#72 How Students Really Use AI with @CoachKarle

In this episode of Make It Mindful, host Seth Fleischauer welcomes Karle Delo, AI Strategist at Michigan Virtual and one of EdTech Magazine’s Top 30 IT Influencers to Follow in 2023, for a deeply practical conversation about how students actually use AI.

With 14 years of experience as a science teacher, tech integration specialist, and curriculum director, Karle brings a grounded, student-centered perspective to AI literacy—one shaped by direct conversations with learners, classroom observations, and her work helping publish Michigan Virtual’s Student Guide to AI.

Together, Seth and Karle explore what real AI literacy looks like in classrooms: how students are experimenting, where they’re already sophisticated, and what teachers need to know to prevent cognitive bypass while building authentic agency. The episode highlights the role of intentionality, the power of desirable difficulty, and why students must be positioned as co-designers and leaders in shaping the future of AI in education.

Key Topics Discussed

• How students actually experience AI
  Why the most insightful conversations about AI often come from learners—not adults.
• Intentionality and the habit of noticing
  Practical strategies for helping students recognize where AI shows up in daily life—especially in the places they least expect.
• Preventing cognitive bypass
  What students lose when AI removes the “desirable difficulty” essential for learning, and how AI can serve as a coach rather than a shortcut.
• The gym metaphor for AI use
  Why relying on AI to “lift the weights for you” undermines learning—and how to shift toward AI as a trainer, not a replacement.
• Sophisticated student use cases
  From quizzing themselves to vibe-coding entire debate-coaching tools, students are using AI in ways many adults have never considered.
• AI literacy, privacy, and data awareness
  Plain-language guidance for students: what’s safe to type, what’s never okay, and how platforms infer far more than we think.
• Maintaining human relationships at the center of learning
  Why AI feedback is powerful only when paired with teacher guidance, identity development, and student voice.
• Creativity, boundaries, and student agency
  How formulaic assignments—not AI—may be what stifles creativity, and why students must help shape the norms around healthy AI use.

Guest Bio

Karle Delo is an AI Strategist at Michigan Virtual with over 14 years of experience in public education. A former science teacher, technology integration specialist, and curriculum director, Carly was recognized by EdTech Magazine as a Top 30 IT Influencer to Follow in 2023. She recently helped publish Michigan Virtual’s Student Guide to AI and leads statewide work on AI literacy, student voice, and practical implementation strategies for schools. She shares resources and insights at @CoachKarle on social platforms.

Host Bio

Seth Fleischauer is the founder and president of Banyan Global Learning and a former classroom teacher with extensive experience in global education, digital literacy, and live virtual teaching. He hosts Make It Mindful and Why Distance Learning?, where he explores how emerging technologies and human connection shape modern learning.

Episode Links

• Michigan Virtual AI Hub: https://michiganvirtual.org/ai

• Michigan Virtual Student Guide to AI: https://michiganvirtual.org/ai/students

• TheySeeYourPhotos.com - website where you can see what information AI can glean about you just from a photograph.

• Follow Carly: @CoachKarle on all platforms