When Students and AI Collaborate: New Models of Learning in Action at LCS

After exploring AI frameworks in our last newsletter, we now step into classrooms where these principles come alive through student experiences. Discover specific examples of how LCS teachers approach "Lane 2" assessments (learning experiences where students collaborate with AI in real-world contexts) with "Lane 1" moments preserved for independent work.

 

 

In her Grade 11 Pre-AP Biology class, Ms. Thalen transformed how students learn about body system disorders. Rather than assigning traditional research projects vulnerable to AI shortcuts, she created an immersive clinical simulation.

 

"I used Flint to generate doctor-patient role plays focused on disorders across three body systems," she explains. Students interviewed AI patients, ordered lab tests, and consulted AI for medical guidance before diagnosing conditions.

 

The exercise revealed healthcare complexities: "Students discovered how many questions doctors need to ask." After cycling through multiple cases, students selected two for class presentations, explaining their diagnostic reasoning, treatment options, and prognoses.

 

"The interactive format created natural opportunities for peer feedback and discussion," notes Ms. Thalen. "It proved far more effective than lecturing about disorders."

 

 

 

Mr. Gilfillan's American History class tackled free speech through a Columbia University case study and First Amendment principles. Students represented diverse stakeholders including federal government perspectives.

 

"AI helped design different interest groups and scenarios," Mr. Gilfillan explains. After studying source materials, students researched their assigned viewpoints and drafted opening statements with AI assistance.

 

The live debate showcased surprising engagement: "Students who typically observe quietly became vocal advocates, generating compelling arguments within this immersive context." The format included opening statements, open discussion, alliance-building, and closing arguments.

 

Flint recorded and analyzed the entire discussion while Mr. Gilfillan provided real-time guidance to groups. "Flint gives feedback on student performances against winning criteria and ranks group effectiveness," he adds. This holistic support is like having another teacher in the classroom to pay attention to different aspects of the conversation that Mr. Gilfillan might have otherwise missed. It helped him give better feedback to groups. Flint’s assessment of the group’s performance was strongly aligned with Mr. Gilfillan’s.

 

Most remarkably, students developed authentic investment in initially unfamiliar positions. "They transcended their assignments and genuinely advocated for viewpoints they hadn't considered meaningful just thirty minutes earlier."

 

 

 

Ms. Nichols' Grade 9 math class collected and graphed data on self-selected variables, then crafted persuasive letters to share their findings with relevant stakeholders.

 

While focusing on data collection and graphing skills, the assignment incorporated real-world application through persuasive writing. "AI enhances students' ability to communicate effectively about their authentic findings," Ms. Nichols explains. She created a Flint activity supporting the writing process: "Students answer prompting questions with their own data and analysis. Then Flint offers suggestions to help transform their thoughts into well-structured letters."

 

One student, Sofia 28’, conducted an experiment on cookie baking times, photographing cookies removed at various intervals and tracking which were eaten first based on baking duration. Her letter to Betty Crocker combined quantitative data with qualitative observations, arguing that the company should extend their recommended baking time based on her finding that longer-baked cookies were consistently selected first.

 

"Sofia felt her thinking and voice remained intact," Ms. Nichols observed. "Flint simply helped her organize ideas more professionally without getting bogged down in sentence structure when that wasn't our focus."

 

 

 

These Lane 2 assessments illuminate our approach, which is about creating scenarios that demand student judgment while expanding classroom possibilities. Whether through clinical simulations, policy debates, or data analysis, students engage with AI but ultimately rely on their own expertise and voice. This careful choreography preserves the moments when students apply AI insights through their unique perspective. We remain guided by a central question: How can we cultivate both independence from and fluency with these powerful tools?

 

We continued the conversation about AI in LCS classrooms during our monthly parent Zoom call on May 6th. If you missed it, you can watch the recording to hear more about how we’re approaching AI at LCS—and how your questions and perspectives are helping shape this work.