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AI in the Writing Workshop: Finding the Write Balance
We’re poised at a stunning point in human the advent of generative AI. As writing teachers we are faced with this profound Can we evolve alongside this technology, and bring it into our classroom in ways that enhance rather than harm the integrity of our work?
Find the “write balance” with AI in the Writing Workshop, a blueprint for teachers to navigate this new terrain while preserving the essence of creative struggle and critical thinking. Dennis Magliozzi and Kristina Peterson provide a detailed look at how to ethically integrate AI into writing units across the school year, including personal narrative, poetry, analysis, and research. Their ready-to-use exercises, activities, and prompts give you a framework of best practices. Your students will learn to critically evaluate AI-generated content and engage with AI as a collaborative thinker rather than simply accepting what AI produces.
Build your confidence and competence using ChatGPT and other AI tools while discovering the possibilities of engaging students in new and meaningful ways. Be a part of human history.
Find the “write balance” with AI in the Writing Workshop, a blueprint for teachers to navigate this new terrain while preserving the essence of creative struggle and critical thinking. Dennis Magliozzi and Kristina Peterson provide a detailed look at how to ethically integrate AI into writing units across the school year, including personal narrative, poetry, analysis, and research. Their ready-to-use exercises, activities, and prompts give you a framework of best practices. Your students will learn to critically evaluate AI-generated content and engage with AI as a collaborative thinker rather than simply accepting what AI produces.
Build your confidence and competence using ChatGPT and other AI tools while discovering the possibilities of engaging students in new and meaningful ways. Be a part of human history.
192 pages, Paperback
Published April 10, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
June 24, 2025
I read this book as part of professional development with my department.
In this book, the authors, who are experienced teachers building upon their own experiences, share about their research and firsthand experience with incorporating AI in the classroom with their student writers.
I found this to be a really valuable resource that left me feeling so much more hopeful about AI as a teacher of writing, while also validating the concerns I hold about the topic. While I still have questions about AI and how to best incorporate it as an ELA teacher, I appreciated the way the authors acknowledged the ever-growing arena of AI and indicated that they were aware that some questions cannot yet be answered. The authors did a great job of building upon their experiences while keeping in perspective what works best for teachers and what is best for students. As an ELA teacher, I recommend this.
In this book, the authors, who are experienced teachers building upon their own experiences, share about their research and firsthand experience with incorporating AI in the classroom with their student writers.
I found this to be a really valuable resource that left me feeling so much more hopeful about AI as a teacher of writing, while also validating the concerns I hold about the topic. While I still have questions about AI and how to best incorporate it as an ELA teacher, I appreciated the way the authors acknowledged the ever-growing arena of AI and indicated that they were aware that some questions cannot yet be answered. The authors did a great job of building upon their experiences while keeping in perspective what works best for teachers and what is best for students. As an ELA teacher, I recommend this.
October 27, 2025
I took part in a book club comprised of 8 teachers from LOCS over the course of the last month. We met twice. Our meetings were definitely thought-provoking and, as a group, we made some practical applications. However, the book on its own--while full of good information--was a bit repetitive. Two teachers basically recounted one full school year of their AI experiences integrating with Writers Workshop. Write first! Struggle second! I get it. We need to balance HI (human intelligence) and AI (artificial intelligence). There definitely is a place for AI in the workshop model. I wanted a bit more practicality but understand that because the landscape of AI is ever-changing, that would be difficult. The book came with some online resources as well, but they were not anything to write home about.
May 1, 2026
This book was written by two English teachers sharing what they have learned from incorporating AI into their classroom. I am not an English teacher—math is my first love—but I jumped at the chance to read this book for two reasons.
First, I write a report for every book I read. In the past few years, I have started utilizing ChatGPT to assist in that endeavor, which begs the question: how much reliance on artificial intelligence is too much? Indeed, there have been a report or two that I felt relied too heavily on AI. That resulting guilt pulled me back into my ethical comfort zone. Today, every report I write still makes use of AI, but it is more akin to how a teacher would assist a student with their writing.
Second, as a software engineer, I am fully aware that AI is capable of—and may eventually replace—my skillset. Yes, it will also open a host of new job opportunities, but it is forcing each person in the workforce to decide. A tidal wave is coming for your job. Are you going to turn your back, plant your feet, and succumb to the inevitable? Or, like Magliozzi, Peterson, and I, are you dusting off your surfboard?
Published within the last year, AI in the Writing Workshop has a solid rating on Goodreads, though the written reviews were less enthusiastic. “I wanted a bit more practicality.” “I appreciated the suggestions, even though not everything will work for my classroom.” I am grateful those teachers have their surfboards in hand, but AI is ever-changing, and expecting that a single book will provide consistent guidance for every situation misses the point. I equate the authors with a reconnaissance team. They have waded into unfamiliar territory, gathered intelligence, and are now sharing it with the home command. The information in this book may be obsolete in a year or two, but for now, it can help curious teachers avoid a landmine or two.
The biggest classroom takeaway I got from this book was that AI should be used as a collaborative team player rather than a vehicle to get the job done quickly. Artificial intelligence is so prevalent that we now refer to it by its initials. The authors make a point of placing their students on equal footing by referring to their Human Intelligence (HI) whenever AI is mentioned. Chatbots and the large language models (LLMs) behind them are fully capable of writing complete book reports, stories, and even slam poetry. But the purpose of a high school English class is not simply to complete the assignment—it is to struggle through the learning process. If we cede our assignments to some other intelligence, we gain nothing; the course becomes irrelevant. AI grows while HI diminishes.
The book also emphasizes the safety and security of student identities. All work with AI tools was filtered through teacher accounts to ensure that personally identifiable information (PII) was not transmitted over the internet. Teachers are bound by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and must be aware of each AI tool’s data privacy agreement (DPA). For those reasons, some of the ideas presented in this book may not be suitable or applicable in other states and districts.
The book is laid out chronologically alongside the authors’ school year. They offer a bird’s-eye view of their curriculum and how they incorporated AI into that process. They read Macbeth and Lord of the Flies, wrote slam poetry and open letters, and explored artificially generated book covers and titles. At each step, the authors found creative ways to inject AI into the process while keeping students’ best interests at the core.
As the husband of a math teacher, I know how long it takes to grade a math test. At the high school level, it is insufficient to mark an answer right or wrong. The teacher must analyze the student’s thought process and provide guidance on where they may have gone astray. I can only imagine this process for an English teacher, where every written word in an essay must be evaluated for grammar, spelling, punctuation, flow, and formatting—all while analyzing the intent behind the student’s ideas and whether they are effectively communicating their message.
And what about the student who says, “I don’t know what to write”? Every student gets stuck somewhere in the writing process, and there are not enough hours in a day—let alone a single class—to give each student the meaningful support needed to become an effective writer. Using AI to collaboratively generate ideas shifts that burden from a teacher trying to steer a full, often overloaded class to an engine that effortlessly produces an array of possibilities in seconds.
“Teaching is a profession that demands not only intellectual engagement but also emotional resilience and tireless dedication. The relentless pace of lesson planning, grading, administrative tasks, and providing individualized support can lead to significant burnout among educators. After almost two decades in education, the two of us are not immune from this. Enter AI: a tool that, when used thoughtfully, can alleviate some of the burdens that contribute to this exhaustion, thereby helping us maintain our passion for teaching.”
Teachers are society’s most valuable resource. They are underpaid and must endure the pressures of students, parents, school boards, and administrations. Anything we can do to make their lives easier—without sacrificing student learning—is a worthy endeavor.
You may be asking how much of this report was written by ChatGPT. Let me explain my process.
I am a slow reader; my mind wanders often. As I read, if I come across an interesting quote, foreign word, or something that makes me pause, I add a sticky tab to that passage. At the book’s conclusion, I write each tabbed passage verbatim into a Word document. Then I review those notes, looking for an angle from which to write the report.
Sometimes, my report is simply a recounting of the plot. Other times, I will wax poetically (look at me sounding intelligent while I nonchalantly dangle a literary flourish in front of your nose) about an author’s writing style. And occasionally, a book’s topic fosters strong emotions, resulting in a report filled with personal reflection alongside a few of the author’s words. This book conveniently falls into the latter category.
After reviewing my notes, I write a first draft. Then I reread it, rearrange sentences, consult a thesaurus, and occasionally add a pinch of snark and sarcasm so the reader knows it’s me behind the curtain. After that, I feed the report into ChatGPT and prompt it to review for spelling, grammar, accuracy, and flow.
After reading the revised version, I decide what to keep and what to discard. I rarely alter what ChatGPT offers unless it strays too far from my voice. In essence, I am following the same process recommended by the authors: write first, struggle second, prompt third, question fourth, then reflect—and be transparent.
So, to answer the question: the source and inspiration come from Magliozzi and Peterson. The contemplation, organization of thought, snark, and use of the Oxford comma are my own. Finally, I used ChatGPT to polish the finished product—much like a human editor would for any author.
First, I write a report for every book I read. In the past few years, I have started utilizing ChatGPT to assist in that endeavor, which begs the question: how much reliance on artificial intelligence is too much? Indeed, there have been a report or two that I felt relied too heavily on AI. That resulting guilt pulled me back into my ethical comfort zone. Today, every report I write still makes use of AI, but it is more akin to how a teacher would assist a student with their writing.
Second, as a software engineer, I am fully aware that AI is capable of—and may eventually replace—my skillset. Yes, it will also open a host of new job opportunities, but it is forcing each person in the workforce to decide. A tidal wave is coming for your job. Are you going to turn your back, plant your feet, and succumb to the inevitable? Or, like Magliozzi, Peterson, and I, are you dusting off your surfboard?
Published within the last year, AI in the Writing Workshop has a solid rating on Goodreads, though the written reviews were less enthusiastic. “I wanted a bit more practicality.” “I appreciated the suggestions, even though not everything will work for my classroom.” I am grateful those teachers have their surfboards in hand, but AI is ever-changing, and expecting that a single book will provide consistent guidance for every situation misses the point. I equate the authors with a reconnaissance team. They have waded into unfamiliar territory, gathered intelligence, and are now sharing it with the home command. The information in this book may be obsolete in a year or two, but for now, it can help curious teachers avoid a landmine or two.
The biggest classroom takeaway I got from this book was that AI should be used as a collaborative team player rather than a vehicle to get the job done quickly. Artificial intelligence is so prevalent that we now refer to it by its initials. The authors make a point of placing their students on equal footing by referring to their Human Intelligence (HI) whenever AI is mentioned. Chatbots and the large language models (LLMs) behind them are fully capable of writing complete book reports, stories, and even slam poetry. But the purpose of a high school English class is not simply to complete the assignment—it is to struggle through the learning process. If we cede our assignments to some other intelligence, we gain nothing; the course becomes irrelevant. AI grows while HI diminishes.
The book also emphasizes the safety and security of student identities. All work with AI tools was filtered through teacher accounts to ensure that personally identifiable information (PII) was not transmitted over the internet. Teachers are bound by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and must be aware of each AI tool’s data privacy agreement (DPA). For those reasons, some of the ideas presented in this book may not be suitable or applicable in other states and districts.
The book is laid out chronologically alongside the authors’ school year. They offer a bird’s-eye view of their curriculum and how they incorporated AI into that process. They read Macbeth and Lord of the Flies, wrote slam poetry and open letters, and explored artificially generated book covers and titles. At each step, the authors found creative ways to inject AI into the process while keeping students’ best interests at the core.
As the husband of a math teacher, I know how long it takes to grade a math test. At the high school level, it is insufficient to mark an answer right or wrong. The teacher must analyze the student’s thought process and provide guidance on where they may have gone astray. I can only imagine this process for an English teacher, where every written word in an essay must be evaluated for grammar, spelling, punctuation, flow, and formatting—all while analyzing the intent behind the student’s ideas and whether they are effectively communicating their message.
And what about the student who says, “I don’t know what to write”? Every student gets stuck somewhere in the writing process, and there are not enough hours in a day—let alone a single class—to give each student the meaningful support needed to become an effective writer. Using AI to collaboratively generate ideas shifts that burden from a teacher trying to steer a full, often overloaded class to an engine that effortlessly produces an array of possibilities in seconds.
“Teaching is a profession that demands not only intellectual engagement but also emotional resilience and tireless dedication. The relentless pace of lesson planning, grading, administrative tasks, and providing individualized support can lead to significant burnout among educators. After almost two decades in education, the two of us are not immune from this. Enter AI: a tool that, when used thoughtfully, can alleviate some of the burdens that contribute to this exhaustion, thereby helping us maintain our passion for teaching.”
Teachers are society’s most valuable resource. They are underpaid and must endure the pressures of students, parents, school boards, and administrations. Anything we can do to make their lives easier—without sacrificing student learning—is a worthy endeavor.
You may be asking how much of this report was written by ChatGPT. Let me explain my process.
I am a slow reader; my mind wanders often. As I read, if I come across an interesting quote, foreign word, or something that makes me pause, I add a sticky tab to that passage. At the book’s conclusion, I write each tabbed passage verbatim into a Word document. Then I review those notes, looking for an angle from which to write the report.
Sometimes, my report is simply a recounting of the plot. Other times, I will wax poetically (look at me sounding intelligent while I nonchalantly dangle a literary flourish in front of your nose) about an author’s writing style. And occasionally, a book’s topic fosters strong emotions, resulting in a report filled with personal reflection alongside a few of the author’s words. This book conveniently falls into the latter category.
After reviewing my notes, I write a first draft. Then I reread it, rearrange sentences, consult a thesaurus, and occasionally add a pinch of snark and sarcasm so the reader knows it’s me behind the curtain. After that, I feed the report into ChatGPT and prompt it to review for spelling, grammar, accuracy, and flow.
After reading the revised version, I decide what to keep and what to discard. I rarely alter what ChatGPT offers unless it strays too far from my voice. In essence, I am following the same process recommended by the authors: write first, struggle second, prompt third, question fourth, then reflect—and be transparent.
So, to answer the question: the source and inspiration come from Magliozzi and Peterson. The contemplation, organization of thought, snark, and use of the Oxford comma are my own. Finally, I used ChatGPT to polish the finished product—much like a human editor would for any author.
April 22, 2026
👩🏻💻I appreciate that the authors are teachers who still work with students.
👩🏻💻Perhaps because of this, I felt most of their suggestions seemed realistic.
👩🏻💻The “steps” were useful and I foresee this being the main focus of our department PD for next year.
👩🏻💻The first 2 chapters were particularly helpful.
😐I don’t philosophically agree with the idea of basically having ChatGPT write an essay and then asking the students to revise it. Also as a Brisk building, I didn’t agree with their assessment of its feedback. We like that it questions and generally suggests rather than tells kids exactly what to say.
👩🏻💻Perhaps because of this, I felt most of their suggestions seemed realistic.
👩🏻💻The “steps” were useful and I foresee this being the main focus of our department PD for next year.
👩🏻💻The first 2 chapters were particularly helpful.
😐I don’t philosophically agree with the idea of basically having ChatGPT write an essay and then asking the students to revise it. Also as a Brisk building, I didn’t agree with their assessment of its feedback. We like that it questions and generally suggests rather than tells kids exactly what to say.
June 1, 2025
As a teacher struggling with AI in my classroom, this book offers practical solutions grounded in real classroom experience. It’s refreshing to hear from other educators who are actively engaged with the same problems that I am, and who are “living it” day to day with the rest of us. I encourage all teachers to check it out!
December 27, 2025
Appreciated the suggestions even though not everything will work for my classroom.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews