AI in the Classroom — Why There Are No Best Practices Yet

MIT's Justin Reich interviewed 120 teachers and students about AI in the classroom — and his honest takeaway is that there are no research-based best practices yet. Here's what to do instead. In this episode of the 10 Minute Teacher Podcast, Justin Reich (MIT Teaching Systems Lab, host of The Homework Machine) joins Vicki Davis to talk about what AI is really doing in K-12 classrooms, why the research is still in its infancy, and how teachers can run their own small "local science" experiments right now. In this episode, you'll learn: Why classroom teachers and students — not thought leaders — give the truest picture of AI in schools Why there are no AI "best practices" yet (and the 25-year research timeline that explains it) How to run a small, honest "local science" experiment in your own classroom this week Why your domain knowledge — not the tool — is what makes AI actually useful Four ways teachers are handling AI cheating (and how to tell when yours isn't working) The power of "subtraction": what schools should stop doing to do their best work Full show notes, resources, and the books mentioned: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e939 If this conversation helped you, please leave a review wherever you're listening and share it with a teacher friend — it genuinely helps more educators find the show. Sponsor. Today's show is sponsored by EF Explore America and their STEM Tours. Lead your students on a STEM tour to places on the cutting edge of innovation to show them how STEM thinking often shows up where you least expect it. Imagine your students coding robots with MassRobotics at MIT, exploring marine ecosystems in Florida's coral reefs, or even sitting down to talk with a former spy in Washington DC. If you want to inspire your students and give them a fresh perspective on the power of STEM, visit efexploreamerica.com/STEM. All opinions are those of the teachers and the host.