Because the Curriculum Says So

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini are designed to be accessible. But the simplicity of the interface can disguise the complexity of using them effectively. In this episode, we question what it means to be a competent AI user and why access to the technology shouldn't be confused with knowing how to use it. We'll talk about: The difference between operating AI and developing AI competency. Why copying a well-written prompt doesn't necessarily demonstrate an understanding of AI. How conversation history, context, and user preferences can influence AI output. How sustained interaction can change both the user's approach and the responses they receive. Why critical thinking includes questioning, challenging, and correcting AI. The difference between improving AI output and developing the user's ability to evaluate it. Why students need instruction in responsible and competent AI use. What researchers and educators need to consider when examining AI's effects on learning. Drawing on my own experience of tens of thousands of AI interactions, I explore how my approach to using AI has developed over time and why I still question what mastery of AI competency actually means. If we're going to expect students to use AI responsibly, shouldn't we first establish what competent AI use looks like and how to teach it? Because the Curriculum Says So… with Laura Bungarz. Connect with me at laurabungarz.ca.

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! Information is no longer difficult to access, yet much of our education system still operates as though it is. In 1985, memorization served a practical purpose. Without Google, smartphones, or AI, knowing information meant you didn't have to make a trip to the library or dig through an encyclopedia. But in 2026, when information is available almost instantly, why are we still requiring students to memorize facts they can easily look up? In this episode of Because the Curriculum Says So…, I explore the changing purpose of memorization, the importance of foundational skills, and why schools continue to restrict technology instead of teaching students how to use it responsibly. We look at the difference between memorization and awareness, the ongoing calculator debate, and the importance of teaching students how to find, evaluate, and use information. I also share a personal experience from my years as a corporate trainer that demonstrates why teachers don't always need to have the answers. Sometimes, one of the most valuable things we can teach students is how to find those answers for themselves. Technology isn't going away. Keeping it out of the classroom doesn't prepare students to use it effectively when they leave. The question for this episode: Why do we continue to require memorization of particular information when we can no longer explain its educational purpose? Because the Curriculum Says So… explores what we teach, why we teach it, and whether the answer still makes sense in an age of instant information, technology, and AI. https://laurabungarz.ca

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! Information used to be hard to find. Now it is cheap, immediate, and everywhere. In this episode of Because the Curriculum Says So, Laura looks at how Google, smartphones, and AI have changed the value of memorization in education. If students can retrieve information instantly, what knowledge still deserves classroom time? What do they genuinely need to function as adults, think critically, and understand the world around them? From calculators in our pockets to curriculum built around “you might need this someday,” this episode asks a bigger question: if information is no longer scarce, what is education actually for?

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! What is school actually for in an age of instant information, technology, and AI? Because the Curriculum Says So... explores curriculum, teaching, learning, assessment, memorization, educational technology, critical thinking, student engagement, information literacy, and the changing role of knowledge in education. Hosted by educator and writer Laura Bungarz, the podcast asks what students actually need to know, what still deserves classroom time, how AI is changing writing and assessment, and whether schools are still preparing students for the world they are entering. Sometimes, “because the curriculum says so” is where the conversation should begin, not where it should end.