Jim Bentley on AI, Curiosity, and the Classroom as a Laboratory

In this episode we speak with Jim Bentley, a fifth- and sixth-grade teacher in Elk Grove, California, who is entering his 31st year in the classroom. We examine how Jim has begun using AI with students. Topics covered:The classroom as a laboratory for curiosity, experimentation, and productive mistakesHow project-based learning shaped Jim’s teaching philosophyAn AI image-generation project connected to Raymie Nightingale by Kate DiCamilloPrompt writing, revision, and healthy skepticism toward AI-generated resultsMedia literacy, lateral reading, and fact-checking AI responsesThe difference between using AI as a productivity tool and using it as a learning toolWhat it means for students to do “real work,” not merely “schoolwork”Rubric design, teacher judgment, and the risk of overvaluing polished final products