Stay Sharp, Stay Free: Advice for Students in the AI Age

Being super honest: sometimes school is like a burrito explosion in your microwave.

There are many theories of why education is such a hot mess. My take, it's because people in power would rather maintain their advantage by raising a workforce skilled enough to function and docile enough to do what they're told.

Genuinely.  There are very real people in power who don't want you to have free thought. Because then they couldn't manipulate you.

The Truth About (Most of Your) Teachers

I became an educator to teach you how to think for yourself, not to think like me or anyone else. I became a teacher because I believe with every drop of my humanity that curiosity, genuine literacy, and learning make us uncontrollable.  And I'm talking to every kid I've ever taught from the heart when say I want you to make your own future, free of exploitation.

These are my words, but I know the sentiments are echoed by gazillions of educators across the country. Most of us do what we do because we're trying to protect the future, including you.

Frederick Douglass: 19th century American freedom fighter & abolitionist

I quote the great Frederick Douglass a lot, and that's because he articulates my core belief so well: reading and learning are freedom. He literally said, “Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.” That's survival strategy, you guys. I want you to survive and thrive, not submit to Sith lords.

I won't pretend school is awesome. For a lot of kids, it’s hallways of predators, classes with burnt-out teachers, and rules that don’t make sense. But it’s also the best system we’ve got right now, and it's a heck of a lot better than giving up your only defense and offense against a world of people who would control you. And if you really want to do well and really want to learn, I promise you—there’s someone in your building who will go to the wall for you. Maybe a teacher, a counselor, a librarian, a custodian. You find them and let them fight for you.

While you're at it, you can learn how to fight for yourself. AI can be pretty useful along those lines.

About AI

Don't Panic: You can use AI without cheating!

You’ve seen the headlines: “AI will replace school,”

“Students cheat with chatbots,”

“The end of learning as we know it.”

🙄 Yeah, no. AI is a tool, not a brain. It can spit out an essay, sure—but that essay doesn’t belong to you. It won’t sound like you. And it won’t build your muscles for thinking, arguing, and becoming unshakable in your own mind.

Here’s the truth: you can use AI without being used. In fact, you should—experiment, play, figure it out. But use it like training wheels, not a substitute for pedaling. Ask it to explain a tough concept in simpler words. Ask it to quiz you before a test. Ask it to show you different perspectives on an issue. Just don’t let it do the riding for you, because then you’re the one getting cheated.

And here’s a bonus: the more you engage with AI, the more you’ll start spotting AI-generated writing in the wild. That skill matters. Why? Because the algorithm is filled up with junk that looks polished but says nothing. If you can tell the difference—if you can stay sharp—you stay free.

✨ Don’t panic. AI can help you learn faster, deeper, and with more curiosity, if you’re the one steering.

Top Student Tips for Using AI Responsibly

• Stay in the driver’s seat. Use AI to brainstorm, not to copy-paste.

  
  

• Ask it to explain, not to replace. “Summarize this in simple terms” beats “Write my essay.”

  
  

• Check the receipts. AI makes mistakes—always cross-check with real sources.

  
  

• Make it sound like you. Rewrite, argue, question. Put your fingerprints on the work.

  
  

• Protect your brain. The empire—whether that’s algorithms, politics, or clickbait—would love for you to give up thinking. Don’t do it.

And Don't Panic

Despite whatever problems exist in education or our country, you can learn to think for yourself if you fight for it, like Frederick Douglass did. However, if you choose to cut corners with AI - no one, and I mean no one, including your parents and your teachers, can make you learn.

You can use AI responsibly. Classroom poster now available at Smuggled Sparks store.

You have an opportunity to lock down your education. Next time you’re tempted to let AI do the work for you instead of with you, pause. Ask: What am I actually trying to learn here? Then use the tool to push yourself forward—not to let yourself off the hook.

Freedom belongs to the literate, the people who know how to think for themselves. Stay sharp, stay free, and don't let anyone, human or machine, do your thinking for you.