LAWRENCEBURG, Ky. (FOX 56) – The start of the school year is just a few weeks away, and districts across the state are preparing for all the challenges the new school year can bring.
One of the challenges surrounds technology, specifically artificial intelligence.
In Anderson County, district leaders claim it is the job of teachers and administrators to teach students how to use the technology while remaining responsible digital citizens.
District Superintendent Sheila Mitchell said teachers in the district know students are curious about the technology and will use it.
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So, when it comes to using AI ethically, it’s partly up to teachers to know when a student is abusing AI.
It’s also on teachers. Mitchell said to create classroom cultures where students take pride in their work, not the work AI does for them.
Digital Learning Coach for the district, Allison Williams, said the district is also taking steps to ensure the safety of students when it comes to AI.
“On our school-issued devices, any of those LLMs, those large language models like ChatGPT or Claude or those sorts of things, are blocked,” Williams said. “The ones where it’s sensitive information you wouldn’t want to share because it’s learning from it. We have unlocked for teachers currently Gemini, which is now working through Google Workspace for Education. With that, students and teachers would be able to use that platform and its not saving that sensitive information and learning from it.”
Mitchell said AI can be a valuable tool for both teachers and students.
During a three-day professional development period in the coming weeks, teachers will get training on how they can use AI in their classes.
This will include learning how to create lesson plans and assessments for students.
Teachers can also use AI to bridge gaps they may have with a student.
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For example, if a teacher has a student whose first language isn’t English, with the help of AI on a district-issued Chromebook, a student can turn on live translate.
This will translate what the teacher is saying in real time on their screen.
For students, the district hopes artificial intelligence can be a way for them to better digest the content in a way that best works for them.
“We have a notebook LM, that’s also through Google Workspace, has the ability you can put in information from different sources, pull it in, and then it will create a podcast,” described Chief Information Officer Blake Drury. “So, while I’m writing down the road, I can have a person talking to me about the subject and going through what I’m going to be taking a test on later, using my notes that I took in class, and I’ve entered in and having them back to my auditory learner. That’s a huge plus.”
Mitchell recognizes that not all parents may be on board with their kids using AI in their classroom.
To that end, she encourages parents to know their kids.
“I think for parents, the most important thing is to really monitor your students,” Mitchell said. “What types of games are they playing? What types of AI are they on? What are they doing with the app to monitor it? We need to teach them to be responsible digital citizens so that they can use all these new programs and platforms.”
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