The Guided Spark: Reigniting Student Agency in a Digital Age

In an era of mental offloading and rising concerns over screen time, how do we ensure students remain the architects of their own ideas? As AI becomes pervasive, the educator's role must evolve from purveyor of information to curator of curiosity. This session moves beyond the bot to focus on the Guided Spark, the essential human element that turns technology into a catalyst for higher-order inquiry. Using the SAMR model as a roadmap, explore how to move from simple substitution, such as generating a draft, to redefinition, such as using AI for Socratic debate or complex simulations. Learn strategies to shift students from passive consumption to critical creation, design prompts and projects that require deep analysis rather than automated outputs, and position AI as a cognitive partner that amplifies each student's unique voice. Discover how to use AI to generate wildcard constraints that push students to synthesize ideas in new ways and to challenge student assumptions so they defend their logic. Leave ready to bridge high-tech tools and high-touch teaching.