Episode 23- Breaking the Shame Cycle: AI Literacy from Kindergarten to Graduation

Bob and Dr. Jessica White welcome three ACES professional learning specialists to the show: Nicole Beauchamp, Melissa Rosenthal, and Stacey Simpson. Together they pull back the curtain on what's actually happening with AI in Connecticut classrooms, and the answers might surprise you. Stacey shares findings from interviews with three students at different stages, from middle school to college. All three reported the same thing: their schools were banning AI outright, threatening zeros for anyone caught using it. Meanwhile, students like Stacey's daughter, who has dyslexia, are quietly teaching themselves to use AI as a learning partner. She breaks down word problems, parses confusing language, and accesses grade-level math without the shame that used to come with the struggle. The conversation digs into the hard questions. Is AI helping students reach deeper understanding, or just helping them survive an inflexible system? Where should educators protect productive struggle, and where should they remove barriers? Nicole offers a memorable comparison to the shift from horse-drawn carriages to cars. The infrastructure takes time to catch up, and right now education sits squarely in the messy middle. In this episode: Why students across grade levels keep hearing "don't use AI" and what that messaging costs them The shift in educator thinking from "how do we catch cheaters" to "how do we redesign assignments" Universal scaffolds: how AI supports both literacy and math learners, including multilingual students and kids with executive function challenges The CRAFT prompting method and why phased AI interactions beat one-shot answers A look inside the ACES K-12 AI literacy curriculum, including second graders learning prompting concepts without ever touching a device Middle school skills: verification, bias recognition, and understanding algorithms High school as the driver's seat: student agency, systems design, and vibe coding in the new AI Foundations course Practical first steps for teachers starting mid-stream, beginning with a simple class survey About our guests: Nicole Beauchamp is a professional learning specialist at ACES specializing in math, curriculum development, and building thinking classrooms. She has been in Education for 14 years- 12 as a high school math teacher at East Hartford High School in CT and 2 as an Instructional Coach in Bristol School District in CT. This is her first year as a Math Learning Specialist with ACES. Melissa Rosenthal is a professional learning specialist working closely with the ACES Center for AI. A former reading interventionist and coach, she has led AI workshops for educators and administrators across Connecticut, including a statewide monthly alliance for districts building AI policy and implementation teams. Stacey Simpson is a professional learning specialist with nearly 20 years of experience as a high school English teacher, reading interventionist, and instructional coach. She specializes in dyslexia identification and intervention. Connect with ACES and the Center for AI to learn more about AI literacy workshops, the K-12 curriculum, and professional development for your district. https://www.ACESpdsi.org