The Augmentation Mindset
Shift from “do it for me” to “help me do it better” thinking
Two Paths Forward
Every time you engage with AI, you face a choice. This choice determines whether AI makes you stronger or weaker over time.
The Automation Path
“AI, do this for me.”
- • You delegate the thinking
- • You accept outputs uncritically
- • Your skills gradually atrophy
- • You become dependent
- • Your work becomes generic
The Augmentation Path
“AI, help me do this better.”
- • You lead the thinking
- • You evaluate and refine outputs
- • Your skills are amplified
- • You grow more capable
- • Your work remains distinctly yours
What Augmentation Looks Like in Practice
AI as a Thinking Partner
Instead of asking AI to create something from scratch, share your initial ideas and ask for feedback, alternatives, or gaps you might have missed.
Automation: “Write a lesson plan on climate change.”
Augmentation: “Here's my draft lesson plan on climate change. What important concepts am I missing? Where might students struggle? What questions might challenge their assumptions?”
AI as a Devil's Advocate
Use AI to stress-test your ideas, find weaknesses in your arguments, or anticipate objections. This strengthens your thinking.
“I'm planning to introduce project-based learning in my maths class. Play devil's advocate—what could go wrong? What would critics say? What evidence would I need to address skeptics?”
AI as a Research Assistant
Let AI gather and summarise information, but you decide what's relevant and how to use it.
“Summarise the main arguments for and against homework in primary schools. Include the key researchers and studies I should know about. I'll then decide which evidence is most relevant to my context.”
AI as a Skill Accelerator
Use AI to learn faster by having it explain concepts, provide examples, or coach you through new skills.
“I want to learn to use formative assessment more effectively. Explain the key principles, give me three techniques I could try this week, and anticipate what challenges I might face implementing them.”
The Augmentation Questions
Before any AI interaction, ask yourself:
Am I asking AI to think FOR me, or to help me think BETTER?
The first leads to dependency; the second leads to growth.
Am I bringing my expertise to this conversation?
Your domain knowledge should guide the interaction.
Will I critically evaluate the output?
Never accept AI output without review and refinement.
Will I learn something from this process?
Augmentation should expand your capabilities over time.
Will the final output be authentically mine?
AI-augmented work should still reflect your voice and judgment.
Common Traps to Avoid
The Efficiency Trap
“It's faster to just let AI do it.” Yes, but faster isn't always better. If you skip the thinking, you skip the learning. Efficiency that erodes expertise is a bad trade.
The Quality Trap
“AI writes better than I do anyway.” This is often untrue, and even when AI output seems polished, it lacks your context, your voice, and your judgment about what your students actually need.
The Busy Trap
“I don't have time to do it properly.” Offloading cognitive work to AI may free up time, but it also means missing opportunities to develop expertise. Consider what skills you're trading away for time savings.
Making the Shift: Practical Examples
| Automation Approach | Augmentation Approach |
|---|---|
| “Write my parent newsletter.” | “Here's what happened this week. Help me identify the most important points to highlight for parents.” |
| “Grade this student's essay.” | “What strengths and areas for growth do you notice in this essay? I'll use your observations to inform my feedback.” |
| “Create a rubric for this assignment.” | “Here's my draft rubric. What criteria might I be missing? Are my descriptors clear and specific enough?” |
| “Generate discussion questions.” | “Here are my questions. Which ones might be too easy? Can you suggest how to make them more thought-provoking?” |
| “Plan my unit on the French Revolution.” | “Here's my unit outline. What key concepts might I be overlooking? How could I better sequence the learning?” |
Key Takeaways
- Augmentation means AI amplifies your expertise; automation means AI replaces it
- Always bring your professional judgment to AI interactions
- Ask AI to challenge, refine, and expand your thinking—not to do your thinking
- The goal is to become more capable, not more dependent
- Your work should remain authentically yours, enhanced by AI collaboration
Interactive Lab
Automation to Augmentation Transformer
Transform 'do it for me' prompts into 'help me think' conversations
“Explain how SQL injection attacks work.”
Hint: Think about what YOU already understand and what specific gaps you're trying to fill.