Teaching AI in the Classroom: The Brave Brush

As part of my graduate coursework, I designed and piloted a lesson that walks students through creating a children's book from beginning to end using AI and AR — tools like ChatGPT for storytelling, Adobe Firefly for imagery, Kadieum for 3D assets, and Adobe Aero for immersive layouts. The goal was to build a lesson I could actually bring into a classroom someday. And the most important takeaway wasn't about the tech — it was about what AI can't do. No AI-generated book will ever carry the voice, imagination, and heart of a true author and artist. That's the lesson underneath the lesson.