Artificial intelligence (AI) has recently taken the world by storm. From software engineering to restaurant management, AI appears to do it all. However, this begs the question: Should AI be used in schools? Many district administrators, teachers, and students have differing views on whether AI should be implemented in schools today.
The role of AI in the world is still considered controversial, but it does not seem to be going away any time soon.
“I’m comfortable with my students using AI as long as they follow ethical guidelines regarding copyright and avoid any type of plagiarism,” digital animation teacher Matthew MacVeigh said. “I like them to use AI in the same way we would use Wikipedia: as a starting point, not as an ending point.”
Students have found various ways to use AI, such as a tutor to help answer questions that may arise while completing homework.
“I think AI can be useful for students because it can help a lot of people learn and do better in their classes,” senior Shannon Smith said. “It can give instant feedback even when they’re at home and the teacher isn’t available.”
Although AI can help students, it is also important that they do not abuse it or use it to cheat. To combat this issue, teachers use software to check for AI usage.
“We have multiple search engines that we put students’ projects through, and it will flag them if AI usage is suspected,” RAIL teacher Miki Land said. “So it’s definitely easy to figure out.”
Reedy teachers have also started learning how to implement AI in their classrooms productively.
“As teachers, we’ve just started getting trained on how we can use AI, and I definitely see the value in it,” AP World History and GT Humanities teacher Melissa Wright said. “This is going to be our future. It’s not going to go away, so it’s better that we start the process of teaching students how it can be useful in their careers, rather than the way it’s being used now.”
Reedy teachers and students alike seem optimistic about the future use of AI technology as a tool in the classroom; they recognize the risks while weighing the benefits and possibilities.
“I think we, as teachers, need to help students understand how to use AI responsibly. Once we can do that, I think it can be useful,” Wright said. “Teachers are a little behind the students with AI, so we have to catch up and redirect them in a positive direction to set them up for success.”
