Melissa Pilakowski
@mpilakowski.bsky.social
College English instructor. Former 9-12 English. EdD in Education, MFA in writing. Talk to me about writing, teaching writing, motivation & writing, educational technology, books, game-based learning, nachos, and super-slow running.
This, again and again.
Won’t work for every kid, but worth repeating: if you don’t want kids to GPT their way through your class, you need to convince them that you care about what they think, and that writing is a form of communication
August 15, 2025 at 11:24 AM
This, again and again.
Teachers using AI for feedback--it's another side of the AI ethics debate.
But SHOULD WE? What does the research say?
I dug into some studies and this is what I found. (tl;dr: human is better, but not by much)
#edusky #iteachEnglish #Edtech
medium.com/educreation/...
But SHOULD WE? What does the research say?
I dug into some studies and this is what I found. (tl;dr: human is better, but not by much)
#edusky #iteachEnglish #Edtech
medium.com/educreation/...
August 5, 2025 at 12:55 PM
Teachers using AI for feedback--it's another side of the AI ethics debate.
But SHOULD WE? What does the research say?
I dug into some studies and this is what I found. (tl;dr: human is better, but not by much)
#edusky #iteachEnglish #Edtech
medium.com/educreation/...
But SHOULD WE? What does the research say?
I dug into some studies and this is what I found. (tl;dr: human is better, but not by much)
#edusky #iteachEnglish #Edtech
medium.com/educreation/...
I feel this in my soul.
This is SO TRUE!!!! #AcademicChatter #academiclife
August 4, 2025 at 1:10 PM
I feel this in my soul.
TONIGHT!! #EduSky #iTeachEnglish
Tomorrow, 8PM ET, or via recording! Register here!
#EduSky #EduSkyAI #NCTE
@ncte.org @corwinpress.bsky.social
ncte.org/much-ado-abo...
#EduSky #EduSkyAI #NCTE
@ncte.org @corwinpress.bsky.social
ncte.org/much-ado-abo...
Much Ado about AI
NCTE’s Secondary Section invites members to join Brett Vogelsinger, author of Artful AI in Writing Instruction, and Joel Garza, Secondary Section Steering Committee member, for a conversation about ho...
ncte.org
July 30, 2025 at 12:51 PM
TONIGHT!! #EduSky #iTeachEnglish
Hi all.
The school year is nigh. It's time to face AI dilemmas again.
Should you integrate AI or ban it? I can't answer that for you. But here are thoughts I shared with our adjuncts about it.
#iteachEnglish #edusky #edchat #HigherEdSky
medium.com/educreation/...
The school year is nigh. It's time to face AI dilemmas again.
Should you integrate AI or ban it? I can't answer that for you. But here are thoughts I shared with our adjuncts about it.
#iteachEnglish #edusky #edchat #HigherEdSky
medium.com/educreation/...
an illustration of a chat app called chatgpt on a dark background
Alt: an illustration of a chat app called chatgpt on a dark background
media.tenor.com
July 22, 2025 at 12:36 PM
Hi all.
The school year is nigh. It's time to face AI dilemmas again.
Should you integrate AI or ban it? I can't answer that for you. But here are thoughts I shared with our adjuncts about it.
#iteachEnglish #edusky #edchat #HigherEdSky
medium.com/educreation/...
The school year is nigh. It's time to face AI dilemmas again.
Should you integrate AI or ban it? I can't answer that for you. But here are thoughts I shared with our adjuncts about it.
#iteachEnglish #edusky #edchat #HigherEdSky
medium.com/educreation/...
I've spent several weeks researching the different journaling approaches writers use.
Here's what I found out, and maybe one of them is one you'd like to try!
#writing #authors #WritingCommunity #Writersky #WritingResources
medium.com/never-stop-w...
Here's what I found out, and maybe one of them is one you'd like to try!
#writing #authors #WritingCommunity #Writersky #WritingResources
medium.com/never-stop-w...
a person in a yellow sweater is writing in a book
Alt: a person in a yellow sweater is writing in a book
media.tenor.com
July 14, 2025 at 1:20 PM
I've spent several weeks researching the different journaling approaches writers use.
Here's what I found out, and maybe one of them is one you'd like to try!
#writing #authors #WritingCommunity #Writersky #WritingResources
medium.com/never-stop-w...
Here's what I found out, and maybe one of them is one you'd like to try!
#writing #authors #WritingCommunity #Writersky #WritingResources
medium.com/never-stop-w...
Reposted by Melissa Pilakowski
A long and depressing piece, but the answers are all in there: high school and college writing are not going to be destroyed by AI unless teachers and professors let it or help. They will only be revived by structuring classes around process and paper.
What Happens After A.I. Destroys College Writing?
The demise of the English paper will end a long intellectual tradition, but it’s also an opportunity to reëxamine the purpose of higher education.
www.newyorker.com
July 2, 2025 at 8:46 PM
A long and depressing piece, but the answers are all in there: high school and college writing are not going to be destroyed by AI unless teachers and professors let it or help. They will only be revived by structuring classes around process and paper.
Half-Drafts were the BIGGEST change I made last year while teaching writing.
1) They decreased anxiety
2) Improved my feedbk
3) Resulted in better quality of writing
I wrote about my and my students' experiences here
medium.com/educreation/...
#iteachEnglish #EduSky #ISTE #ISTELIVE #iste25
1) They decreased anxiety
2) Improved my feedbk
3) Resulted in better quality of writing
I wrote about my and my students' experiences here
medium.com/educreation/...
#iteachEnglish #EduSky #ISTE #ISTELIVE #iste25
June 30, 2025 at 12:43 PM
Half-Drafts were the BIGGEST change I made last year while teaching writing.
1) They decreased anxiety
2) Improved my feedbk
3) Resulted in better quality of writing
I wrote about my and my students' experiences here
medium.com/educreation/...
#iteachEnglish #EduSky #ISTE #ISTELIVE #iste25
1) They decreased anxiety
2) Improved my feedbk
3) Resulted in better quality of writing
I wrote about my and my students' experiences here
medium.com/educreation/...
#iteachEnglish #EduSky #ISTE #ISTELIVE #iste25
Reposted by Melissa Pilakowski
Teachers don't need more tech. They need smaller classes and more (paid) time for prep and instruction. But alas, the tech option means more profit for billionaires, while the latter would cost billionaires more in taxes. And so, in our current kleptocracy, tech is what teachers are going to get...
🧵 addressing the argument: "AI won’t replace teachers, but it will save them time and make them more effective.”
Adding edtech doesn't necessarily save teachers time. A recent study found that LMSs sold to schools over the past decade+ as time-savers aren’t delivering on making teaching easier.
Adding edtech doesn't necessarily save teachers time. A recent study found that LMSs sold to schools over the past decade+ as time-savers aren’t delivering on making teaching easier.
Technology is supposed to decrease teacher burnout – but we found it can sometimes make it worse
Efforts to simplify teachers’ jobs through technology can backfire without a strong focus on teacher well-being.
theconversation.com
June 29, 2025 at 11:03 AM
Teachers don't need more tech. They need smaller classes and more (paid) time for prep and instruction. But alas, the tech option means more profit for billionaires, while the latter would cost billionaires more in taxes. And so, in our current kleptocracy, tech is what teachers are going to get...
Reposted by Melissa Pilakowski
Educator @rdene915.bsky.social shares a few ways teachers can use AI-enhanced tools *and* prepare to talk about the technology with students. 🖥️
#EduAI #EduSkyAI #EduSky
#EduAI #EduSkyAI #EduSky
Tips for Using AI—and for Talking to Students About It
Here are a few ways teachers can use AI-enhanced tools and prepare to talk about the technology with students.
edut.to
June 28, 2025 at 2:36 PM
Educator @rdene915.bsky.social shares a few ways teachers can use AI-enhanced tools *and* prepare to talk about the technology with students. 🖥️
#EduAI #EduSkyAI #EduSky
#EduAI #EduSkyAI #EduSky
Last week, researchers released a fascinating study about
AI 🖥️, writing ✏️, & the brain 🧠
The gist: Make students use their brains first--the learning will be longer lasting.
I condensed it all here. #iteachEnglish #ELA #EduSky
medium.com/p/abe4633ca4a8
AI 🖥️, writing ✏️, & the brain 🧠
The gist: Make students use their brains first--the learning will be longer lasting.
I condensed it all here. #iteachEnglish #ELA #EduSky
medium.com/p/abe4633ca4a8
June 28, 2025 at 12:40 PM
Last week, researchers released a fascinating study about
AI 🖥️, writing ✏️, & the brain 🧠
The gist: Make students use their brains first--the learning will be longer lasting.
I condensed it all here. #iteachEnglish #ELA #EduSky
medium.com/p/abe4633ca4a8
AI 🖥️, writing ✏️, & the brain 🧠
The gist: Make students use their brains first--the learning will be longer lasting.
I condensed it all here. #iteachEnglish #ELA #EduSky
medium.com/p/abe4633ca4a8
Last week, researchers released a fascinating study about
AI 🖥️, writing ✏️, & the brain 🧠
The gist: Make students use their brains first--the learning will be longer lasting.
I condensed it all here. #iteachEnglish #ELA #EduSky
medium.com/p/abe4633ca4a8
AI 🖥️, writing ✏️, & the brain 🧠
The gist: Make students use their brains first--the learning will be longer lasting.
I condensed it all here. #iteachEnglish #ELA #EduSky
medium.com/p/abe4633ca4a8
June 25, 2025 at 12:07 AM
Last week, researchers released a fascinating study about
AI 🖥️, writing ✏️, & the brain 🧠
The gist: Make students use their brains first--the learning will be longer lasting.
I condensed it all here. #iteachEnglish #ELA #EduSky
medium.com/p/abe4633ca4a8
AI 🖥️, writing ✏️, & the brain 🧠
The gist: Make students use their brains first--the learning will be longer lasting.
I condensed it all here. #iteachEnglish #ELA #EduSky
medium.com/p/abe4633ca4a8
Reposted by Melissa Pilakowski
Check out my conversation with @marcusluther.bsky.social on @thebrokencopier.bsky.social podcast about #ArtfulAI in the #writing classroom.
This is a fraught topic, but one that deserves our attention, and thinking things through with Marcus is always a joy 🙂
This is a fraught topic, but one that deserves our attention, and thinking things through with Marcus is always a joy 🙂
Reading Brett's book was the first time I could actually picture what AI could look like in a classroom in a way that prioritizes learning and critical thinking—including with student writing!
Which is why I valued this conversation so much:
thebrokencopier.substack.com/p/ai-in-the-...
Which is why I valued this conversation so much:
thebrokencopier.substack.com/p/ai-in-the-...
AI in the Classroom with Brett Vogelsinger
Listen now | There is a ton of conversation out there about AI in education right now—but too often, very little of that conversation centers around the exploration and learnings of actual teachers fr...
thebrokencopier.substack.com
June 20, 2025 at 1:32 PM
Check out my conversation with @marcusluther.bsky.social on @thebrokencopier.bsky.social podcast about #ArtfulAI in the #writing classroom.
This is a fraught topic, but one that deserves our attention, and thinking things through with Marcus is always a joy 🙂
This is a fraught topic, but one that deserves our attention, and thinking things through with Marcus is always a joy 🙂
I've given up on my WIP. At least for now.
Maybe you have, too, and you can relate.
If you want to commiserate with me, you can read more about it here.
#WritingCommunity #amwriting #writesky
medium.com/@mpilakow_17...
June 15, 2025 at 12:00 PM
I've given up on my WIP. At least for now.
Maybe you have, too, and you can relate.
If you want to commiserate with me, you can read more about it here.
#WritingCommunity #amwriting #writesky
medium.com/@mpilakow_17...
Half-Drafts were the BIGGEST change I made last year while teaching writing.
1) They decreased anxiety
2) Improved my feedbk
3) Resulted in better quality of writing
I wrote about my and my students' experiences here
medium.com/educreation/...
#iteachEnglish #EduSky #teachwriting
1) They decreased anxiety
2) Improved my feedbk
3) Resulted in better quality of writing
I wrote about my and my students' experiences here
medium.com/educreation/...
#iteachEnglish #EduSky #teachwriting
a cartoon cat with a purple tail is sitting at a desk using a laptop
Alt: a cartoon cat with a purple tail is sitting at a desk using a laptop
media.tenor.com
June 12, 2025 at 10:44 PM
Half-Drafts were the BIGGEST change I made last year while teaching writing.
1) They decreased anxiety
2) Improved my feedbk
3) Resulted in better quality of writing
I wrote about my and my students' experiences here
medium.com/educreation/...
#iteachEnglish #EduSky #teachwriting
1) They decreased anxiety
2) Improved my feedbk
3) Resulted in better quality of writing
I wrote about my and my students' experiences here
medium.com/educreation/...
#iteachEnglish #EduSky #teachwriting
Yesterday: Cool! Two R&R requests! Yippee!
Today: Ugh. I've got two things I've got to revise this weekend.
#writingcommunity
#WriterSky
#wordsarehard
#grateful
Today: Ugh. I've got two things I've got to revise this weekend.
#writingcommunity
#WriterSky
#wordsarehard
#grateful
a close up of a woman 's face with a nose ring .
Alt: a close up of a woman 's face with a nose ring .
media.tenor.com
June 7, 2025 at 1:52 PM
Yesterday: Cool! Two R&R requests! Yippee!
Today: Ugh. I've got two things I've got to revise this weekend.
#writingcommunity
#WriterSky
#wordsarehard
#grateful
Today: Ugh. I've got two things I've got to revise this weekend.
#writingcommunity
#WriterSky
#wordsarehard
#grateful
I'd also rather be evaluated by a colleague than an admin who has never taught writing a day in their life. Those who have taught writing know the nuances and can share ideas.
(Just as I wouldn't want to evaluate a science lab. Because I don't know the nuances of teaching it.) #iteachenglish
(Just as I wouldn't want to evaluate a science lab. Because I don't know the nuances of teaching it.) #iteachenglish
There are few things more motivating for me as a teacher than the experience of stepping into another teacher's classroom + seeing the world they have built, the tools they wield, the magic they create.
My point? We need way, way more chances to see each other teach.
My point? We need way, way more chances to see each other teach.
June 1, 2025 at 7:10 PM
I'd also rather be evaluated by a colleague than an admin who has never taught writing a day in their life. Those who have taught writing know the nuances and can share ideas.
(Just as I wouldn't want to evaluate a science lab. Because I don't know the nuances of teaching it.) #iteachenglish
(Just as I wouldn't want to evaluate a science lab. Because I don't know the nuances of teaching it.) #iteachenglish
I took a fun approach to thinking about my favorite May reads! medium.com/p/47b65c77e09c
If this book were shoes: Waterproof Muck Boots
If this book were a coffee beverage: Black, no sugar or cream
The ending: Not the way I wanted, but satisfying and right.
#booksky #amreading
If this book were shoes: Waterproof Muck Boots
If this book were a coffee beverage: Black, no sugar or cream
The ending: Not the way I wanted, but satisfying and right.
#booksky #amreading
June 1, 2025 at 12:20 PM
I took a fun approach to thinking about my favorite May reads! medium.com/p/47b65c77e09c
If this book were shoes: Waterproof Muck Boots
If this book were a coffee beverage: Black, no sugar or cream
The ending: Not the way I wanted, but satisfying and right.
#booksky #amreading
If this book were shoes: Waterproof Muck Boots
If this book were a coffee beverage: Black, no sugar or cream
The ending: Not the way I wanted, but satisfying and right.
#booksky #amreading
Good read. I'm rather impressed that the 7th and 8th graders are as intellectual about AI as the results show. #edusky #AI
Really interesting new finding: students were tested on the same reasoning puzzles used to benchmark AI. Three distinct mental models emerged about how AI "thinks."
We need to completely rethink AI literacy based on developmental stages. #edusky
open.substack.com/pub/drlangra...
We need to completely rethink AI literacy based on developmental stages. #edusky
open.substack.com/pub/drlangra...
Do Your Students Think AI is Magic? New Research Reveals Critical Gaps in AI Literacy
How children's mental models of AI reasoning reveal critical gaps in our approach to AI literacy
open.substack.com
May 31, 2025 at 2:11 PM
My top books this month, and their shoe counterparts.
📔Wild Dark Shore
📕The Bombshell
📗The Unmaking of June Farrow
📘Come and Get It
📙The Three Lives of Cate Kay
#booksky #books #amreading #bookish
medium.com/@mpilakow_17...
📔Wild Dark Shore
📕The Bombshell
📗The Unmaking of June Farrow
📘Come and Get It
📙The Three Lives of Cate Kay
#booksky #books #amreading #bookish
medium.com/@mpilakow_17...
May 31, 2025 at 12:32 PM
My top books this month, and their shoe counterparts.
📔Wild Dark Shore
📕The Bombshell
📗The Unmaking of June Farrow
📘Come and Get It
📙The Three Lives of Cate Kay
#booksky #books #amreading #bookish
medium.com/@mpilakow_17...
📔Wild Dark Shore
📕The Bombshell
📗The Unmaking of June Farrow
📘Come and Get It
📙The Three Lives of Cate Kay
#booksky #books #amreading #bookish
medium.com/@mpilakow_17...
My top books this month, and their shoe counterparts.
📔Wild Dark Shore
📕The Bombshell
📗The Unmaking of June Farrow
📘Come and Get It
📙The Three Lives of Cate Kay
#booksky #books #amreading #bookish
medium.com/@mpilakow_17...
📔Wild Dark Shore
📕The Bombshell
📗The Unmaking of June Farrow
📘Come and Get It
📙The Three Lives of Cate Kay
#booksky #books #amreading #bookish
medium.com/@mpilakow_17...
May 30, 2025 at 2:16 PM
My top books this month, and their shoe counterparts.
📔Wild Dark Shore
📕The Bombshell
📗The Unmaking of June Farrow
📘Come and Get It
📙The Three Lives of Cate Kay
#booksky #books #amreading #bookish
medium.com/@mpilakow_17...
📔Wild Dark Shore
📕The Bombshell
📗The Unmaking of June Farrow
📘Come and Get It
📙The Three Lives of Cate Kay
#booksky #books #amreading #bookish
medium.com/@mpilakow_17...
Attic Notebooks--A cool playful writing strategy by novelist Laini Taylor. (And you're not allowed to read the notebook until the end!)
Off to buy a new notebook for my first attic notebook! #writersky #writingcommunity #writersofbluesky
medium.com/@laini.taylo...
Off to buy a new notebook for my first attic notebook! #writersky #writingcommunity #writersofbluesky
medium.com/@laini.taylo...
May 28, 2025 at 12:19 PM
Attic Notebooks--A cool playful writing strategy by novelist Laini Taylor. (And you're not allowed to read the notebook until the end!)
Off to buy a new notebook for my first attic notebook! #writersky #writingcommunity #writersofbluesky
medium.com/@laini.taylo...
Off to buy a new notebook for my first attic notebook! #writersky #writingcommunity #writersofbluesky
medium.com/@laini.taylo...
Reposted by Melissa Pilakowski
We also have to explicitly model what we mean by "reading." @liznorell.bsky.social makes this point in the article. I've been writing about this for years. www.insidehighered.com/opinion/blog...
Show students how you want them to read
A perennial complaint that requires investigation.
www.insidehighered.com
May 27, 2025 at 11:59 AM
We also have to explicitly model what we mean by "reading." @liznorell.bsky.social makes this point in the article. I've been writing about this for years. www.insidehighered.com/opinion/blog...
Reposted by Melissa Pilakowski
The other significant takeaway is that if we want to help students better read and write, we need smaller classes that allow for personal contact and closer student cohorts. These are communicative acts and we that requires working from a place of community.
May 27, 2025 at 12:02 PM
The other significant takeaway is that if we want to help students better read and write, we need smaller classes that allow for personal contact and closer student cohorts. These are communicative acts and we that requires working from a place of community.
Strongly support this!
When I go to conferences, I almost always choose sessions led by teachers. They're the ones doing the work, not theorizing or ideating about it.
When I go to conferences, I almost always choose sessions led by teachers. They're the ones doing the work, not theorizing or ideating about it.
I wanna see more classroom teachers delivering keynotes, facilitating workshops, and given space and larger platforms to talk about what’s working/not working with students in this moment.
Too many educator conferences, not nearly enough current teacher voices and experiences.
Too many educator conferences, not nearly enough current teacher voices and experiences.
May 26, 2025 at 1:12 PM
Strongly support this!
When I go to conferences, I almost always choose sessions led by teachers. They're the ones doing the work, not theorizing or ideating about it.
When I go to conferences, I almost always choose sessions led by teachers. They're the ones doing the work, not theorizing or ideating about it.