Teaching Beyond: Using AI to Challenge High-Performing Students

How can educators move beyond “more work” and design better thinking for high-performing students in the age of AI? In this session, we’ll explore how artificial intelligence can serve as a co-thinker, not a shortcut, by helping students deepen analysis, interrogate information, and reflect on their learning process.Participants will unpack three key design shifts for challenge-based learning in an AI era:Reframing extensions as invitations to deeper thought rather than extra work;Tying to mastery, allowing “expert mode” tasks to replace standard assignments; andPositioning AI as a reflective partner, modeling ethical use and self-assessment.Attendees will participate in a live challenge lab, using tools like ChatGPT, Claude, or Flint to generate custom “expert mode” prompts or scaffolded reflection tasks for their own students. Leave with a Challenge Bank, a workflow for building AI-extended lessons, and a renewed vision for nurturing self-directed, ethical thinkers who thrive beyond the rubric.