AI is seemingly everywhere you look, whether it be on social media, on search engines like Google, or in ways that you may not even know about. AI was not a tool made for education, however, schools around the world have had to make quick adjustments. In Singapore, one goal is to be able to customize learning, specifically for students with special needs. South Korea has implemented AI that is able to adjust homework to a student’s level and learning behaviors. Finland has implemented technology that gives immediate grades and feedback on assignments. How can we, in the U.S., implement AI to be beneficial? Is there a correct, ethical way to use AI in the classroom, or should we keep it out at all costs?
The New Jersey Department of Education has awarded grants of $75,000 to nine school districts for the exploration of AI in the classroom. According to the article New Jersey Department of Education Announces Grant Awards to Support Artificial Intelligence in Education from NJ.gov, The New Jersey State Chief AI Strategist, Beth Simone Noveck, states that, “By thoughtfully integrating AI literacy and tools into our classrooms, we’re democratizing access to these transformative technologies while preparing our next generation of leaders.” With the rise of AI in all areas of technology and workforces, it is important for students to understand the ethics and appropriate usage of AI.
Of these nine districts, West Morris Regional High School District (Mendham and Central) is one of them. When asked about how the district should spend this grant, Mrs. Brandt, the school librarian and teacher of media literacy, stated, “I think applications that help teachers and administrators are an easy way to spend some of that money, because in [our] workplace …it’s great if it can help us more efficiently deliver our content.” According to NJ.com’s These 12 N.J. school districts are getting money to experiment with AI, some money will be used to integrate AI literacy courses into the school curriculum. Mrs. Brandt voices, “That’s probably not a bad idea. [It] would require [a] significant look at the schedule to investigate how and when this instruction could be best woven into our instruction to be sure it is helpful and relevant to students.”
While many teachers and students are able to find effective and ethical uses of AI, some are of the opinion that AI should not be used at all in the school setting, as it can be used as a shortcut to learning. Students that have access to AI may use it to complete their work for them, instead of doing it themselves and learning. Brandt opines, “this is a tool that tries to mimic human voice, and high school education is not in the business of trying to mimic human voices.” There is some concern that if students use AI as a shortcut to important learning, they will go into college or work not having important skills that they would have learned if they had not used AI.
As we continue to understand and utilize AI, it is important to see all sides of the potential benefits and downsides to it. We will continue to interview teachers using AI tools in the classroom and students’ reactions to AI.
