[Simtrainer-l] The role of AI in teaching writing

[Craig Wisniewski]

Hi Jean,

Thanks so much for sharing this! Writing instruction - and how AI can
meaningfully enhance it - is a topic I'm deeply passionate about,
especially as I help lead our district’s AI initiatives.

While Rosenwig takes a more cautious stance on AI in writing education, I
really appreciated the examples she shared - especially the idea of a
counterargument chatbot. We’ve found similar tools incredibly powerful for
sparking critical thinking. In our district, we’re exploring the use of AI
Agents to *enhance* the writing process - not replace it. That belief is
foundational to our district’s AI framework: using AI to deepen student
thinking, elevate engagement, and support strong communication - not to do
the work for them.

This approach also helps ensure that *all* students receive meaningful
support - even when a teacher may not have the time to conference with
every single writer during class. With AI Agents, we can extend the reach
of personalized feedback and encourage student reflection at scale.

For example, students can:

   -

   Have Socratic-style conversations with an AI Agent about their current
   drafts, where the Agent asks thoughtful questions that help students
   push toward meeting or exceeding rubric expectations.
   -

   Collaborate with the Agent to reflect on their topic and evidence,
   considering whether they’ve included diverse perspectives or overlooked
   important counterarguments.

Our hope is that, with thoughtful use of AI, we can foster classrooms where
students are more engaged, more reflective, and more empowered in their
writing. That’s the kind of learning environment we’re striving to
create - where
AI serves as a meaningful partner in helping students grow as critical
thinkers and communicators.

Looking forward to hearing how others are approaching this!

Warmly,
Craig Wisniewski
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