🤖 Student AI chatbots: Use? Or nah?

Tools, considerations, cautions and teaching ideas for student AI chatbots

The next phase of classroom AI

For a while, we were just trying to figure out what ChatGPT did.

Then, we were good with using it to help us create lesson plans and learning materials.

Now, it seems like we’re heading to the next phase — students using AI.

This is increasingly becoming a common question when I do AI workshops and sessions at schools and conferences.

  • Should students use AI chatbots?

  • How old should they be?

  • Is it safe?

  • Can it really support critical thinking?

Today’s 💡 Big Idea answers several questions you might have about student-facing AI.

PS: Want to share a link to the 💡 Big Idea with someone? Use the “Read Online” link in the top right of this email … then grab the link there.

Inside:

  • 📺 Free webinar — and free Starbucks ☕️

  • 👀 DTT Digest: Halloween, NASA, Canva, Google Forms

  • 💡 The Big Idea: Student AI chatbots: Use ‘em? Or nah?

  • 🪞 30 days of reflecting with MirrorTalk

  • 😄 Smile of the day: “But I just finished!” 😡

  • 👋 How we can help

📺 Free webinar — and free Starbucks ☕️

This message is sponsored by Trafera

If you teach at a Google school, you’ve GOT to attend this fun free webinar I’m doing with Trafera!

Title: Viral Learning: Video-Based Google Activities for the TikTok Generation
Hosts: Matt Miller and Trafera’s Josh Ratliff
Date: Wednesday, October 30
Time: 3pm U.S. Eastern / 2pm Central / 1pm Mountain / noon Pacific
Location: Online (I mean, it IS a webinar …)
Replay: Yes (but you have to register)

Bonus: Get a $5 Starbucks gift card (when you register with a valid school/work email AND complete the exit survey at the end of the live session)

👀 DTT Digest

4 teaching resources worth checking out today

💡 THE BIG IDEA 💡

🤖 Student AI chatbots: Use ‘em? Or nah?

Image created with Microsoft Designer

When ChatGPT was new, many of us started thinking about the implications of AI assistants in learning.

  • Could students use them responsibly to learn?

  • Could they actually help students think critically?

  • Would they replace student thought and make us stupid?

At first, they were somewhat theoretical discussions. The terms of use started at 18+ for ChatGPT, and there weren’t classroom-specific AI tools yet.

Now, they’re here.

More and more student-facing AI tools are becoming available to schools every day. And educators have questions …

  • Should we use them? And at what age?

  • What can they actually do?

  • Are there concerns? Cautions?

Let’s look at what you should consider regarding AI chatbots with students …

First … what exactly is an AI chatbot?

A chatbot is a chat — a back-and-forth messaging platform — where you interact with a “bot” (from “robot”) — an artificial intelligence model.

  • These aren’t the early chatbots you may have used in the past. Customer service used rule-based chatbots where you could only make very limited, specific requests.

  • These newer student AI chatbots use large language models (LLMs) to make sophisticated, original responses … and natural language processing (NLP) to sound very human.

What are some student AI chatbots for the classroom?

This isn’t an exhaustive list, but these are tools that teachers are discussing and using in their classrooms (according to my own personal conversation and research) …

Are they any good?

Some tools are better at certain types of learning activities. And it depends on what you’re asking them to do.

Large language models (LLMs), in general, are good at creating text. They’re not designed for certain things — like being precisely accurate with facts and doing math — although they’re pretty good at it.

Their student responses can be kind of general. Some of that has to do with limitations of the AI models — and, sometimes, the limitations that the product developers put on the AI models to keep kids safer.

And sometimes, the limited responses have to do with the instructions you give the chatbot about how to interact with students. The more specific you can be — and the more context you provide for the conversation — the better the result.

But chatbots do provide immediate feedback and real-time interaction.

If the kind of interaction they give students supports your goals for students, then you might consider using them.

At what age should I start using these tools?

TERMS OF USE: With any AI tool — really, any tech tool — always start with the terms of use. See if they have any age limitations.

But don’t just rely on the terms of use. If the impact of a tool on your students concerns you, don’t use it just because the company says your students are old enough.

ONE ISSUE IS WRITING: A key issue in any ed tech implementation is a student’s ability to input to the device — i.e. typing, working with written language, speaking, etc.

CHOOSING AN AGE: There are some issues in child development and learning that we should consider:

  • Can students understand that an AI chatbot isn’t a real person?

  • Are students able to discern whether an AI chatbot’s answer is incorrect — or lacking — or biased?

  • Can the chatbot interact in a way that’s understandable and appropriate for the child?

For those reasons, many schools defer having students use AI chatbots directly until after kindergarten, first grade, second grade, etc.

However, that doesn’t mean that the littles can’t use them! I’ve seen teachers use AI chatbots with primary students (K-2), and they said they’ve been happy with the results.

If you think parents might object, you might connect with them first, showing why they’re safe and why you think they’re best for their student’s learning.

TEACHER-DRIVEN AI: Teachers can always use AI tools on a projector screen or interactive display in front of the class. In that case, you’re the end user (not the student). And, of course, if you’re concerned about appropriateness, you might preview responses before displaying them.

Are they free? What are the limitations?

Lots of them are “freemium,” with a free version and a paid premium version. Always click the “pricing” or “plans” tab for details.

With some “freemium” models in tech tools, they’re more of a “free trial” and not something that can be used daily for free.

However, with many of these AI chatbots, they have actually useable free plans.

  • SchoolAI Spaces: 150 free “launches” per day (launch = student starts a chatbot session)

  • MagicStudent: 250 students per room, limited rooms (I think … it’s pretty unclear)

  • Brisk Boost: Boost any resource to students (but some additional Boost features unavailable in free plan)

  • Flint: 80 seats (users) for free

  • Snorkl: 20 activity limit (but old activities can be deleted for new ones)

  • Class Companion: free instant AI feedback, student progress insights, and public content library (with paid features like LMS integration, standards alignment, etc.)

What can I use them for?

Teachers and students are using them in a variety of ways, like …

  • Brainstorming partner

  • Tutoring sessions

  • “Choose your own adventure”-style learning

  • Career / historic figure / literary character chats

  • Instant feedback on student work

  • Critical thinking questions

… and much more. Check out this post we wrote with SchoolAI about 10 powerful ways to use custom chatbots in the classroom.

What should I be careful about?

Lots of things, for example …

  • Oversight is key. As a teacher, I want to be able to monitor my students’ interactions with AI — to make sure they’re appropriate, accurate, and reflect what I want to teach. That’s why I want AI chatbots that let me view transcripts of student conversations.

  • I like the monitoring and reporting of many of the edu AI tools mentioned here. Most will flag inappropriate student responses and anything dangerous (like students saying they want to hurt themselves) so adults can follow up. Anything without those safeguards in place is a concern to me.

  • Preview everything. I want to make sure that the experience my students have with a chatbot supports what and how I want them to learn. If it doesn’t, adjust the prompt … and if it still doesn’t, try something else.

  • Many of the same general concerns about generative AI and ChatGPT-style chatbots apply here, like accuracy, bias, context, etc.

  • Data privacy is something to watch. Tools created for the classroom don’t collect or use students’ personal information, but we always want to confirm that. And many tools will sign your district’s data privacy requirements document.

  • AI doesn’t work like traditional computer software. There’s an element of unpredictability to it. It doesn’t produce the same results over and over again.

  • Personally, I wouldn’t use an AI chatbot to do initial teaching. They can make mistakes. Plus, I think crafting and delivering instruction tailored to our students is what makes human teachers special. After students have learned fundamental information about a topic, a chatbot can help them apply it and take it to the next level.

Can students use ChatGPT? Will they/should they use it?

This goes for ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, Anthropic Claude and any of the commercial AI assistants out there.

Can they access it on their phones and personal devices outside of school? Yes. We can’t stop what they do on their own devices on their own time.

What about inside of school? Yep. You know we can’t block what they get on their phones with their own personal cellular data. There’s no way to create a “no AI” bubble inside of a school.

Might they access it even if they’re not old enough (per terms of use) and without parent consent? You bet. (They do it all the time with social media.)

Are there concerns about that? I think so. With no human adult oversight, students are at risk of being exposed to inaccuracies, skewed information, biases, and more. They won’t get them all the time, but for students with still-developing brains, they might not be able to discern what’s right (and fair) and not.

Should we give them access to ChatGPT on school networks? I think there are so many better, safer alternatives that better promote learning. Many of the commercial chatbots don’t provide for teacher oversight.

🪞 30 days of reflecting with MirrorTalk

This message is sponsored by Swivl/MirrorTalk

The DTT 30-Day Reflection Challenge with MirrorTalk wrapped up last weekend, and I’m so proud to have been part of this journey!

We asked educators to engage in something tough. Reflection demands courage, consistency, and a bit of vulnerability. Yet, 218 of you stepped up to try something new and meaningful. You embraced the chance to grow.

Here’s what you achieved:

  • 40 participants reflected at least 5 times

  • 27 reached over 20 days

  • 10 extraordinary educators completed either 29 or 30 days

That’s not just a stat; it’s proof that building a reflective habit is possible—even for the busiest among us. And that’s the beauty of MirrorTalk: it makes reflection easy, manageable, rewarding, and adaptable. It isn’t just an abstract idea—it’s a tool that helps you get better every day.

Tiffany Mateske, a first-grade teacher in Minnesota, captured it perfectly: “Active and planned reflection moves us forward.” She’s now planning to use reflection to improve her teaching and model thoughtful habits for students. That’s what MirrorTalk is about—building a foundation of growth. In the Age of AI, the goal is not to do less, but to rise higher.

To everyone who took this journey with us: thank you! We’ve started something important, and I look forward to building on the momentum together.

If you want to start a challenge of your own with colleagues or your PLN, check out our new 7-Day Reflection Challenge for Educators and create a free account at mirrrortalk.ai.

😄 Smile of the day

How rude. 😡

h/t @Bored_Teachers and Matt Gibbons on Pinterest

👋 How we can help

There are even more ways I can support you in the important work you do in education:

  1. Read one of my six books about meaningful teaching with tech.

  2. Take one of our online courses about practical and popular topics in education.

  3. Bring me to your school, district or event to speak. I love working with educators!

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