The AI Production Framework.
The method underneath the work: visible process, practical routines, verification, and trust.
Method The framework turns the Outside Cat philosophy into repeatable classroom and staff practice.
Outside Cat is the philosophy: use AI as support while keeping judgment. The AI Production Framework is the method that makes that practical through visible thinking, clear modes, verification, and reflection.
Evidence The framework starts with visible thinking, not hidden AI output.
Students should be able to show the choices, sources, drafts, checks, and revisions behind the work. The point is not to catch them using AI. The point is to keep learning visible enough to protect authorship.
Core Competencies Prompting, privacy, verification, and ethics before tool-by-tool training.
These are the baseline habits staff and students need before AI use scales across a classroom, school, or district.
- Ask better questions before using a tool.
- Protect data and context before sharing information.
- Verify output before trusting it.
- Keep authorship and responsibility clear.
AI Modes A simple way to decide what role AI is playing in the work.
AI is more useful when the task is named clearly. It can help generate ideas, support learning, give feedback, operate as a tool, or create practice.
- Idea mode, learning mode, feedback mode, tool mode, and practice mode.
- The mode helps teachers set expectations before students start.
Production Spiral A workflow for planning, making, checking, publishing, and reflecting.
The spiral turns AI use into a process students and teachers can explain: pre-production, production, post-production, publish, and reflect.
- Good for assignments, projects, staff workflows, and classroom routines.
- Keeps the conversation focused on process instead of tool access alone.