AI is already shaping how students learn, create, and solve problems, but many educators are still asking the same important question: “How do we use it without losing critical thinking, creativity, and authentic learning?”

In this episode, Sonia Spindt, Senior Curriculum Developer at CodeCombat, discusses how schools can approach AI in thoughtful, practical ways. She shares what she is seeing across K–12 education, from schools already experimenting with AI to those still deciding when and how students should use it, and explores how educators can set clear expectations for responsible classroom use.

Sonia also discusses teacher use of AI, student expectations, the AI Assessment Scale, emerging CSTA standards, and why clear learning goals should come before introducing new tools. She explains how AI can support deeper learning when students use it to evaluate outputs, interpret results, troubleshoot, and make meaningful decisions.

The conversation also highlights CodeCombat’s AI literacy framework and AI HackStack, including how they support technical skills, critical evaluation, problem-solving, and classroom visibility. Throughout the episode, Sonia encourages schools to give students guided opportunities to explore AI safely, creatively, and responsibly.

About Our Guest

Sonia Spindt is a Senior Curriculum Developer at CodeCombat, where she helps create engaging computer science and AI learning experiences for students and educators. She brings years of classroom experience in computer science, data science, and machine learning, with a focus on making complex technical concepts approachable and meaningful for learners.