Ghost in the Classroom: A Practical Guide to AI, Pedagogy, and Possibility

The Ghost is Already in the Classroom. The Question is: What Now?
Generative AI tools like ChatGPT aren't looming on the horizon-they're here, shaping how students learn, how instructors teach, and how institutions respond. Ghost in the Classroom is a grounded, practical guide for educators navigating this new reality without fear or fanfare.

Drawing from real faculty experiences, pedagogical frameworks, and inclusive teaching practices, this book equips educators to:

• Design thoughtful course-level AI policies that build trust, not confusion.
• Engage students as collaborators in shaping ethical AI use.
• Create assignments that foster critical thinking-even in AI-assisted classrooms.
• Address access, equity, and neurodiversity in a rapidly shifting tech landscape.
• Lead with curiosity, clarity, and care in a post-AI world.

With ready-to-use appendices, flexible frameworks like the 4 Cs and HUMAN model, and reflective prompts throughout, Ghost in the Classroom offers a blueprint for action-not just reaction. It's a book about AI, yes-but even more, it's a book about teaching as a human, relational act.

This book was written through a co-creative process using generative AI, including OpenAI's ChatGPT. Rather than treat AI as a threat or gimmick, I looked to embrace it as a collaborator-drafting, revising, and refining content with a digital partner. This process mirrors the book's central theme: AI is not a replacement for human work, but a tool we can shape-and be shaped when used thoughtfully and ethically.