Technology has become so embedded in daily life, including classrooms, that we often forget its purpose: to help us complete tasks more efficiently. Whether it’s solving a math problem with AI, asking a GPS to get us to the nearest coffee shop, or letting an app grade student essays, tools are only as good as the people who use them. And when the tool breaks, glitches, or misdirects us, the underlying task still needs to be completed.
For educators, this reality raises an essential question: Are we teaching students the skills behind the technology, or are we unintentionally outsourcing their thinking to the devices?
The GPS Problem: Tools Aren’t Always Right
Most drivers trust GPS applications to guide them from Point A to Point B. However, many of us have a story about being sent down a dead-end road or into a construction zone. I had an assistant superintendent who was so dependent on her GPS, that she asked the construction crew to let her through, as it was the only way the GPS was telling her to go. The best part: They let her through!
When this happens, the tool fails, but the task of navigating remains. At that moment, the driver must understand maps, directions, and landmarks.
This is more than an inconvenience; it’s a metaphor for technology in schools. When students rely exclusively on AI to solve word problems or write essays, they may miss the deeper learning: how to reason through a math sequence, construct a logical argument, or navigate ambiguity.
Understanding The Task vs. Using The Tool
At its core, education is about critical thinking processes, not the use of tools. Tools change. Thinking endures.
- Task first, tool second. The task of finding the shortest route requires understanding geography, scale, and distance. The GPS is just one method of executing that task.
- Tools may fail. Batteries die, apps crash, or AI gives misleading results. Students need confidence in fallback strategies.
- Tasks are transferable. A student who learns how to set up a proportion in math can use that skill with paper, calculator, or AI app.
When we overemphasize the tool, we risk producing learners who know how to press buttons but not why they are doing so. Nor can they critically review the output of those tools.
AI in the Classroom: A Double-Edged Sword
AI has become the newest “GPS” of education. It is powerful, fast, and sometimes too good to resist. A student faced with a multi-step algebra word problem might paste it into an AI tool and receive a correct solution in seconds. If the student does not understand how the tool arrived at the answer, however, the learning opportunity is lost.
Educators should view AI as a partner, not a replacement. That means framing tasks so students must articulate their reasoning:
- “Explain how you know.” Even if AI provides the answer, can students show the steps?
- “Spot the error.” Provide students with AI-generated mistakes and ask them to make corrections.
- “Choose the strategy.” Let students decide when to use AI, a calculator, or manual reasoning—and defend their choice.
This approach transforms AI from a shortcut into a thinking scaffold.
Lessons from Other Fields
Education isn’t the only area in which task understanding matters more than tool dependency. Consider:
- Aviation: Pilots rely heavily on autopilot systems. However, training emphasizes manual flying skills in case the auto pilot system fails.
- Medicine: Doctors use diagnostic software, though they are trained to recognize symptoms, interpret test results, and override technology when necessary.
- Carpentry: Power tools make jobs faster, but carpenters still learn to measure, cut, and join materials by hand.
Each field demonstrates the same principle: Professionals must master the task itself before leaning on technology to enhance it.
Rethinking Digital Literacy
For decades, schools have emphasized digital literacy, the ability to use devices, apps, and platforms effectively. Today’s students already live in a digital world. What they often lack is task literacy, the reasoning, decision-making, and problem-solving skills that exist apart from technology.
A balanced curriculum requires both:
- Digital literacy: How to use spreadsheets, coding platforms, or AI chatbots.
- Task literacy: How to interpret data, test hypotheses, and critique arguments without those tools.
Students who have both can adapt when tools evolve or fail. Students who only have one will struggle.
5 Strategies for Educators To Help Build Task Understanding
So how can educators ensure students understand the tasks behind the tools? Here are some strategies for the classroom:
- Teach Redundancy - Encourage students to solve problems in more than one way. A math problem can be tackled with AI, a calculator, or pencil and paper. Comparing methods deepens understanding.
- Make Thinking Visible - Ask students to explain their process, not just their answers. Sentence starters such as, “First, I…” or “I decided to…” help highlight reasoning. Personally, I think this is one of the most effective methods in an AI-rich world.
- Use Failure as a Teacher - When a tool gives the wrong answer, don’t dismiss it. Use it as an opening: “Why did the GPS misdirect us?” or “What step did the AI skip?” Students learn that failure is a chance to interrogate the task and end up with deeper learning.
- Scaffold Gradual Release - Start with manual processes before introducing technology. For example, students should balance chemical equations by hand before using software that automates them.
- Build Resilience - Give assignments in which the tool is intentionally absent. For instance, a “no calculator” test or a “no spell check” essay draft ensures that core skills remain strong.
The Role of Educators in a Tool-Saturated World
It can be tempting for educators to lean into technology as a magic bullet for engagement and efficiency. Our role isn’t just to help students use tools, however, it is to help them understand the intellectual work behind the tools. That means reminding them:
- GPS doesn’t teach geography.
- AI doesn’t teach problem-solving.
- Spell check doesn’t teach grammar.
Only teachers, through thoughtful instruction, can bridge that gap.
The tools our students use today will not be the same tools they use in five years. Navigating, reasoning, analyzing, deciding, and critical thinking will endure. By teaching the tasks behind the technology, we prepare students to survive in a tool-rich world and to thrive when those tools inevitably fail. Let’s ensure the next generation of learners can still read a map when the GPS gets it wrong.
