Teaching Writing in an AI World: A Practical Guide

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So many things have shifted in writing instruction. With AI tools embedded into student devices, many teachers are left wondering:

“How do we even teach writing anymore?”

In this episode, I sit down with my colleague (and friend across the hall!) Dawne Beck to discuss honest, practical strategies for teaching writing in today’s AI-driven classroom.

In today’s show we’ll talk about ELA teaching in the writing classroom.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

✅ Why focusing on the writing process—not just the final product—maintains academic integrity.
✅ How to design creative writing prompts that AI can’t complete well.
✅ Smart ways to integrate AI feedback tools while preserving student voice.
✅ Simple techniques to help students recognize the value of their unique perspectives.

Key Takeaways for Teachers:

✏️ Move writing instruction into the classroom where you can guide the process.
📝 Use traditional tools like pencil and paper for brainstorming and outlining (but tech tools for drafting)
📖 Design assignments that require personal reflection and unique connections.
💡 Help students discover why their authentic writing matters.

AI isn’t going anywhere—but our students still need to write. Their voices, ideas, and creativity are irreplaceable. In this conversation, Dawne and I explore how to balance human creativity with AI tools and ensure students develop strong, original writing skills.

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Dawne Beck – Bio as Submitted

Dawne Beck is an experienced ELA teacher who is actively working to integrate AI into her classroom.

Dawne Beck is a veteran educator with over 28 years of experience teaching English and Spanish. She currently serves as an English Instructor and Department Head at Sherwood Christian Academy, where she has been teaching since 1996.

With expertise in writing instruction, curriculum development, and AI integration in the classroom, Dawne is passionate about helping students develop their unique writing voices while adapting to modern educational tools.

She holds a Master of Arts in Foreign Languages from The University of Southern Mississippi and a Bachelor’s degree in English and Spanish from Georgia Southwestern State University.

Linked in: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dawne-beck-3baa221b7/

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Vicki Davis

Vicki Davis has been an educator and IT director in Georgia since 2002. Today, she also works as an instructional technology coach, staying side-by-side with active teachers and students so her work stays grounded in real classrooms.

She's a mom of three, wife of one, and loves talking about the wise, transformational use of technology for teaching and doing good in the world.

She has blogged at the Cool Cat Teacher Blog since 2005 and hosts the 10 Minute Teacher Podcast and Cool Cat Teacher Talk (radio, public access TV, YouTube, and all major podcast platforms), interviewing remarkable educators around the world. Vicki focuses on what unites us — a quest for truly remarkable, life-changing teaching and learning. The goal of her work is to provide actionable, encouraging, relevant ideas for teachers, grounded in truth and shared with love.

If you talk to Vicki for long, she'll encourage you to "Relate to Educate," to "innovate like a turtle," or to be "a remarkable teacher." She loves homemade sourdough bread and cinnamon rolls and runs half marathons with her sisters. You can usually find her laughing with her students or digging into a book.

Thank you for reading, sharing, and telling your friends about the work we do here! - Vicki

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