Penguins, Poe, and Pedagogy: Exploring Critical Thinking and AI in Education

Recently, my hairdresser and I were playing around with ChatGPT while she cut my hair (yes, I talk to everyone about AI). We ran an experiment on my phone with ChatGPT where I asked the AI to help me write about penguins in five radically different voices. What started as a simple essay about these flightless birds transformed into a creative exploration through the distinctive styles of Edgar Allan Poe, Captain Kirk, the Beverly Hills 90210 cast, Eminem, and John Wayne. Based on this experiment, I designed a learning activity that revealed something important: how we can better teach students to think critically, enjoy learning, and collaborate effectively with AI technologies.

Reimagining AI's Role in Education

Today, many instructors are working to figure out how AI can be used in education without replacing the critical thinking process that is central to student learning. Instead of seeing AI's content generation abilities as a threat, we can leverage AI's strength in iteration to deepen students' skills in analysis, evaluation, and meaning-making.

By using AI to generate multiple versions of a single topic, varying style, tone, and audience, we can:

• Demonstrate how framing influences perception and interpretation
• Encourage creative thinking while ensuring a commitment to factual accuracy
• Strengthen critical thinking by having learners evaluate, refine, and choose between alternatives

Three Approaches for Your Classroom

Here are three ways to incorporate this approach into your teaching practice:

1. "One Idea, Many Voices" Workshops

Invite students to use AI to rewrite a simple concept in a variety of styles. Then, analyze as a class: What changes? What remains constant? Why do these differences matter? This method sharpens students' awareness of audience, purpose, and voice.

Sample Excerpts:

• Poe Style: "Lo! The penguin—cloaked in sable and ivory, as if in perpetual mourning—emerges not merely as a creature, but as a symbol, a cipher, a creature of paradox."
• Captain Kirk Style: "Penguins: resilient, loyal, and strategic. They don't just survive in Antarctica; they thrive, navigating a hostile frontier like seasoned explorers of the final frontier."
• Beverly Hills 90210 Style: "Honestly, penguins are just like us—dealing with drama, loyalty issues, and survival, except in way colder outfits. Total respect!"
• Eminem Style: "Penguins don't need wings to fly high—they dive deep, fight hard, and survive storms colder than your worst day."
• John Wayne Style: "Them penguins ain't just waddlin' for show. They're tough, loyal, and stand tall against the cold, same as any good ranch hand would against a dust storm."

2. "Remix Assignments"

Design assignments where students generate several AI-assisted versions of a core idea. They must then critique and reflect on how each version differs. This assignment combines creativity and analysis, keeping students actively engaged with the course material. And it gives the students agency and ownership, plus you won't be bored with grading!

3. "Who's the Author?" Reflection Activities

Provide students with different AI-generated outputs and ask them to identify the human decisions that could improve each one. This shifts their role from passive consumers to active editors, cultivating deeper critical thinking. Again, agency, ownership, critical thinking, and decision-making.

The Power of Iteration

Iteration is not a threat to meaningful learning, it is an accelerator. While AI can offer countless starting points, it is human judgment, ethics, and creativity that drive learning forward. By teaching students to iterate, critique, and adapt, we build stronger critical thinkers who are prepared for a world where AI is a partner, not a substitute.

Instructors who apply this concept of iteration and Human + AI partnership ensure that students continue using their essential critical thinking skills while actually enjoying the learning process. This approach transforms AI from a potential shortcut into a powerful tool for deeper engagement with course material.

Instead of asking, "How do we stop AI from thinking for students?" let's ask, "How do we help students think more powerfully with AI by their side?"

I would love to hear how others are experimenting with Human + AI collaboration in learning. How are you putting critical thinking at the heart of your classrooms in this new era?