Understanding the program, and starting the conversation at home. This guide helps you understand what your student is learning and how to continue that conversation. The goal isn't to restrict AI use, it's to make sure your student remains in charge of their own thinking.
Still in Charge teaches five principles covering judgment, privacy, accountability, institutional rules, and knowing when to stop. That's the skill that will matter in every classroom, every job, and every decision your student makes.
Use AI to sharpen reasoning and ideas, never to replace your own thinking.
Never input personal, school, or sensitive information into an AI tool.
Check AI output before using it for anything that matters. AI can be wrong.
Know what's allowed at school and work before using AI for any task.
When something feels off: stop, ask a teacher or supervisor, and don't act until sure.
AI is a powerful tool for exploring ideas and getting unstuck. But the moment a student lets AI do the thinking for them, they stop building the skill that actually matters. Students who use AI to sharpen their reasoning come out stronger. Students who use it to skip their reasoning come out weaker, even if their grades don't show it yet.
Students often don't consider what they've entered into an AI tool. Once something is submitted, it may be stored, processed, or used in ways that aren't visible to you or your child. Personal information includes full names, addresses, phone numbers, school names, health details, financial information, and anything that could identify a person, including a friend or family member.
AI can be wrong, and it sounds confident when it's wrong. Every time a student submits AI output without checking it, they're staking their reputation on something they didn't verify. Verification is not optional, it's a core skill, and it starts at home.
Cross-check facts against a reliable source before citing them. Read AI-generated writing aloud, errors become obvious.
Ask "Does this actually make sense?" before submitting. Look up any claim that seems surprising or too convenient.
Institutional rules around AI use vary by school, teacher, and assignment. Your teacher's policy is the policy. "Everyone does it" is not a policy. Following institutional rules isn't just about avoiding punishment, it's about building the habit of operating with integrity in every environment.
The fifth principle is about building an internal alarm system. When AI says something that seems wrong, feels off, or creates discomfort, the right move is always to stop. This instinct, to pause rather than proceed, is one of the most valuable habits a student can develop. It applies to AI, and it applies to life.
These questions open a real discussion, not a lecture. They work for students of any age. The goal is curiosity, not interrogation.
Normalizes the conversation. Most students are using AI regularly, this opens the door without accusation.
Introduces the verification habit. AI produces errors confidently.
Covers the privacy principle. Students often don't consider what they've entered.
Covers institutional rules. Students benefit from thinking through this explicitly.
Covers the 'Pause and Ask' principle, developing the instinct to stop.
The most important question. Keeps attention on judgment, independence, and what students are building for themselves.
A clear, agreed-upon set of expectations that students can refer to and parents can reinforce.
Use AI to understand a concept, then do the work yourself. AI explains; you apply.
Check grammar or improve phrasing on your own writing. The ideas must be yours first.
Brainstorm options, then make your own decision. AI generates; you choose.
Research and background reading, with verification of key facts before relying on them.
Submitting AI-generated work without disclosure is academic dishonesty, regardless of whether the school has caught up with the policy yet.
Entering anyone's personal, health, or financial details into an AI tool. A direct privacy risk most students don't recognize.
The teacher's policy is the policy, not what everyone else is doing.
Every unverified claim shared publicly is a reputational risk and a contribution to misinformation.
These are not accusations. They're prompts for an honest conversation. If you notice any of these, approach with curiosity, not confrontation.
May indicate AI-generated work submitted as their own. Ask: "Walk me through how you approached this assignment."
If a student can't summarize or discuss work they turned in, it may not be theirs. One of the clearest signals.
Accepting output without question is the core habit the program addresses. If they've never pushed back on AI, explore it.
A direct privacy risk most students don't recognize as a problem until it's explained.
Ask directly and calmly, students often don't realize they can raise concerns without getting in trouble.
Not to restrict AI use, but to make sure your student remains in charge of their own thinking, in every classroom, every job, and every decision.
If you have questions about what your student is learning, or want to get more involved, reach out directly.
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