-to-text, custom learning tools, and Sora, OpenAI’s image and video generator, to deepen engagement with our readings.
I'm continuing my series of AI prompts that can help to promote critical thinking this week with one to help teachers design tasks based on Bloom's Taxonomy. You would be surprised how many times I've seen materials promoted as being inspired or modelled on Bloom's Taxonomy that don't come anywhere
Nik Peachey's insight:
Using AI to design tasks based on Bloom's Taxonomy
"An AI-powered video coaching platform enables pre-service teachers to independently reflect on their teaching, receive time-stamped feedback, and improve their practice by aligning lessons with self-identified goals—fostering scalable, self-guided professional growth."
In de VS wordt AI ingezet om toekomstige docenten te begeleiden met directe feedback, gesimuleerde praktijksituaties en reflectievragen. Doel: betere voorberetiding, meer gelijkheid én opschaling van lerarenopleidingen.
� Interessant voorbeeld van hoe AI niet vervangt, maar versterkt.
A computerized AI coaching support model enables pre-service teachers to engage in scalable, self-guided reflection for teacher preparation. It is worth having a look at, as it will likely lead to more improvements for Teachers and Instructors.
A new type of relationship is emerging in teens' lives—one that feels like connection but is powered by code. Our new research reveals that nearly three in four teens have used AI companions, and half use them regularly.
Discover how integrating artificial intelligence and critical thinking strategies can foster transformative learning experiences in higher education. Learn how educators can model, guide, and support students in navigating AI with intention, reflection, and integrity.
Nik Peachey's insight:
Whilst a lot of articles like this see critical thinking as a tool to apply to AI generated content, I find myself seeing AI as a tool to critically examine the world
Discover how integrating artificial intelligence and critical thinking strategies can foster transformative learning experiences in higher education. Learn how educators can model, guide, and support students in navigating AI with intention, reflection, and integrity. Whilst a lot of articles like this see critical thinking as a tool to apply to AI-generated content, I find myself seeing AI as a tool to critically examine the world
Watch the recording of the webinar from Tuesday 8 July 2025 to explore how teacher educators can help teachers partner with AI to identify relevant and credible research, and extract insights that inform their classroom practice.
Watch the recording of the webinar from Tuesday 8 July 2025 to explore how teacher educators can help teachers partner with AI to identify relevant and credible research, and extract insights that inform their classroom practice.
Following on from previous weeks, I'm sharing another AI prompt which can help develop critical thinking skills. If we want to develop critical thinking in our students then we need to start by developing it in ourselves and modelling it for our students.
Nik Peachey's insight:
Critical thinking and AI - Here's a short post with a prompt to help teachers develop their socratic questioning techniques
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