Next school year, Indian Prairie School District 204 plans to incorporate discussion of artificial intelligence into the curriculum for all grades and give high school students access to AI tools such as Microsoft Copilot.
A task force formed to study the potential uses and downsides of AI in Indian Prairie schools presented its findings to the district's Board of Education at a meeting Monday.
Task force members said AI has the potential to transform education for both students and teachers, but these tools must be used in an ethical and responsible manner. They recommended that school districts embrace AI tools rather than block them. This is the district's current policy.
“This is happening faster than anything I've seen in my 30 years of education,” said Steve Wick, a member of the task force and a teacher at Newqua Valley High School. “It’s almost amazing what generative AI can do for us and some of the possibilities it opens.”
Generative artificial intelligence, commonly known as AI, is a computer software tool that can study large amounts of information, such as documents, photos, and audio, and create similar content based on that information in response to human instructions. According to an IBM Research blog post, they received training.
The purpose of using AI tools in the classroom is not to replace work, creativity or relationships, the task force members said. Instead, these tools should be used to enhance what teachers are already doing, make their jobs easier, and promote student learning.
For students, one of the primary uses of AI tools in the classroom will be creative brainstorming, particularly through photo generation tools such as Adobe Firefly and Canva's AI tools, according to the task force's presentation.
These tools will not replace regular brainstorming procedures, but instead will be additional tools for students to use, task force members said.
AI tools like Microsoft Copilot can also serve as “almost a tutor” for students who are struggling with specific content, said task force member Tania Moneim, an equity and innovation instruction specialist. said. Not all families can afford a tutor, so these tools could help fill that gap, she said.
However, task force members were careful to say that these tools do not replace face-to-face human interaction between teachers and students. Wick said he previously used an AI tool to teach students a subject he hadn't personally taught in several years, and recalled certain things while behind the scenes the tool made sure it was correct. He said that it helped him to do so.
According to Moneim, new technologies often shift education in new directions.
She says that calculators allow teachers to focus less on students memorizing simple math, and because of that, they can teach students how to find answers and explain how to solve more complex problems. He said he was able to do it now.
Using AI tools in the classroom is likely to have a similar effect, Moneim said.
AI tools will be widely available only to high school students in the district, and middle school students will have access to some tools, such as Adobe Firefly, but lessons on AI will soon be incorporated into elementary through high school curricula. It's a schedule.
According to Moneim, elementary school students will learn what AI is at a basic level. She said these lessons are a perfect fit because these students are already being taught how to use the internet correctly and safely.
In middle school, students begin using and learning about AI tools, with a particular focus on the ethics of using AI, said Sherry Kelsey, a task force member and educational technology educator at Fisher Middle School. It is said that it will become.
He said sixth graders will learn more about what AI is, seventh graders will start working with AI tools, and eighth graders will start creating their own AI tools.
At the high school level, Wick said the use of AI tools will likely vary by school and individual classroom.
AI tools are not only designed for use by students. Task force members said teachers can use these tools to speed up their daily tasks, create better assessments and tailor lessons to individual students based on their progress. .
Indian Prairie School District board members expressed concerns about the use of AI in schools, particularly regarding academic dishonesty and writing. However, they praised the task force's efforts and deliberate consideration of new tools and said they agreed that their use should be encouraged.
In addition to other efforts, board member Justin Calvus said new policies defining what academic dishonesty looks like should be developed once AI tools are allowed to be used. .
Ethical use is one of four focus areas in a document created by a task force aimed at guiding the use of AI in schools on the Indian Prairies. The document, published on the district's website, says students will be taught to critically analyze the information and content generated by the AI tools.
The document says students will also be taught about the limitations of AI and its biases. Because generative AI tools are trained on large datasets, biases in the data they are trained on will show up in the tool's output.
Task force members said these lessons are important because students are likely already using AI tools on their own time. As tools advance and become part of everyday life, students may also have to use these AI tools in their future careers, they said.
Brian Giovannini, District 204 director of innovation, said the district will be able to add AI tools that will be rolled out to high school students next year because they are already built into existing digital platforms that the district regularly pays for. There is no cost.
Giovannini said two task force meetings will be held next school year to assess the current state of AI implementation across the district.
“I think it's really important that this task force continues into the future, because it's always going to evolve,” said Laurie Donahue, president of the District 204 Board of Education. said District 204 School Board President Laurie Donahue.
rsmith@chicagotribune.com