A guide to AI in schools: Perspectives for the perplexed

“A guide to AI in schools: Perspectives for the perplexed.”AI literacy is perplexing, everyone seems to want it taught, but few people can adequately describe or define it. AI is also different than the arrival of previous learning technology; it did not enter schools and university as the result of deliberate institutional plans and policies; instead, students and teachers simply began using it. As a result, institutions of higher learning as well as K-12 schools are scrambling to adjust; many are rapidly adopting policies and designing courses, events, and resources intended to make learners fluent or proficient in AI literacy. Fortunately, Justin Reich and his colleagues in the Teaching Systems Lab (TSL) have provided a vision of how K-12 schools can design a rich ecosystem for a more AI literate populace. See their new guidebook, “A guide to AI in schools: Perspectives for the perplexed. MIT Teaching Systems Lab.” Available: https://tsl.mit.edu/ai-guidebook/ and https://tsl.mit.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/GuideToAIInSchools.pdfAs part of these efforts, they have produced books, films, podcast shows, and other timely resources to promote a more active and engaging pedagogical approach with AI tools and platforms. In fact, Justin and his colleague Jesse Dukes recently designed a 7-episode podcast series called “The Homework Machine.” As schools continue to grapple with the arrival of and experimentation with generative AI, “this timely series explores how the technology is reshaping the daily lives of K–12 teachers, staff, and students.” In Episode #259 of Silver Lining for Learning, you will discover how The Homework Machine takes listeners inside real classrooms and conversations to get a reality check in terms of generative AI in education. As Dr. Reich details with candid interviews and stories from K-12 students themselves, the series lays out both the promise and peril of this new tech in education.Justin Reich is an associate professor of digital media in the Comparative Media Studies/Writing department at MIT and the director of the Teaching Systems Lab. He is the author of Iterate: The Secret to Innovation in Schools and Failure to Disrupt: Why Technology Alone Can’t Transform Education, and he is the host of the TeachLab Podcast. In addition, Justin is the co-host of The Homework Machine, a limited series podcast about AI in schools. Justin Reich earned his doctorate from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and was the Richard L. Menschel HarvardX Research Fellow. He is a past Fellow at the Berkman-Klein Center for Internet and Society. His writings have been published in Science, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Washington Post, The Atlantic, and other scholarly journals and public venues. He started his career as a high school history teacher, and coach of wrestling and outdoor adventure activities. Follow Justin on Twitter or Google Scholar. More about Justin can be found at:https://tsl.mit.edu/team/justin-reich/Jesse Dukes is a veteran journalist, podcast producer, and researcher. He was a senior producer of podcasts at WBEZ, Chicago for seven years, serving as the longtime audio producer at Curious City, and producing Season 4 of Motive. He has taught audio storytelling at the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke, and Denison University. Jesse is the co-host of The Homework Machine, a limited series podcast about AI in schools.Resources:Justin Reich (PI and MIT Teaching Systems Lab Director), Jesse Dukes, Josh Sheldon, Julie M. Smith, Manee Ngozi Nmani, & Natasha Esteves (2025, November). A guide to AI in schools: Perspectives for the perplexed. MIT Teaching Systems Lab. Available: https://tsl.mit.edu/ai-guidebook/ and https://tsl.mit.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/GuideToAIInSchools.pdfJustin Reich (2025, November 5). Stop Pretending You Know How to Teach AI; Colleges are racing to make students ‘fluent.’ One problem: No one knows what that means. The Chronicle of Higher Education. Available: https://www.chronicle.com/article/stop-pretending-you-know-how-to-teach-aiMIT Teaching Systems Lab: https://tsl.mit.edu/ Join the conversation at silverliningforlearning.org