AI Hits the STEM Classroom

Hey. Anne here! I  asked my friend Eric Iversen if I could adapt some content from a recent article he wrote: AI in STEM Classrooms: Disruption Now, Opportunity Ahead. Eric is a writer with decades of experience communicating on education and engineering topics. He’s currently VP for Learning and Communications at Start Engineering. This article includes lots of Eric and some Anne!

What are your students learning? They may be mastering math, science, and language arts, but do they understand the technology that’s shaping their future? Artificial intelligence (AI) is already part of everyday life. It powers customer service chatbots, recommends videos, and even helps doctors make diagnoses. Yet in many schools, AI literacy is treated as an optional topic – or ignored entirely.

That gap matters. When students don’t learn how AI works, how to use it wisely, or how it affects the world around them, they’re at a disadvantage. The truth is, AI is not just a tool of the future – it’s part of the world your students are growing up in right now.

AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini are popping up everywhere. Some students use them for homework, some teachers use them for planning – and wow, are these tools making a big splash!

But here’s the thing: AI can be amazing OR a total problem, depending on how it’s used. Some students are letting AI do the work for them instead of learning how to think through tough problems. That’s like asking a calculator to solve their math problems — they get the answer, but not the muscles!

A big teacher STEM challenge now is helping students learn how to make AI a useful helper instead of a shortcut. And we also need to make sure students understand AI’s limitations and risks.

The Upside of AI

AI can actually make STEM learning (that’s science, technology, engineering, and math) way more exciting and personal. For example, AI can:

• Provide personal tutors for all students. Imagine providing students with a tutor that gives them instant feedback, explains things individually, and lets them practice at their own pace. AI can do that.
• Lower teaching stress. Grading and planning are time-consuming. AI can handle some of that so teachers can spend more time actually researching, teaching, and helping students.
• Visualize the “impossible.” With AI simulations, STEM kids can zoom inside tiny particles, manipulate data virtually in 3-D, and even “see” their own engineering designs virtually.  That kind of stuff used to be unimaginable.
• Get students ready for the future. No matter what job your students want – engineer, doctor, game designer, small business owner, etc. – AI  will be part of it. In fact, AI is becoming a core skill across most jobs and professions! Learning how AI works now and how to use it responsibly is like getting a sneak peek at their future.

AI can also be a valuable teaching tool that can assist critical thinking and strengthen students’ academic muscles. AI can build online collaboration skills and can make STEM learning more fun, personal, and real-world.

What’s the Downside?

Of course, AI isn’t all sunshine and super circuits. Some real problems are popping up:

• Losing basic skills. Some students let AI solve their math and science problems. That means they miss out on the mental workout that builds problem-solving muscles. They use AI like a crutch instead of a helper.
• Grading confusion. Teachers aren’t always sure if students’ work is their own or something the AI spit out. That makes it tougher to grade and to trust what students know.
• Wrong answers. AI sometimes gives wrong or biased information and sounds very confident about it. Students who fail to question or check what it says can walk away with big misunderstandings.
• Teacher training gaps. AI has emerged on the scene fast, and teachers haven’t been taught how to use it effectively; so now they’re trying to figure it out as they go. Some even avoid it completely. (Note: The American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association have partnered with Microsoft, OpenAI and Anthropic to provide AI training for teachers, aiming to prepare students for a future workforce dominated by AI. See article here)
• Fairness problems. Some better-funded schools have amazing AI tools and even offer classes. Others have almost none. That creates unfair gaps among students depending on where they go to school.

Yes, AI can cause trouble if not used wisely. But here’s something to remember: AI isn’t good or bad on its own – it all depends on how students and educators choose to use it. When teachers guide AI use – asking students to question and test its accuracy, analyze its responses – and when we facilitate their teamwork, AI becomes a partner in learning. When students use AI to dodge hard work, or accept everything it tells us “on faith,” it turns into a negative influence. In other words, AI can be a helper or a stumbling block – depending on how we interact with it.

The Bottom Line

Let’s be real: AI is going to be part of every job out there – engineering, medicine, art, business, law, humanities, retail – you name it. That means learning how AI works (and where it goes wrong) is now a must-have skill for students. Kids need help to build AI literacy and learn to use it skillfully.

There’s help on the horizon! The folks at StartEngineering recently created a guide called AI & Your Career. It shows how AI is changing fields like healthcare, cybersecurity, and data science, and reminds students that human skills like creativity, ethics, and teamwork still matter most. This guide reinforces the adaptations schools need to make: teach AI literacy, emphasize critical thinking over rote answers, and prepare students to thrive in an AI-rich workforce.

I’d love to hear your comments and questions!