David Cutler

Teacher, Education Writer

Newton, Massachusetts

David Cutler teaches American history, government and journalism at Brimmer and May, an independent school in Chestnut Hill, Mass. He writes about education, politics, and teaching young people in an increasingly complex world. He can be reached at spincutler@gmail.com and on Twitter @SpinEdu.

David Cutler

Teacher, Education Writer

Newton, Massachusetts

Artificial Shortcuts, Real Consequences: The Costs of AI “Humanizers” to Learning
Artificial Shortcuts, Real Consequences: The Costs of AI “Humanizers” to Learning David Cutler · Follow 5 min read · 19 hours ago -- Listen Share Cartoon created by DALL-E: Reprehensible companies like Phrasly.ai aggressively target students, promising to
Medium
Grappling With AI Writing Technologies in the Classroom
As a child of the 1990s, I recall arguing with teachers about why I should be allowed to use a calculator to do math and why, with the advent of personal computing, having to learn cursive should go the way of the abacus. “Get with the times,” I told my t
Edutopia
Fostering Students’ Academic Integrity
When I encounter academic dishonesty in my classroom, I experience a complex blend of emotions: disappointment, sadness, and a profound sense of collective responsibility. These situations prompt introspection, compelling me to question my effectiveness a
Edutopia
Trend Lines: Managing Tech Advances in the Age of ChatGPT
This article appeared as "Power Tool?" in the Summer 2023 issue of Independent School. As a newer teacher at Palmer Trinity School (FL) in 2010, I remember chatting with my then headmaster, Sean Murphy, about technology in the classroom. He gave me a copy
nais.org
The Atlantic’s Doom-and-Gloom Coverage of AI in Education
Can this once-prestigious magazine still command our trust?
Medium
How to Organize Your Digital Classroom
In fall 2018, my school selected Canvas as our new learning management system (LMS). At that moment, I had no idea how fortuitous this decision would become. I did not initially design the LMS effectively and utilized it primarily for basic tasks such as
Edutopia
Zooming With Historians to Reinforce Student Learning
During the height of the pandemic, like countless other high school history teachers, I struggled to keep my students focused on their learning. When the world is in the grip of a once-in-a-century health crisis, it’s understandable that minds will wander
Edutopia
Teaching Why Facts Still Matter
“You may think you are prepared for a post-truth world, in which political appeals to emotion count for more than statements of verifiable fact,” writes Margaret Sullivan, media columnist for The Washington Post. “But now it’s time to cross another bridge—into a world without facts. Or, more precisely, where facts do not matter a whit.”.
Edutopia
Using Breakout Seminars in High School to Encourage Critical Thinking
As a high school American history teacher, I transitioned this fall to breakout seminars, departing from full-class discussions to embrace a format that fosters intimate and in-depth exploration of topics. This shift aims to facilitate a more interactive
Edutopia
How to Teach Students Ethical Decision-Making in Journalism Class
As adviser to The Gator, an online high school student newspaper, I’m deeply moved to see an ethos of ethical decision-making blossom in passionate young student journalists. They approach their critical work with a deep sensitivity to its potential conse
Edutopia
Teaching High School Journalism In The ‘Fake News’ Era
As a high school history and government teacher, I do my best to avoid feeding into partisan humor or offering unsolicited remarks about what politicians say and do. I want students to focus on the learning process, not on what I believe ― though, with this administration, I have grown more open to the idea of sharing my views when asked.
HufPost
The Private-School Stigma
I’m on a train one day when I overhear several teachers talking about how much they hate grades and how they wish they could throw out their grade books. I chime in, saying how much I agree. For one, even for students at an early age, grades undermine a love for learning and curiosity by imposing external motivators.
The Atlantic
Teaching News Writing to Teach History Writing
When I was a student, nothing helped me become more skilled at writing history than learning about journalism -- news reporting, in particular. I don't mean to undervalue my fabulous teachers in high school or college, many of whom spurred my intellectual growth and curiosity. Still, learning about reporting played a pivotal role in my success as a history major at one of America's most revered academic institutions, Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts.
Edutopia
A Blemish on Academic Integrity: President Gay Must Go
Whether it’s “duplicative language” or “alternative facts,” these misleading spins, from either the left or right of the political spectrum, must stop. They are tactics to obscure the truth and protect the undeserving in power.
Medium
It's the People Who Matter
In the School’s 2002 yearbook, my fellow seniors designated me as “Most Likely to Return to Brimmer and May as a History Teacher.”
Brimmer Magaine (Fall 2023)
'You Have to Know History to Actually Teach It'
It’s tough for a historian to earn the adoration of both academia and popular culture, but Eric Foner has managed to do it. His books on American history are assigned reading at universities and colleges across the country. Reviewers have praised his work as “monumental in scope” and declared that it “approaches brilliance.”.
The Atlantic

About

David Cutler

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David Cutler is a dedicated independent school teacher at Brimmer and May School in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, where he teaches United States History,, United States Government, and Journalism. He also advises The Gator, the School's award-winning, online newspaper. Cutler is proud to act as a Teacher of the Future for the National Association of Independent Schools. Cutler attended Brandeis University as an undergraduate with a major in History and minors in Latin American Studies and Journalism. He holds an M.A. in Comparative History, also from Brandeis.