In today’s rapidly evolving job market, artificial intelligence (AI) skills have become essential. According to the 2024 Microsoft Work Trend Annual Index Report, 66 percent of business leaders wouldn’t hire employees without AI skills, and 71 percent would prioritize candidates with AI knowledge, even over more experienced ones. As AI becomes integral to the workplace, schools must prepare students with skills that are directly transferable to their future careers.
Traditional school assignments, such as essays, multiple-choice tests, and decontextualized math problem sets, often fail to reflect real-world tasks, focusing more on content acquisition than on the crucial skills that employers value, such as creativity, critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and problem solving. With the rise in prevalence of AI tools like ChatGPT and other large language models (LLMs), the relevance of these traditional assignments has diminished even further, prompting educators to seek more durable assessments that AI cannot easily replicate, such as group discussions, hands-on projects, and personal reflections.
Putting the Personal in AI
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Skills21 at EdAdvance, a regional education service agency in Connecticut where I serve as director, introduced Personal Interest Projects (PIPs) to many schools. PIPs typically allow students total freedom to choose their topic; schools offer them as a quarter, trimester, or semester elective. Some teachers use PIPs within their core content instruction; library media specialists might use them as part of their curriculum on conducting research. Through these projects, students have learned sign language, built cabinets, made quilts, gathered supplies to donate to foster children, planted gardens, and composed music.
When AI tools became widely available in late 2022, Skills21 identified areas where AI could enhance PIPs, such as in brainstorming, providing feedback, and helping with time management. For example, AI can offer additional perspectives, generate pros and cons lists, and help students break down complex tasks. This collaboration between students and AI fosters co-intelligence, where AI supports—but does not replace—human creativity and critical thinking. Coupled with PIPs, it also builds students’ essential skills in working with AI to better prepare them for the future.
Customizing AI for Student Needs
Commercial student-facing AI products are now hitting the market, and schools will soon have to choose how to use and integrate this new technology into their courses and curriculum. And they’re moving cautiously. Best practices require assurance that student data will be safe, not sold to third-party vendors, and stored securely to prevent data breaches. Another best practice includes transparency, meaning that teachers and administrators can see all student interactions with AI. In addition, student-facing AI programs should embed AI literacy into the platform so students learn how to use AI and how to evaluate the results from the AI bot.
Skills21 built an AI tool called Sidekick inside its PIP platform that incorporates such best practices. Skills21 focused on promoting the ethical use of AI by providing clear, student-facing instructional videos that cover important topics, such as hallucination (when the AI model generates incorrect or nonsensical information that sounds plausible), bias, and responsible AI use. Teachers also play a crucial role in monitoring Sidekick interactions. They can read all interactions students have with Sidekick in their teacher portal on the Launchpad platform, and they can provide feedback to help students develop their prompting skills and their use of AI, while addressing any inappropriate use, if necessary.
In addition, Sidekick is only embedded in PIP activities where its use is beneficial, such as for brainstorming, time management, and presentation planning. For example, in the brainstorming stage, Sidekick provides a pros and cons list for two or three of the student’s PIP ideas to help them decide which project they’ll select. This enables the student to take into account feasibility, budget, time constraints, interest level, resources, and needed skills. On the other hand, Sidekick is not embedded in the personal discovery activity where students are asked to reflect on their interests, experiences, goals, and dreams. AI can’t help with something so personal. Once they decide on their project, students write a project proposal describing their goals, tools, budget, and inspiration, and they do this independently, without the help of AI.
A key feature of Sidekick is the use of “custom instructions.” Skills21 used the OpenAI platform to create AI assistants tailored to each activity, adding guardrails to keep responses within the assignment’s scope. This customization also enabled adjustments to reading level, text length, and response format (for example, whether Sidekick responses should be in bullet points or include tables).
Collaboration between students and AI fosters co-intelligence, where AI supports—but does not replace—human creativity and critical thinking.
Here are the custom instructions to Sidekick for “Pick a Project,” in which students are tasked with developing a pros and cons list for at least two project ideas:
Students will give you a list of their favorite project ideas. Your primary job here is to provide a short pros and cons list for these project ideas based on all your expertise regarding thinking through pros and cons. When developing the pros and cons list, you will share with the user considerations about supplies, budget, timeline, skills, and final product. Please don’t respond to students’ prompts where they ask for something outside the scope of the established prompt. Please use bullet points when giving the response. Please target a 6th grade reading level. Please provide follow-up questions to users. The students are all in middle school or high school so projects and considerations should be appropriate for the interests and abilities of these students.
When students access the chatbot, they see a custom set of instructions that tells them how to use the chatbot. For example, the prompt for this activity says, “Tell Sidekick about your project ideas, and ask it for pros and cons for each project.” This scaffolds the important process of learning how to prompt. Sidekick also asks follow-up questions, encouraging students to go back and forth with the bot, which is essential for using AI effectively.
Students must complete the activity first on paper or on the computer without the help of Sidekick. They must do their own cognitive work before turning to the AI tool. After using the tool, teachers facilitate conversations about how the tool helps and what it uncovered that the student may not have considered.
Quilting and Cooking: Pros, Cons, and Follow-Up Questions
Here’s an example of a student-Sidekick interaction:
Student: My two project ideas are making a quilt using upcycled found fabric or learning to cook five of my grandmother’s best recipes.Sidekick:Project 1: Making a Quilt Using Upcycled Fabric ScrapsPros:Supplies: Uses readily available materials, which can be cost effective.Budget: Low cost since you’re using upcycled fabric.Skills: Teaches basic sewing skills and creativity in design.Timeline: Flexible, can be done over several weeks.Final Product: A unique, personalized quilt that is environmentally friendly.Cons:Supplies: May require access to a sewing machine or sewing supplies if you don’t have them.Budget: Additional costs for things like thread, batting, or backing fabric if not available.Skills: Sewing can be challenging if you’re new to it.Timeline: Can be time consuming, especially for larger quilts.Final Product: May require patience and precision to get a neat finish.Follow-Up Question:Do you have experience with sewing, or would you need some help getting started with this project?
Project 2: Learning How to Make My Grandmother’s Five Best RecipesPros:Supplies: Ingredients are usually easy to find and affordable.Budget: Moderate cost depending on the ingredients.Skills: Helps you learn valuable cooking skills and family traditions.Timeline: Can be broken down into individual cooking sessions.Final Product: You’ll gain useful cooking skills and delicious meals to share.Cons:Supplies: Might need specific kitchen tools if you don’t already have them.Budget: Some ingredients could be expensive, depending on the recipes.Skills: Cooking can be tricky if you’re unfamiliar with the recipes.Timeline: Requires time for shopping, prepping, cooking, and cleaning up.Final Product: There’s a chance for mistakes, but that’s part of learning!Follow-Up Questions:Do you have all the kitchen tools and ingredients you need, or will you need help gathering them before starting?Student: For the first project, I have a sewing machine but didn’t think about batting or backing fabric. For the second project, I think my grandmother has all the tools for cooking and would buy the supplies for the recipes.Sidekick: Would you consider using old blankets or sheets as backing fabric to keep costs down, or are you planning to purchase new materials? Are you planning to document the recipes or create a small recipe book as part of your project?
This student may have thought of some pros and cons during initial brainstorming, but Sidekick helps them consider details they might have missed. For example, the student might now realize that quilting supplies like batting can be costly, whereas cooking with their grandmother involves fewer expenses and more quality time. If asked to choose between projects, Sidekick doesn’t make the decision but, instead, encourages the student to reflect on what excites them most. If the student asks a question outside the pros and cons—for math help, for example—Sidekick politely redirects them by responding, “I can provide pros and cons for project ideas, but I can’t help with math homework directly. If you have any project ideas or need guidance on them, feel free to share!”
Students can use Sidekick in the following areas of a PIP:
- Learn, Solve, Make, Do. Sidekick helps brainstorm projects connected to students’ interests and skills.
- Pick a Project. Sidekick helps brainstorm pros and cons for at least two project ideas.
- Investigate. Sidekick helps develop a list of places where students may find resources or information necessary to complete their projects.
- Time Management Plan. Sidekick helps break the project down into manageable steps and sets deadlines for step completion so students can stay on track to complete the project in the given time frame.
- Profile Logo. Sidekick helps students design a unique logo by giving them ideas for what images, symbols, or colors their logo may include. It does not, however, generate the image.
- Final Presentation. Sidekick helps generate an outline for a slide presentation that will describe the student’s project process and final product.
Teachers are rarely, if ever, at the front of the class to do whole-group instruction during the PIP process. Instead, they’re conferencing with students to monitor their progress, helping them think through the skills they’re developing, and supporting them when they hit a roadblock. The project proposal section is a crucial point for teacher influence. Here, teachers help students shape their project so that it is rigorous, addresses required learning targets, includes all project components, and is feasible. Moreover, PIPs are assessed using a rubric that often aligns to important 21st century skills, such as creativity, problem solving, critical thinking, and communication.
By integrating AI into PIPs, students engage in meaningful, authentic learning experiences that align with the demands of the modern workforce.
Happy Teachers, Happy Students
Several schools across Connecticut piloted PIPs with Sidekick during the 2023–24 school year. Some of these teachers in the pilot schools had done PIPs for several years, whereas some were new to PIPs altogether. Regardless of their prior experience, teachers had positive insights to share with the team at Skills21. Some noted how students’ perception of AI changed by using it for PIPs, adding that they now saw it as a tool that helped them expand their thinking and refine ideas rather than just give them answers.
Pilot teachers also noted that when students get stuck, they’re more likely to turn to Sidekick to move forward than to wait to talk to the teacher. Instead of having to continually answer more basic questions, teachers are finding that they can give more beneficial feedback and can spend more time with students talking about their projects in depth.
Students have been equally happy using Sidekick for PIPs. One said, “It gives you an in-depth response even if you give it a general prompt. I can then structure more in-depth questions off of what it gives me.” Several students were surprised that their teachers were asking them to use AI; others noted that although AI seemed “scary” at first, they ultimately found it helpful. Students also noted that Sidekick has endless patience, so they’re not afraid to ask questions multiple times. Similarly, they’re less embarrassed to ask questions they think may be “stupid” or could be criticized by a peer because their interactions are not taking place under the watchful eye of fellow students.
A Great Enhancer
PIPs provide an ideal framework for introducing AI in schools. PIPs offer real-world applications of AI in brainstorming, feedback, and time management while preserving the essential elements of personal reflection, critical thinking, and hands-on work. AI enhances but does not replace the human elements of these projects, preparing students for future careers where AI will play an increasingly significant role. By integrating AI into PIPs, students engage in meaningful, authentic learning experiences that align with the demands of the modern workforce.
Editor’s note: The prompt for the AI-generated Shutterstock art was: “Create a graphic illustration of a diverse high school student in a vibrant classroom with other students who are out of focus. The student, expressive and engaged, is depicted with stylized lines and contrasting colors. The classroom is bright and welcoming, with artistic and educational materials in vivid hues. The student is sitting at a desk, consulting a visually friendly AI interface on a laptop to assist with a personal project (e.g., cooking, building, art, research). Surrounding the student are elements of the project, such as colorful fabric swatches, showing the AI supporting the student. The art style should emphasize clean lines, high contrast, and a sense of movement to capture a lively and inclusive learning environment.”
Reflect & Discuss
➛ How might you encourage students to view AI as a learning aid rather than as a replacement for critical thinking or creativity?
➛ In what ways could you incorporate AI use into student projects? What opportunities and challenges would this present?
➛ Do you feel that your school is adequately preparing students to build AI skills? Why or why not?
