Student Writing and AI - How do we navigate in Our new world

Artificial intelligence is transforming the way students write. With AI tools like ChatGPT, students can feed AI platforms information to produce first drafts in seconds. While this causes concern for many teachers, it also opens up a world of possibilities in student writing. The truth is simple: AI can write for students, but it can’t write uniquely like them.

The current conversation around AI and student writing reminds me of the concerns surrounding texting over a decade ago. When training hundreds of teachers on the Six Traits of Effective Writing, at least one teacher in every workshop would complain, “Students text so much that they don’t know how to write essays!”

My response then—and now—is the same: “We should prepare students for the world they LIVE in, not the world we LIVED in!”

That means embracing new tools like AI without abandoning what we know works—like the Six Traits of Effective Writing. We didn’t ban texting; we taught students how to shift between casual and formal communication. We can do the same with AI. Instead of viewing it as a threat, we can use it as a tool to move beyond the basics. When students use AI with intention, they can learn how to revise AI-generated drafts into writing that reflects their own personality.

That’s where our Six Traits of Writing roots come in and what I call, ‘Rescue Revision.’ Using each trait—Ideas and Content, Organization, Voice, Word Choice, Sentence Fluency, and Conventions to revise AI drafts can inject student’s original ideas and unique personalities into their final product to create something powerful that still sounds like them.

• Ideas and Content: “The heart of the message.” AI can offer information, but students must inject meaning. Revision here means students ask: Does this say what I want to say? Are the details mine, or generic?
• Organization: “The internal structure.” AI follows patterns, often predictable ones. Students can improve clarity and purpose by reorganizing: Is this the best way to transition my ideas? Does my beginning grab my reader’s attention?
• Voice: “The heart and soul.” This is where AI struggles most. True voice is human. Students should ask: Does this sound like me? Does the tone match my purpose?
• Word Choice: “Paints a picture for the reader.” AI offers advanced vocabulary which can stifle students' personalities. Students can ask: Are these words I would use?
• Sentence Fluency: “The rhythm and flow.” Students can “move words around to change the sound.” Revising for fluency means trying new sentence lengths, varying patterns, and creating a flow that fits their personality.
• Conventions: “Good table manners.” Yes, AI spells things correctly—but it can’t play with conventions the way students can. A narrative voice might say, “We live down past the ‘crik.’” AI would "fix" that—but students know better. Sometimes, bending the rules of conventions is necessary to personalize writing.

With trait-based checklists, students can self-assess and make personalized decisions. They can highlight AI-sounding sentences and replace them with their own expressions. They can identify places where a stronger voice is needed or where transitions feel mechanical. Because AI provides the first draft, revision becomes the most important part of the process where students reclaim ownership of their writing.

By combining AI’s drafting speed with the Six Traits’ power of revision, students can create a balanced, human-centered writing process. One where they are not just consumers of generated text, but creators of text that has been rescued, revived, and is deeply alive.

Download the Rescue Revision Checklist Here

April 29, 2025

LaRae Kendrick, M.Ed. — Creator of Our Six Writing Friends™

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Student Writing & AI: Rescue Revision for Ideas & Content

In my recent article, “Our Six Traits Roots and Rescue Revision Can Save Personalized Writing in Our New Age of AI,” I explored how teaching AI revision through the lens of the Six Traits of Effective Writing can empower students to take ownership of their work. With the growing use of AI tools in classrooms, students have more help than ever to generate first drafts, but those drafts are just the beginning. Using a thoughtful revision checklist can turn AI-generated drafts into writing that is both personal and powerful.

However, before we zoom in on revising Ideas and Content, let’s address the elephant in the room: Should students ever be allowed to use AI to create first drafts?

First let’s try viewing the use of AI tools to create rough drafts as brainstorming. After prompting an AI tool, students can evaluate AI-produced ideas to determine whether or not those ideas match their own.

I relate the concept of using AI for first drafts to another topic: “In the age of social media, are high school reunions necessary?”

Let me explain how the two topics are related.

Before social media, two people at a reunion might sound like this: “Are you married? Where are you working? Do you have kids?” And so on.

After social media, two people catching up sounds very different: “I saw your daughter just graduated from U of O! My nephew just started there! Tell me more about your trip to Yellowstone; the pictures looked amazing. I loved your Halloween pics; Wicked is one of my favorite musicals.”

It can easily be argued that the conversation in the latter scenario showcases a deeper connection when two people are already caught up on the basics.

So how does this relate to using AI for first drafts and evaluating its ideas?

When students use AI to create first drafts, we can challenge them to push beyond the basics and dive deeper into details. We can ask students thoughtful questions to revise their writing and then assess their improvements.

The skill, which I call Rescue Revision, is essential for students to learn in our contemporary world and their future careers. I’d rather coach students to think critically about basic AI ideas and how to throw out or personalize generated content instead of watching them stare blankly at a computer screen with “writer’s block.”

Of course, many times writing “from scratch” is more appropriate and acceptable. However, we cannot ignore the enormous impact of learning Rescue Revision skills. Think about using an AI tool to create a tailored cover letter based on a job posting and your attached resume, then personalizing that letter before you apply for the job.

Rescue Revision

Let's focus on the first essential writing trait: Ideas and Content. It’s the foundation of any strong piece of writing. Whether a student is composing a narrative, expository text, or a persuasive essay, this trait answers the fundamental question: What are you really trying to say?

Using a simple Rescue Revision Checklist to revise first drafts can turn common ideas into personal thoughts. Focusing solely on Ideas and Content, a student can ask:

1. Do all the ideas in this piece make sense to me?

AI-generated text can sometimes be vague or use ideas we don’t agree with or feel a personal connection to. For example, I asked ChatGPT to create a persuasive essay arguing that homework should be eliminated in high school. 

Here is the first generated paragraph:

Homework has been a long-standing tradition in high school education, viewed as essential for reinforcing learning. However, as we better understand student needs and the demands on their time and well-being, it's clear that a no-homework policy can be more beneficial than burdensome. Implementing such a policy at the high school level would reduce student stress, promote equity, and improve the overall quality of learning during school hours.

Note: Right now, we are only focusing on revision for ideas, so let’s pay attention to the three arguments bolded in the last sentence: stress, equity, and learning quality. Do these ideas make sense? What if you disagree or simply don’t understand how eliminating homework will improve the quality of learning in the classroom? Let’s replace that idea with one of our own. Maybe eliminating homework gives students more time to focus on extracurricular activities or hobbies like soccer or learning to play guitar. Let’s update the final sentence and focus on replacing any mention of improving the quality of learning with allowing students more time for hobbies.

2. Should I add more personal details or examples?

Unless the student has front-loaded a personal experience, AI cannot tell their story. AI does not know their experiences, emotions, or unique point of view. This is the time to share how unrealistic homework expectations meant the student had to miss soccer practice, which led to less playing time on game day, or how having time for guitar lessons increased their self-confidence and opened up more career opportunities than completing a homework packet of worksheets.

3. Do parts of the text feel generic or like a robot wrote them?

This question helps students identify clichés and overused ideas. It also borders on revising for Voice and Word Choice, which will soon follow. Let’s take a look at that same paragraph and focus only on the first sentence:

Homework has been a long-standing tradition in high school education, viewed as essential for reinforcing learning. However, as we better understand student needs and the demands on their time and well-being, it's clear that a no-homework policy can be more beneficial than burdensome. Implementing such a policy at the high school level would reduce student stress, promote equity, and improve the overall quality of learning during school hours.

Students might ask themselves: Do I really feel like teachers give homework because it's tradition? Or do I feel like teachers give homework because they think it will reinforce what we learned in class? Maybe the student feels more strongly that homework is given because parents expect it, or because teachers don’t have time to cover all of the curriculum during class. Taking time to evaluate ideas in an AI draft helps students move away from generic topics to ideas that truly resonate with what they feel.

Final Thoughts

Writing is a process of discovery, and the Ideas and Content effective writing trait is where that personal discovery begins. AI can offer a helpful start, but it’s a student’s reflection and intentional Rescue Revision that truly brings their writing to life.

Download the Rescue Revision Checklist Here

May 20, 2025

LaRae Kendrick, M.Ed. — Creator of Our Six Writing Friends™