The AI Chalkboard Issue #8: AI Literacy Partners

Hey everyone,

I hope you're all doing well and enjoying our newsletter series! 

Today, I have some big news that I’ve been eager to share, it’s a reflection of everything we’ve built so far and a new step forward into what’s next. When I first launched this company, I knew that I cared about one thing above all- AI Literacy.

Back then, it was just a buzzword- vague, overused, and mostly misunderstood. So, I figured, why not name my company something unique? That’s how Zainetek Educational Advisors was born as an anagram of my name and AI. Clever, maybe. Clear? Not so much.

Looking back, I realize I should have just said what I do, who I do it for, and why it matters, all in the name itself.

So, today, we’re making a change.

Introducing our new name AI Literacy Partners.

This name gets to the heart of what we do, partnering with schools, businesses, and organizations to build deep, meaningful AI literacy for everyone, from students to seasoned professionals.

With this rebrand comes a fresh new website, a clearer vision, and a renewed commitment to helping people navigate AI with confidence. AI literacy isn’t just about prompts or fancy tech tricks. It’s about understanding how we engage with AI — our relationship to it, even — and whether we’re teaching it, questioning it, or challenging its influence in our lives. It’s a tool, and like any tool, its impact depends on how we use it. We start with the problem first.

The problem we seek to address is the risk of decaying thinking skills as a result of AI overuse, misuse, or a lack of understanding.

We believe that by teaching people to have meaningful interactions with AI, we create a pathway to deeper thinking, more awareness, and more creativity — that’s the opportunity of AI. At the same time, we protect against a decay of thinking via AI use by teaching deep, metacognitive, thoughtful interactions with AI.

I recently came across a fascinating research paper that dives into the impact of cognitive offloading-something that ties directly into this conversation. If you’re curious to explore this concept further and understand its implications, I highly recommend giving it a read.

At ALP, we believe that learning about AI shouldn’t stop at theory. That’s why we’ll be regularly sharing free educational resources on our website and materials designed to be brought directly into classrooms as well. These will include hands-on activities, discussion guides, and practical strategies to help educators and students build AI literacy together. Because the best way to understand AI isn’t just to talk about it-it’s to engage with it, critically and thoughtfully.

You can find all our resources on our website and we look forward to seeing you implement it.

As Ryan Holiday says, the obstacle is the way. The only way forward is through. We are going to have to meet this challenge head on if we want to use AI in a way that will benefit humanity, not diminish it.

Cheers,
Mike Kentz