Michael R. Clark
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essay

A collection of 4 posts
Get Real: Seeing, Making, and Resisting AI Slop
essay

Get Real: Seeing, Making, and Resisting AI Slop

Science confirms what I have come to feel in my bones in the last two years: LLMs are making my students less creative.   A piece in the New York Times last week clocks the decline in “substance” in student writing (specifically, the notorious college essay) even as the use of
02 Jun 2026 4 min read
Adding Up to Nothing: "Content" and The Shreds of Context
teaching

Adding Up to Nothing: "Content" and The Shreds of Context

I hate the word “content.” Content presupposes and prioritizes the container.  It's focusing on the jar, and not the mayonnaise: pass me some of that content to smear on my sandwich. Or be careful with that mug! I don't want to get any content on my
19 May 2026 5 min read
Let Them Read Books, Part III
essay

Let Them Read Books, Part III

The epic conclusion of the braided essay that rivals Rapunzel's locks. If you missed Part I or Part II, follow the links. If you like this essay, and would like regular updates on what I'm publishing here, please consider subscribing. You'll get an email
12 May 2026 13 min read
Let Them Read Books: A Teacher's Call to Action, Part I
essays

Let Them Read Books: A Teacher's Call to Action, Part I

This extra-long essay began as a write-beside-your-students exercise last year in my AP Lang class and it rapidly snowballed into a manifesto. The assignment was to write a braided essay, a creative and funky version of the old dry synthesis essay that includes anecdotal material and
26 Apr 2026 9 min read
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