Learning with AI: Your Guide to Responsible and Effective Uses

The world of education is constantly evolving, and lately, there’s one topic on everyone’s mind: Artificial Intelligence. It’s exciting, a little daunting, and for many parents, students, and teachers, it brings a mix of curiosity and apprehension. When I first started exploring AI’s potential in learning, I felt a similar mix of emotions. 

I never used AI tools in college. I graduated from the University of Colorado just as LLMs (Learning Language Models) such as ChatGPT were being released. It wasn’t until I started working here, at Untapped Learning, that I found ways to responsibly integrate these rapidly changing tools in a way that would boost my creativity, not just my efficiency. I was overwhelmed by the idea of changing the way I do EVERYTHING. So I started small, stayed cautious and used AI to make me better at my job, not do it for me.

The headlines often jump between AI being a miraculous solution and a serious threat. But at Untapped Learning, we believe the truth lies in how we approach it. We see AI not as a replacement for genuine learning, but as an incredibly powerful tool that, when used responsibly and effectively, can truly transform educational outcomes.

This belief isn’t just a hunch; it’s the core philosophy behind everything we teach. My team and I developed our new online course, “Learning with AI: A Cognitive Science-Based Approach to Smarter Studying,” to equip you – parents, students, and teachers – with a future-ready mindset. We want to empower you with timeless learning principles that will help you navigate this new landscape, ensuring AI truly serves your educational goals. In this post, I want to share a glimpse into our philosophy, how AI can enhance learning, and why our approach at Untapped Learning is uniquely positioned to guide you.

AI is A Tool, Not a Crutch

At Untapped Learning, we’re rooted in the idea that learning is about process, not just product. That doesn’t change when you bring AI into the picture. It’s about deepening comprehension, building lasting skills, and fostering true independence. We’ve spent years helping students unlock their potential by focusing on executive function skills, and now, we’re seeing how AI can play a supportive role in that journey. 

When we introduce AI into a student’s toolbox, we ask questions like:

• Is this helping deepen understanding?
  
• Are we strengthening skills that will last beyond the assignment?
  
• Is this tailored to the student’s unique learning process?
  
• Can the student confidently explain how they used AI?
  

These questions aren’t extra, they’re essential. They anchor us in what matters most: real learning, not surface-level results.

We anchor our approach in strategies that have proven effective long before AI ever existed. Think about things like spaced repetition, active recall, making connections between new and old information, self-quizzing, and teaching concepts back to someone else. AI, in our view, doesn’t replace these fundamentals; it enhances them. It provides new avenues to apply these methods, making them more accessible and engaging. This isn’t about finding shortcuts; it’s about building smarter, more effective pathways to genuine learning.

How AI Can Strengthen the Learning Experience

As we developed our Learning with AI course, we discovered just how many areas AI can support, and how much more personalized learning can become.

Attention, Focus, and Memory

For many students, staying engaged is the biggest hurdle. AI can adapt to their needs in real time, offering instant feedback, building practice questions, and turning abstract topics into interactive stories, songs, or visuals. This multi-sensory approach helps learning stick, and keeps students coming back for more.

Self-Awareness and Metacognition

Metacognition is one of the most powerful drivers of learning. AI can help students understand how they think, not just what they know. It can flag patterns, track mistakes, and guide reflection. After a quiz, for example, AI can walk a student through why they missed a question. So next time, they’re not just guessing, they’re learning how to adjust.

Executive Function Skill-Building

This is where AI becomes truly transformational. AI can help students:

• Break large projects into steps
  
• Estimate time more realistically
  
• Manage transitions between tasks
  
• Create customized checklists and routines
  

It can even help students advocate for themselves, by role-playing conversations or helping draft messages to teachers. It’s like having a nonjudgmental coach walking alongside you, quietly nudging you toward independence.

Academic Support Across Subjects

• Writing: AI can help students organize their thoughts and provide quick-feedback loops to assist with revision. It can even transcribe voice-to-text, helping students organize thoughts more fluidly.
  
• Math: AI can demystify complex formulas, customize problem sets, and create visual breakdowns to make concepts easier to grasp.
  
• Humanities: Students and teachers can use AI to create engaging historical narratives, explore different perspectives on events, or connect past events to present-day issues, making history come alive.
  
• Science: Complex systems and experiments come alive when AI provides structure, feedback, and interactive tools.

The REP Framework: Our Approach to Integrating AI

What sets Untapped apart isn’t just that we use AI, it’s how we use it. Our coaching model is grounded in the REP Framework: Relationships, Executive Function skill-building, and Personalization. This framework ensures AI stays a tool for growth, not a replacement for it.

Relational

We believe growth starts with connection. Our mentors build trust, offer accountability, and help students feel seen. AI is never the star of the show—it’s a support system that helps students stick to their plan between sessions. The human connection remains central.

Executive Function Skill-Building

We don’t throw tech at students and hope it works. We teach them how to use AI to build the habits that matter most like planning, organizing, shifting focus, and following through. AI supports the skills, but we’re still coaching the student.

Personalized

No two students are the same. AI helps us meet each student exactly where they are, whether that’s tailoring a study plan, identifying gaps, or finding the best format for learning. Paired with human mentorship, that personalization becomes even more effective.

And most importantly? It works. Students become more confident, more organized, and less anxious. Parents feel more at ease knowing their child is building real skills, not just turning in better-looking homework.

Unlock Your Potential: Join Our Online Course!

The future of learning is here, and it’s exciting. But mastering it requires more than just understanding the tools; it requires understanding how to use them responsibly and effectively to build lasting skills. That’s precisely what we set out to teach in our new online course.

This comprehensive course is designed for parents, students, and teachers who want to leverage AI’s power to enhance learning and teaching, without compromising foundational skills or responsible practices. You’ll learn:

• How to integrate AI ethically and effectively into daily learning.
• Strategies to master timeless learning principles using AI tools.
• Practical tactics to boost executive functions like planning and focus.
• Ways to personalize education and foster metacognition.

Don’t get left behind, or worse, misuse this powerful technology. Equip yourself and your family with the knowledge to thrive in a changing world.