Are We Becoming Empty Shells? A Conversation on AI, Nature, and What Our Kids Really Need
- anesbotlucas
- Jun 2
- 2 min read
Last night, my oldest daughter, who is weeks away from graduating from high school, said something interesting:
“One of my teachers said they use ChatGPT to make lesson plans… and we use it to complete the lessons. It feels like people are becoming empty shells. AI is doing everything behind the scenes.”
As someone who values innovation and efficiency, I know that tools like AI can be powerful, and every student should learn how to leverage them. But she was naming something deeper. Something many of us are feeling. If we don’t make intentional space for human connection, creativity, and wonder, we’re not just making education more efficient; we’re making it hollow.
Right now, I’m reading Until the Streetlights Come On by Ginny Yurich, and the sound, straightforward advice speaks to the heart of what I aim to provide as a microschool founder. The book’s encouragement to get children outdoors, to leave room for boredom and exploration, to unschedule just enough to let magic happen—it all resonates so deeply.
I had my own experience as a native New Yorker, allowing my youngest to attend forest school when we moved to NJ and realizing that once I put down my own irrational fears and anxieties, she was her freest, most creative and engaged self while in nature and she could stay there all day with no input from me.
That experience watered the seed for what would become Lucas Literacy Lab, the home away from homeschool that reveres childhood and honors its natural rhythms.
Nature play is central. Afternoons in our yard lead to branch structures, fairy villages made from foraged materials, and soil-sculpted animals.
We slow down. We curl up on couches and read physical books daily. We write in cursive. We paint. We sculpt. We solve problems together in community meetings in the living room.
We stay curious. We identify the birds at our feeder, observe the changing trees, and work together on child-led research projects.
We focus on one thing at a time. And we marvel at God’s creation, together.
Yes, we live in a world where AI will continue to grow. But that only makes it more important to raise children who are grounded, whole, creative, and connected to themselves, each other, and the world around them.
We’re not raising empty shells. We’re raising human beings. That requires presence, patience, and a different kind of learning —one that prioritizes creativity and intentionality before introducing screens.
If that vision speaks to your heart, I hope you’ll come see what we’re building at Lucas Literacy Lab.
Our next Open House is on Sunday, June 8th, from 12:00 to 2:00 PM. Come, imagine what’s possible for your child.
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