How AI Changed the Way My Students Think About Assignments

I still remember the first time a student handed me an assignment that felt... off. It was a perfectly structured paragraph, clean grammar, all the keywords neatly aligned, but something about it lacked the spark I usually see in my student’s voice.

So, I asked gently, “Did you write this?

”They looked up, half-smiling, and said, “Well… ChatGPT helped.”

That’s when it hit me. AI wasn’t just in the background anymore, it had walked straight into my classroom.

The Shift in My ICT Classroom

As an ICT teacher, I’ve always encouraged tech exploration. We code, we design games, we build mini robots. So naturally, I was thrilled when students started exploring tools like ChatGPT, Bing AI, and image generators. It meant they were curious.

But over time, I noticed something shift:

• Assignments got cleaner, but less thoughtful.

• Code was submitted, but barely understood.

• Reflections were poetic, but impersonal.

Some students began treating AI as a shortcut, not a support tool.

What I Started Noticing

Here are a few things that stood out as the months went by:

1. Copy-Paste Over Comprehend

A 6th grader once turned in a Python project that even I had to pause and reread. When I asked them to explain the code logic, they blinked. “I found it online… but it worked, right?”

That’s when I realized: They were skipping the “thinking” part.

2. Too Perfect to Be Theirs

AI-generated answers are polished, but sometimes too polished. I missed the quirky spelling, the half-formed logic, the realness of learning. It became harder to tell where they ended and AI began.

3. Resistance to Struggle

Before, students would brainstorm, ask “what if…?” questions, and tinker with ideas. Now, some just type the question into a bot and expect a finished product. The process feels rushed. The patience to problem-solve is thinning.

So, What Did I Do as a Teacher?

I didn’t ban AI. That’s like banning calculators in a math class. Instead, I changed how I framed assignments:

1. I made space for the thinking part:

Now, I ask students to submit “behind-the-scenes” work—mind maps, code planning, or voice notes explaining their logic.

2. I let them use AI, but with honesty:

We created a class rule: “If you used AI, tell me how.” Some write, “Used ChatGPT to generate starter ideas, but edited and added personal examples.” That’s real learning.

3. I created more in-class, hands-on tasks:

Whether it’s robot building or a logic game, they have to engage actively. I want their brains moving—not just their fingers clicking.

The Bigger Picture

Technology evolves, and so should we. AI isn’t the enemy, it’s a new language students are learning to speak. My job now is not to fight it, but to guide them to teach when to lean on it, and when to trust their own ideas.

At the end of the day, I want my students to leave my class not just as tech users, but as ethical thinkers, curious builders, and confident creators.

If you're a teacher reading this, maybe you've felt the same shift. Maybe you’ve questioned how to keep assignments meaningful in the AI age. You're not alone.

Let’s keep the conversations and the curiosity alive.