Artificial Intelligence has been around in various forms for decades, but it wasn’t until the release of OpenAI’s ChatGPT in November of 2022 that it became easily accessible for the general public, including teens and kids attending school.
With a simple prompt, in a matter of seconds, AI can create essays, articles, letters and even answer difficult questions. As soon as it was released, Alliance City Schools was faced with a decision of whether or not to allow the use of AI by students and staff and where the line of ethics should be drawn. ACS values being progressive and finding new ways to support the students and staff. After discussions among administrators and teaching staff, it was clear the district couldn’t completely shun the use of AI by the staff and students. It’s the future and it’s here to stay. A better approach is to embrace it and teach the students how to use it ethically as a tool similar to how the internet and Google have been utilized since their creation.
“AI will never replace the work done in the classroom,” said Chad Morris, ACS Director of Technology. “As a district, our goal is to use it responsibly and with limitations. We have no intention of disallowing the use of AI as a whole.”
English teachers are facing the most challenges with the release of AI. Since its release a couple years ago, sites like ChatGPT have made it easy for students to turn in assignments fully generated by AI. Students are expected to turn in work that is fully their own. However, AI can be used responsibly as a tool to prompt ideas, gather information and even assist in the editing process. The district is continuing to navigate these challenges as AI progresses in its abilities.
“We are learning how to use AI in different ways each day as the AI models available continue to grow,” Morris said. “I think there is a huge opportunity to have it help analyze student assessment data and find trends that we may not have found in the past.”
Parents are encouraged to try out the various AIs as a way to understand what they are, how they can be used and as a way to assist in promoting safe and ethical usage of the programs.
“My suggestion is to try it out yourself,” Morris encouraged. “ChatGPT and Gemini from Google are both available for free. A quick Google search for ‘How can I use AI?’ will give many resources on how to use it in your daily life or to do complex tasks. Don’t be afraid to ask it to do something out of the ordinary, like creating a logo for your business or writing a story for your child to read.”