Writing Is Thinking – and AI Is Quietly Taking It Away with Dr. Linda Silbert

AI is starting to change more than how we work – it's changing how children learn, think, and make sense of the world. In this episode, Kenny sits down with Dr. Linda Silbert, an educational psychologist with over 30 years of experience and author of Why Good Kids Get Bad Grades, to explore what learning looks like in a world where any answer is one prompt away.Linda's view cuts against the panic. The kids using AI to cut corners, she argues, were always going to find a shortcut – the real risk is that they skip the part where thinking actually happens. They discuss why writing is thinking, why a developing brain can't yet tell the difference between using AI and cheating, and why the foundational skills of reading and writing matter more than ever.The conversation turns to how the education system and parents must respond – setting boundaries without banning the tool, keeping kids genuinely engaged rather than passively fed answers, and protecting the confidence and self-esteem that lets a child make good decisions when no one is watching. If you're a parent or a leader trying to understand what the next generation actually needs to keep developing, this one will stay with you.Chapters00:00 – Introduction to Dr. Linda Silbert & Why Grades Mislead Parents02:00 – 30 Years in Education and "Why Good Kids Get Bad Grades"04:05 – The AI Cheating Panic — and Why Kids Always Find a Shortcut07:35 – Why a 13-Year-Old's Brain Can't Tell AI From Cheating11:38 – From Calculators to AI: What's Happening to Writing14:05 – Writing Is Thinking: The Cursive Study Parents Should Know16:37 – Anxiety, Engagement, and How Kids Actually Learn21:14 – Self-Esteem and Being Your Child's Ally, Not Their AdversaryFind us on socials:🔗 Follow Kenny on LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennyalegbe/⁠🤖 Follow Brim on LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/joinbrim/⁠📩 For business or guest inquiries: ⁠[email protected]⁠