Build the Ark – Keeping AI Out of the Classroom

In over 2 decades of classroom teaching, I’ve never used technology in my classrooms. Not chrome books. Not projectors. No toys with batteries. I am steadfast in my antique objection to AI. I am absolutely not “getting with the times”.

I’ve been criticized for not “preparing my students for the real world”, a world of monotonous tasks and endless click clacking on keyboards. A world where they will be demanded to sit still and focus.

My response has always been, “I’m educating children not training dogs. I don’t need them to “sit” or “stay”, I need to light up every part of their brain and hear them scream in delight and cry in frustration. THAT is how we prepare children for the real world.”

Next week in religious school, my students will build an ark, like Noah. It took Noah years to build the ark. He learned the different kinds of trees. He got strong chopping and cutting. He built strong relationships with his family members. He learned to stand up to bullies. Noah wasn’t given an ark. He built it.

In our school, we learn through games and a favorite game is spot it. I wanted to make an aleph bet spot it game, but the idea was daunting. I was talking to a teacher friend and she told me to use AI. I thought “YES!!!!” I haven’t really used AI, but what a great use! It’ll save me HOURS of time.

The next day, while standing in the shower, I thought about what prompts I would use. What information I would need to give the computer. How I want it laid out. What size I want the letters. I pictured it in my mind. Then I got curious. How many cards do I need? How would I get only one letter on each card to match with only one other card in the deck.

That familiar “fireworks” feeling began and I lost 45 minutes just thinking about how challenging and fun it would be to figure out how to make an Aleph bet spot it game. I decided to try it myself. I lost hours of time on my weekend. I got so frustrated multiple times I almost quit. I learned new strategies and tried new things. My brain lit up and I was trapped in a body filled with challenge, curiosity, wonder.

I didn’t get to binge my favorite shows.
I didn’t get to watch hours of Instagram reels.

And I’m so glad I didn’t save any time by using AI.

Next week at religious school, my students will build an ark. They will have duck tape, scissors and wire. They will have a kiddie pool in the middle of the room and toy animals to test their progress.  And that is all.

I want them to BUILD an ark.

I want them to wonder what an ark needs.

I want them to be curious about buoyancy.

I want them to groan when it doesn’t work.

I want them to try again.

I want them to cheer each other on.

I want them to celebrate progress.

I want them to lose hours of time focusing on something hard.

I want their brains to light on fire and their fingers to learn new skills.

AI gives us the finished product.

It saves time.

But living in that time it saves are the myriad of skills AI steals from us.

Skills that prepare us for the few parts of the world that are still away from a screen.

I don’t want my students to have a finished product. I don’t want them to save time.

I want them to learn through action.

I want them to use their time.

I don’t want them to HAVE an ark.

I want them to BUILD an ark.