Reimagining Reading and Writing in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

Baby J takes Flat Stanley to soccer field.

Back in 2018 and 2020, I wrote two books about literacy education in America. Earlier this year, the publisher told me they were going to revise and republish those two books.

Of course, the landscape of literacy education has changed a lot since their initial publication: first, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted students' social and cognitive development, and then the advent of the artificial intelligence age painted an apocalyptic picture of humanities instruction.

Recent commentary on artificial intelligence in education often predicts the collapse of students' ability to read and write. With tools like ChatGPT and Claude, students can bypass readings and essays, and some professors even use AI to grade assignments. Critics warn that this could reduce the academic process to little more than two machines talking to each other.

But my observation suggests a different story. Rather than surrendering to AI, many educators across the United States are reimagining their teaching. They recognize that banning AI isn't effective; instead, they are designing assignments that encourage real engagement while addressing broader challenges.

Traditional methods—heavy readings, lectures, and take home essays—are giving way to oral exams, one-on-one conversations, in-class projects, and community engagements.

Baby J is now in second grade. Their first language arts project in this semester was the classic Flat Stanley. The teacher first introduced the story of a boy named Stanley who gets flattened by a bulletin board and embarks on a series of adventures. Afterward, the students make their own paper "Flat Stanley." For an entire week, they took him everywhere, snapping photos together. The following week, they wrote an essay, "My Great Adventure with Flat Stanley," based on the photos. This assignment was so much fun; Baby J and his classmates completed it with great enthusiasm.

New York Times reports that at Utah Valley University, philosophy professor Chris Weigel has students teach ethics concepts to teenagers in a treatment facility, culminating in live debates. Her students worked harder on this project than for any paper, motivated by their responsibility to the teens. At Beloit College, English professor Tamara Ketabgian built a class around Ursula Le Guin's The Dispossessed. Students led community discussions in libraries and schools, practicing public speaking and reflection along the way. Rather than imposing rigid AI rules, she had her students draft their own code of conduct: they could use AI to research materials but not to generate writing.

Such assignments reflect a broader shift toward trust and transparency. Instead of banning AI tools, the educators emphasize media literacy, teaching students to critically assess AI outputs and recognize their limitations.

The worry about losing vital skills like sustained attention and grammar over AI remains, but despite these concerns, evidences show that humanities are not dying. Enrollment is rising at places like UC Berkeley, where arts and humanities majors have increased nearly 50 percent in four years. With AI reshaping the job market, some students may feel freer to pursue intellectual passions rather than pragmatic majors.

Ultimately, stories from classrooms show the humanities thrive when rooted in human connection. And as the second edition of my two books on literacy education hit the shelves this month, I hope they affirm teachers and students alike that the strength of humanities lies in building community, fostering critical thought, and keeping the "human" at the center of learning—something no chatbot can replace.

Read more:

Literacy Education: Lessons from American Classrooms（繁體中文版）

Literacy Education: Preventive Medicine for a Smarter Brain（繁體中文版）