I have historically written and created everything that I post in my classroom. I love authentic communication and want to add my personal experiences and ideas to what I share. In the past 6-9 months, I have experimented with using AI to polish announcements, check tone for tricky messages, and brainstorm ideas. 

I like to protect conversations with students about experiences, personal connections to content, HALO messages, and most assignment feedback.  I want students to know that I see them as individuals not just shuffling them through the system. For example, in assignment feedback, I like to point out how they applied something from our discussion into their assignment. I do use a feedback bank for some comments, but the personal recognition of a student's learning is important.

What would I let AI support? Probably announcements. I feel like I send extra time posting reminders about upcoming due dates, long term planning for projects, explaining what is important in the topic, reiterating instructions, faith connections, and encouraging students in a general group. I have a bank of announcements for each class that make it more streamlined, but to have it automated would allow me to simply review and post. With my extra time, I could be engaging more in discussions.

Casey Pitts, thank you for sharing this. It is important that we decide what is relational for us and that we protect it at all costs. What might be transactional could be relational for others and vice versa. You also touched on what you would do with your extra time, which is important. That extra time is only as valuable as we make it. 

Casey, I love this example because you’re not simply asking, “What can AI do for me?” You’re asking, “What can AI help me make more room for?” Love this!

Using AI to support routine announcements so you can spend more time engaging with students in discussions is such a great example of delegating the transactional to protect the relational. And I especially appreciate what you said about feedback, recognizing how a student carried something from a discussion into an assignment communicates something much deeper than “I graded your work.” It says, “I noticed your learning.”

So many of our initiatives teach us a new technology or show us how to become more efficient. What we don’t talk about nearly as often is the next question: Now that you have some of that time back, what will you do with it?

That’s part of the gap we’re trying to fill through the Lab. Efficiency shouldn’t just help us do more. It can create space for us to be more present.

Thanks for sharing this, Casey!

I never just use AI in place of ME, but I wanted to be more intentional with adding "faith" to my responses; more in-tune with our mission statement. So I write my response to a student, then I have AI read my response, and my student's response and ask how I can add a faith-based portion to my response. And AI uses https://www.biblegateway.com/ to help me figure out what scripture I can share that would make sense with my response. I am really appreciating the help. I am not a minister, just a disciple of Jesus Christ.

Mary Curry thank you for sharing this with the rest of us. Mary. A full-time faculty colleague of ours recently had a story appear in GCU News about his use of AI for the integration of faith. How have you seen the use of AI impact your integration of faith in other areas of your teaching? 

Jacob Aroz , I use AI to expand my knowledge about diverse perspectives and other religious traditions. Because I value inclusion, I want students from non-Christian faith backgrounds to feel deeply seen and respected. AI helps me learn how to craft responses and questions that thoughtfully include teachings from their own faith-based approaches. Additionally, I utilize AI to brainstorm ideas, generate lesson plans, and clarify complex concepts, which ultimately enhances my online classroom and fosters a friendly, inclusive environment. While AI can never replace a teacher or the trust-based relationships we build with our GCU students, it serves as a wonderful tool to ensure GCU’s core values are met in a heartfelt way.

Mary Curry thank you for sharing this! As someone who values inclusion as well - a key aspect of Christianity - I think it is great to look for ways to understand religious traditions as they relate to your own. 

Jacob

I feel like there truly is nothing like a real person, especially with teaching others how to teach. I feel my past experiences are the main focus of how I can support someone learning to be a better teacher. My stories and history is what makes me unique, as well as a benefit to my students. I will continue to share the facts, as well as my experiences to guide students to learning how to be the best teacher they can be!

Sharon Levake it sounds like your personal story informs much of your approach when it comes to teaching and in ways that substantially benefit your students. Social presence is about exactly that: making ourselves real to our students because we understand that connection makes a difference. What routine tasks currently take time away from the relational work with students you have put at the center of your teaching approach, and how might AI help streamline those?

The "delegate the transactional, protect the relational" rule aligns closely with the AUGMENT framework, which I use to ensure AI enhances rather than replaces human-driven education (Trust, n.d.). To streamline transactional tasks, I rely on AI for initial drafts, outlines, case study scenarios, and visual content that connects abstract learning objectives to real-world applications. Offloading these mechanical steps frees up valuable cognitive bandwidth, allowing me to focus directly on learner needs and engagement.

This directly protects the relational moments that make continuous learning possible. Grounded in connectivism, fostering social connection and engagement is essential for expanding knowledge beyond what is currently known (Siemens, 2005). Gaining time back allows me to reach out to struggling learners, offer guidance during personal challenges, and proactively support students navigating academic anxiety or accommodations.

Ultimately, personal presence matters because emotional support demands genuine empathy, active listening, and nuance that AI cannot replicate. A Christ-like human presence creates a safe, intentional space where students feel truly heard, understood, and supported.

George, S. (2005). Connectivism: A learning theory for the digital age. International Journal of Instructional technology and distance learning, 2(1), 3-10. 

Trust, T., Maloy, R. W., , & Xu, C. (n.d.). AI-Ready Educators and Students: Using the AUGMENT Framework to Teach and Learn with Generative AI. EdTech Books. https://edtechbooks.org/aireadyedu

Kathryn Tomlinson thank you for sharing this! What I appreciate about your approach is that you are taking the time saved by using AI and immediately looking for those relational opportunities to reinvest. 

(a) What is one task you feel comfortable allowing AI to support, 

I am ok with AI formatting the References per APA format v7.  AI often misses details, but this is a time saver and not something that demonstrates a specific skill of a doctoral scholar.  Nice to have, but not a need to have in my opinion.  

(b) What is one relational moment you want to protect? Why does your personal presence matter in that moment?

A committee member passed away recently and because one of my students was not in cycle at the time of this passing, I missed.  As soon as the realization happened as a result of the student milestone, I was able to have a one on one conversation with the student to help them through the stress of the situation.  This change required a personal (Zoom or phone call) presence to address, 

"No one cares how much you know until they know how much you care." Anonymous

Showing up with a human presence is really the "secret sauce" that students need to feel that we are "there" for them and holding space.

My .02 cents.  Cheryl Lentz

Cheryl Lentz formatting is a great place to use the technical ability of AI to enhance things like feedback (using it to create specific examples for a student to use related to their sources). What I appreciate about your relational moment is that it is small, yet significant. I believe that is key! 

Jacob