Are Highlighters the Answer?
reading in a new age
Three spontaneous Friday newsletters in a row ~ is this a trend? Will it continue? Who knows! I just know that there are no rules and I’m having fun with less structured and planned writing at times. All other pieces are planned and pondered and curated and these …. aren’t.
Yesterday, when I sent the latest edition of 1because I knew it would be right up her alley, I said I wouldn’t write about it. But … here I am.
One of the things that puts me off writing about the state of reading and writing education is that as a professional in the field, it sometimes feels like I have to have something *bigger* to say, with so many sources and proof and *an answer*. Honestly, that’s not what I’m here for, and also don’t have capacity for. Although this may surprise you, this publication is not a scholarly journal, and need not act as such.
Long story short: includes a piece about the use of AI in reading (not writing), and I haven’t stopped thinking about it yet. I am not linking to the article ~ you need to go read every single word of what says and every word of his articles this week!
Okay, I am assuming you have now read all of it, and have also subscribed to , which is guaranteed to make you smarter.
With annotation long being a darling in the BookTok and BookTube (is that how we say it?) worlds, 8th graders annotating sexy books, and AI now able to do all of our reading for us …
Is annotating the answer (again)? Is this the definitive way to AI-proof student reading?
With tools being sold to teachers with the promise of being able to do their grading and give writing feedback for them, requiring annotation is a way of students showing their work that is also AI-proof for teachers2. Is that a benefit? Killing innovation?
One of my first-ever newsletters here back in 2023 was about AI in education and it’s hilarious how archaic that seems now.
I promise that I have no definitive or research-based answers. And forced annotation of *all* reading is a certain way to kill a love of reading, so please please please let’s not go there.
But it seems like perhaps, just maybe, buying mass amounts of highlighters and sticky tabs (or even just pens) could ensure assigned reading is done by human brains instead of computers?
Is ensuring reading is done by brains instead of computers even our goal? Does it matter?
No one in education can tell you the future. No one can or should have a definitive answer. What I know for sure is that anyone who says they do, isn’t thinking deeply enough.
See you tomorrow!
XO,
Katy
and also emailed it to a best friend at work with the subject line “Reading Homework” because I’m that kind of friend
HT to for this link and for writing it! Also, my district purchased a tool for both staff and student AI use, and I’m one of the people in charge of rolling it out. I am also on a committee about teaching annotation. My life is complicated. My brain is fighting with itself.
Thanks for stopping by!
