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- The Language of AI: E27 - Reconnecting & Moving Forward
The Language of AI: E27 - Reconnecting & Moving Forward
What's Next for Learning the Language of AI
Fellow Educators,
I wanted to take a moment to say hello, reintroduce myself, and share what's next for this newsletter.
Why the Silence?
My last post was back in June or July, and I know that's been a while. The truth is, I've been doing a lot of thinking and research, trying to figure out what's truly important and valuable to share with you. The typical logic of an email newsletter is to post often and regularly, but I just didn't have anything meaningful to say during that time. I didn't want to bombard you with content I wasn't passionate about.
And here's the thing, I'm tremendously passionate about AI and education. I'm just trying to find sustainable ways to maintain that motivation because keeping a newsletter going is a lot of work, especially on top of everything else we all have on our plates.
Let’s explore that a bit further. I created a video for those who want watch vs read.
Click the image to view the video
A New Approach
So I'm giving myself (and asking you to give me) some grace. Going forward, I'm committing to at least one post per month. These will likely be video-based, and here's why: text is so easy to generate with AI these days. I don't want to just cover topics with AI-generated content. I want this to be more relational and meaningful, even if it's one-dimensional through a screen.
I'm also planning to provide an audio transcript for each video, so you'll have a written version you can download if you prefer to read rather than watch.
Who I Am & Why This Matters
For those new here or who need a reminder: I'm faculty at Redeemer University, a Christian institution where faith is woven into everything we do. I've been on this AI journey for several years now, and I recognize we're all at different stages of understanding and adoption.
This newsletter was born out of a desire to support you, faculty and teachers as we think through how to learn the language of AI together. I'm getting more opportunities to speak at various levels of education (including the Advance conferences for Christian schools here in Ontario), and I'm constantly seeing the same pattern: people putting their heads in the sand, saying "it won't affect me" or "it won't do this or that."
That's a scary, naive place to be. Whether you're teaching kindergarten, grade school, high school, or graduate students, we need to be thinking through this. AI represents a world change, and while it's not inherently bad (I love AI!), we need discernment in how we use it.
What I'm Learning in My Classroom
Let me share something that might surprise you: I have no restrictions on AI use in my classes. I know that sounds radical, but I've structured my university courses so that students' true understanding emerges during final exams and tests where only their brains can help them.
Here's the reality: about 30% of the grade in a couple of my classes could be completely offloaded to AI, and I'll grade it as if they did it themselves. But I'm upfront with students—these assignments are designed with specific learning outcomes. How you achieve them is your call, and you'll make good or bad decisions in that process. But when you get to the final exam with nothing but your brain, if you haven't learned how to think and process, you will fail.
I'm giving them the chance to grapple with the ethical use of AI now because in their future jobs, they'll have to make these decisions. When their boss says "go do XYZ," they need to understand the why, the how, and the process not just how to prompt an AI tool.
I Need Your Help
This newsletter has about 200+ faculty and teachers, and the interaction rate is quite high at around 50%, which is fantastic. But here's what would make this even better: feedback.
The more you tell me what resonates, what you want to explore, what questions you're grappling with, the better I can support you. If you could hit reply and share your thoughts whether it's "I like this," "give me more on XYZ," or "I'm interested in these questions", it would guide me tremendously. Otherwise, I'm just in a dark room guessing what people want based on open rates.
I don't want this to be a business concept. I want it to be a supportive way for us to think together.
Looking Ahead
My goal for the rest of the year is to create monthly videos probably unscripted like this one—that have tangible value and don't waste your time. Each will focus on a specific topic connected to education and AI. Sometimes practical tips you can use, sometimes ways to help students understand AI, sometimes just updates on what's happening in this space.
I'm figuring out the format as I go, but the whole point is to support you. I'm walking beside you in the weeds, just a few thousand steps ahead, thinking through the same things. I'm excited but also apprehensive, and I want us to navigate this together.
If you know other educators who would find value in this, please share. There's no cost just time and information.
Thank you for your patience, for being part of this community, and for listening. I look forward to connecting and learning with you.
Until next time,
Matthew
P.S. — I'm considering creating a feedback page on my website where you can always leave comments or requests. If that would be helpful, let me know.
![]() Matthew Schonewille | Today, as the digital education landscape continues to evolve, Matthew remains at the forefront, guiding educators, students, and professionals through the intricate dance of technology and learning. With a relentless drive to expand access to helpful AI in education resources and a visionary approach to teaching and entrepreneurship, Matthew not only envisions a future where learning knows no bounds but is also actively building it. |