SD57 discussing potential AI use in classrooms

Bond gave several examples, including but not limited to:

Using AI tools to simplify reading materials if a classroom has readers of different reading levels.
Helping students generate ideas for essays or assignments.
Proofreading assignments, and then properly citing that AI was used to proofread.

“Another example would be we have some classrooms who are actually using AI song generators. So after a unit’s done, students might start creating a song using the song generator to explain their learning on the topics that they’ve been going through in class,” Bond continued, speaking on how AI can also make learning more engaging and fun.

In an age of mass information and continually evolving technology, AI and technology experts believe introducing AI and teaching students about it should be a priority to prepare students for the future.

“It’s important to prepare students because, essentially, when they go to the workplace in the future there’ll be a lot of AI. So they have to be AI literate, and I think teachers need to be literate so that they can be able to identify the opportunities and the limitations of the AI,” said Dr. Ben Daniel, a UNBC Computer Science Professor and AI Specialist.

“The best, teachers can do, actually, is to ensure that students are taught how to use AI in a very responsible way. And by that I mean clearly articulating some of the opportunities that AI brings, but also some of the challenges that AI presents. For instance, if they relied too much on AI, that means that they won’t develop the skills that they need in later life,” Daniel added.

One notable challenge that many first think about regarding AI in schools is the ability to instantly generate essays and assignments through tools like ChatGPT. While this certainly does present the challenge of students being able to easily plagiarize or submit work that isn’t theirs, both Bond and Daniel believe this issue won’t be as significant as some expect.

“If students are handing things in that might be different from the work they’ve shown in the past, I think our educators would spot that and start to have conversations around that,” Bond said.

“It’s important for teachers or humans to provide some oversight, and that’s what we call ‘human in the loop,’ which means that the decision has to come from human beings essentially,” Daniel said.

Daniel explained there are tools being developed to detect AI usage, many of which are easily accessible, but that these aren’t 100% accurate. It can sometimes miss AI usage, or also say something is AI when it was actually written by a person, so at least for now, these aren’t fool proof. This further emphasizes the need for teachers to be aware of AI, and also recognize if a student hands in an assignment that doesn’t seem like their previous work. As for AI usage in positive ways, Bond believes it can be a tool to enhance the learning experience, and what better place is there to educate students than a school?

“The biggest piece for school use is that we’re always trying to use it through a safe lens for students, so I think in schools is actually a really good place for it because we can use it in a controlled environment and really help students navigate through that,” Bond said.

While SD57 says there is a lot of work to be done before any mass AI implementation, the District is optimistic it can be a tool to improve learning, not take away from it.

Local news. Delivered. Free. Subscribe to our daily news wrap and get our top local stories delivered to your inbox every evening.

by Tommy Osborne

SD57 discussing potential AI use in classrooms

What's Trending