Teacher Rejects AI in Classroom, Chooses Traditional Learning Methods
In a world increasingly driven by technology, Chanea Bond, a teacher at Southwest High School in Fort Worth, Texas, is bucking the trend by eliminating AI and digital devices from her classroom. Instead, she reverts to traditional tools like paper and pencils to foster genuine learning experiences among her students.
Stacks of paper fill Bond’s classroom as she encourages her students to journal and complete handwritten assignments. “If you walk into almost any one of my classes today, you will see that all of my students are handwriting,” notes Bond, emphasizing the importance of engaging with material directly instead of relying on AI.
Bond’s decision is rooted in her belief that an analog approach is the best way to prevent students from depending on generative AI, which she believes can hinder their ability to think critically and independently. At Southwest High School, serving predominantly low-income students, Bond is committed to ensuring her students develop essential skills.
Learning Through Handwriting and Process
Bond starts each class with journaling exercises to boost students’ writing confidence and familiarity with their own voices. “I know that I have a lot of students who don’t believe that their voices sound academic enough,” she explains, adding that these exercises provide a platform for students to explore their thoughts.
Grades in Bond’s class are not just based on the final product; she evaluates every step of the writing process. She believes this comprehensive assessment discourages students from using AI. “The steps matter to the cumulative overall grade because that’s how I know that the thinking is happening,” Bond states.
Student Reactions
Initially, students like junior Meyah Alvarez were skeptical, but Alvarez now appreciates Bond’s approach. Alvarez acknowledges that writing by hand “actually does get my brain thinking,” and she enjoys the interactive nature of the assignments.
Another student, Eligh Ellison, admits to using AI for schoolwork but supports Bond’s AI-free policy as it offers a space to cultivate his own thoughts. “I think that AI does have a time and a place, but especially as it’s still evolving and a lot of us are still yet to make solid opinions, we’re standing on shaky ground,” Ellison explains.
Broader Educational Context
While Bond’s methods are distinctive, not every educator agrees with her stance. Brett Vogelsinger, an English teacher in Philadelphia, is exploring how to responsibly integrate AI into his teaching. He encourages students to discern between using AI as a crutch and as a tool to enhance learning.
Despite differing views, education systems across the U.S. are increasingly incorporating AI. Miami-Dade County Public Schools, for instance, provides access to Google’s Gemini chatbot, highlighting the growing acceptance of AI in education. Similarly, New Jersey has invested in grants to support AI innovation in schools.
Bond remains open to the future potential of AI but currently prioritizes foundational skills over AI integration. She emphasizes the importance of students learning to think independently: “It’s less harmful to me to make sure that they can do the things without the AI than to try and push the AI into my classroom.”
This reporting was supported by a grant from the Tarbell Center for AI Journalism and the Omidyar Network’s Reporters in Residence program.
