This is a guest blog submission, written by Todd Macadangdang, Founder of MindSage Durable Skills Professional Training Program.
AI is here, and it’s reshaping our world and our future. From healthcare to finance to entertainment, AI is being embedded in nearly every industry. In fact, I’d bet that anyone reading this has interacted with AI in some form within the past few hours, if not the past few days. It’s everywhere, quietly transforming how we live and work. So, why are we so hesitant to embrace AI in our schools or allow students to use it as a learning tool?
In my workshop at the Bridge Conference, hosted by Schools Out Washington, I drove home this idea: AI has officially joined the workforce – So teach your kids how to work with their future team member. The image above is a slide from my presentation, underscoring that point. AI is in the workplace, so why wouldn’t we introduce it to our students?
This isn’t just about using technology; it’s about shaping creators who use AI and lead with curiosity, compassion, and ethics.
I use AI. Do you?
Take my own process as an example. I rely on AI tools to refine my work—whether it’s correcting grammar and spelling, or clarifying the content I’ve created. The ideas you’re reading are entirely mine, but most paragraphs have been shaped with the help of the AI prompt: “Correct and clarify.”
I use, “correct” to help in identifying and correcting spelling and grammar errors, while “clarify” helps keep my message clear and concise—since I tend to ramble. For me, AI isn’t just a tool; it’s a collaborator, making my work sharper, and hopefully easier to understand. It’s literally like working with some editors I’ve collaborated with in the past who cut, slash, and rewrite my written words.
Game changers.
The introduction of computers in schools was a game-changer. What if I had never been allowed to use a computer in high school or college, and then suddenly computers were everywhere at work? That gap would be huge. The same is true with AI. If we don’t allow it in school, will students be prepared to ethically wield AI’s power in the workplace? To avoid this knowledge gap for your students, wouldn’t it be wise to start teaching them how to work with AI now? It’s essential that we guide them in building a healthy relationship with AI, so they’re prepared to work with AI (not be replaced by it) in the future.
It could be beneficial to go beyond bans and restrictions and teach students how to build a healthy, productive relationship with AI—one that empowers them to thrive in a world where technology and human potential go hand in hand. How? By helping them develop durable skills– qualities and traits like curiosity, imagination, empathy, social emotional intelligence, pride and self-confidence.
• Curiosity so students don’t just ask for answers, but learn to ask AI the right questions to drive their learning and exploration.
• Imagination for teaching students to use AI as a launchpad for possibility—to ask not just for what’s already been done, but for what’s possible, sparking the imagination that drives innovation.
• Combine that with empathy, emotional intelligence, and a sense of pride—so they focus not just on getting ahead in school with good grades and GPA, but on using AI as a tool to amplify their own ideas and talents. Ideas and talents that they may not get the opportunity to express and develop in the current school system.
• Finally, self-confidence—to give young people the understanding that their thoughts hold value, their ideas are meaningful, and their voices have the power to create a positive impact on their own lives and the lives of others – with AI as an assistant, researcher, collaborator.
Self-confidence is especially crucial because it can shift the mindset from relying on AI for output to recognizing that AI depends on them to create something worthwhile. AI depends on their well-crafted, thoughtful prompts that become the key and catalyst for generating something extraordinary and collaborative. This isn’t just about using technology; it’s about shaping creators who use AI and lead with curiosity, compassion, and ethics.
It reminds me of that saying “teach a person to fish…” – except now we’re teaching students how to think critically with AI as their tool, not just how to use AI itself. Durable skills are the ultimate game-changer—they unlock student potential in ways that grades alone can’t measure.
What will you do?
We could just ban or restrict the use of AI in schools. If we do, however, when students enter the workplace, they may still struggle to use AI ethically and to its fullest potential. At the same time, we don’t want students using AI as a shortcut to complete assignments or ace their tests. So again what’s the answer?
My suggestion, based on experience with our program, is to help young people build a healthy relationship with technology—one where AI is a tool to enhance their work, not replace their effort. This requires helping young folks develop durable skills—qualities, traits, attitudes, and mindsets that allow them to think critically, solve problems, and adapt. These skills, not just grades or knowledge, will set them up for long-term success in a world where technology and human creativity work together.
Self-confidence is crucial in shifting the mindset from relying on AI for output to recognizing that AI depends on them to create something worthwhile.
