AI Summer School 2026: Week 10

If AI has changed anything, it is this:

The final product is no longer reliable evidence of learning.

A polished essay.
A complete project.
A correct answer.

None of those guarantee understanding anymore.

That is the shift.

Where We Left Off

Last week, you focused on assignments.

How to design tasks where student thinking is visible.

This week is the natural next step.

Because once thinking is visible, you have to decide:

What actually counts?

What Has Actually Changed

Assessment used to focus on:

• correctness

• completion

• final output

Now, those are not enough.

You have to look at:

• reasoning

• decision-making

• process

Assessment Is Not the Same as Grading

Assessment is how you understand student thinking.

Grading is how you report it.

AI is forcing a shift in assessment first.

Grading comes after that.

From End Product to Ongoing Insight

Before, you assessed learning after it happened.

Now, you need to see it while it is happening.

If you only look at the final product, you are missing most of the learning.

The Real Problem

Many grading systems still prioritize what is easiest to measure.

Not what matters most.

If you only grade the final product, you are missing the thinking behind it.

AI Tool of the Week

Using Formative to See Thinking as It Happens

The biggest limitation of traditional assessment is timing.

You only see student thinking at the end.

By then, it is too late to respond.

Tools like Formative change that.

They allow you to:

• ask questions during learning

• see student responses in real time

• identify misunderstandings immediately

• adjust instruction on the spot

Instead of waiting to grade thinking, you are responding to it as it develops.

That is where assessment becomes instruction.

Try This (Start Here)

Take a lesson you already teach.

Add one question in the middle:

“Explain what you understand so far.”

Then actually look at the responses.

That is your assessment.

What This Looks Like in Practice

Traditional approach:
Teach → Assign → Grade

Shifted approach:
Teach → Ask → Respond → Adjust → Then evaluate

Same content.

Different visibility into thinking.

Another Example

Before:
Give a quiz at the end of the lesson

After:

• Ask a question halfway through

• Review responses

• adjust instruction

• then continue

Assessment becomes part of the lesson.

Before and After

Before:
10-point quiz based on correct answers

After:

• 5 points for accuracy

• 5 points for explanation of reasoning

Same content.

Different value system.

The Shift That Matters

Instead of:

Product → Score

Move to:

Thinking → Feedback → Adjustment → Then evaluate

Assessment is no longer the end.

It is part of the process.

Make Thinking Count

If you ask students to show their thinking, you have to value it.

That means:

• responding to their ideas

• adjusting instruction

• using their responses to guide what happens next

Students Follow What You Value

If you grade only the final answer, students will focus on that.

If you value explanation and reasoning, they will adjust.

Assessment shapes behavior.

Alignment Check

Ask:

“What am I actually learning about my students in this moment?”

If the answer is unclear, the assessment is not doing its job.

Quick Prompt Tips That Actually Matter

• Ask open-ended questions

• Require explanation, not just answers

• Use responses to guide next steps

Example:

“Explain how you arrived at this answer so far.”

Where This Goes Wrong

• Collecting responses but not using them

• Asking questions that do not require thinking

• Treating real-time assessment like a checklist

Use It or Lose It

If you collect student thinking but do not adjust instruction, the assessment loses its value.

The response is what makes it matter.

What You Will See

Some students will:

• give incomplete answers

• misunderstand concepts

• hesitate to respond

That is not failure.

That is information.

What to Watch For

• patterns in misunderstanding

• students who are consistently unsure

• ideas that need clarification

This is what should guide your instruction.

AI Ethics Corner

Should AI Be Part of Assessment?

It can be.

But the expectations need to be clear.

Students should know:

• when AI is allowed

• how it can support their thinking

• what they are still responsible for explaining

Assessment should reflect learning.

Not just tool use.

Equity Matters Here

Some students will speak up.

Others will not.

Real-time tools give more students a way to participate.

But you still have to respond to what they share.

Try This in Your Classroom or Library This Week

Take one lesson.

Add one real-time check for understanding.

Then adjust what you do next based on the responses.

In the Moment

When reviewing responses, ask:

“What do I need to change right now?”

Reality Check

You do not need to redesign your grading system.

Start by adjusting how you gather information.

This Does Not Add Time

You are not adding more work.

You are shifting when and how you gather information.

Low-Prep Version

Add this to any lesson:

“What is one thing you understand and one thing you are unsure about?”

For Librarians

This applies directly to research instruction.

Instead of waiting for final projects:

• check understanding during research

• ask students to explain source choices

• respond to confusion in real time

After a session, ask:

“What changed in your thinking today?”

That reveals more than a finished product.

Elementary Adaptation

Keep it simple:

“What do you understand so far?”

Give Students Some Control

Ask:

“What do you need help with right now?”

A Small Shift That Matters

Instead of asking:

“How will I grade this?”

Ask:

“What do I need to know about student thinking right now?”

A Line to Hold Onto

If you only grade the end, you miss the learning.

One Final Question

As you think about your teaching, ask:

“Where do I actually see my students thinking?”

What Are You Noticing?

If you try this, notice:

• how students respond in the moment

• where confusion shows up

• how your instruction changes

That is the real impact.

Closing the Series

This summer, you have worked through:

• tools

• workflows

• research

• differentiation

• engagement

• creativity

• integrity

• assignment design

• assessment

The tools matter.

But the bigger shift is this:

You are no longer teaching students just to produce work.

You are teaching them to think, explain, and adjust.

If this series has shifted your thinking, share it with a colleague who is asking the same questions.

Paid Section Preview

This week’s paid section is focused on making assessment more responsive and aligned to thinking.

I am sharing:

• a copy-and-paste prompt pack for real-time assessment

• a lesson template built around check-ins and adjustment

• prompts for student reflection during learning

• a student-facing self-assessment tool

• one key upgrade move to align grading with thinking

If you want tools you can use immediately, that is where we go next.

Read more