Artificial Intelligence (AI) is finding its way into different parts of life, so it’s only natural that education would be one of those places. Local schools in Chelsea and Dexter have started to use it in an effort to stay committed to being on the forefront.
In Chelsea at Beach Middle School, Principal Matt Ceo gave an update in his report to the Board of Education at its January meeting about AI in the classroom.
AI in Chelsea
“At Beach Middle School, we are committed to staying at the forefront of educational innovation,” Ceo said.
He said because of this he and Assistant Principal Adam Schilt attended the Artificial Intelligence Summit in Lansing on Dec. 17. The event featured Ethan Mollick as a keynote speaker, whose insights on “co-intelligence” Ceo said resonated deeply with the school’s leadership team after reading Mollick’s book of the same name last summer.
“The summit underscored the importance of embracing AI in education to better prepare students for a rapidly evolving world, where skills such as critical thinking, adaptability, and responsible technology use will be paramount,” Ceo said in his report. “By integrating AL tools thoughtfully, we can personalize learning experiences, enhance instructional strategies, and equip both students and staff with the competencies needed to succeed in a tech-driven future.”
2nd Annual AI Summit for Educators
The summit in Lansing was an opportunity for Michigan educators to gather for what organizers described as a landmark event, the 2nd Annual AI Summit for Educators. According to the Michigan Association for Computer Users in Learning, the event was organized through a partnership between the Statewide AI Workgroup and Michigan Virtual. It promised to deliver cutting-edge insights for educators at all levels of AI expertise.
There were sessions at the summit from all of the major education support organizations in Michigan, as well as panelists from Michigan Virtual’s AI Lab, providing real-world insight on how K-12 communities are facing and integrating artificial intelligence. The program ranged from AI fundamentals to advanced implementation strategies for the classroom.
AI in Dexter
Educators in Dexter Community Schools have already started to use AI and in thinking about safety and privacy, have made it personalized for the district.
In a letter sent out in January to Dexter Community School (DCS) fifth- through eighth-grade families, Ryan Bruder, Executive Director of Instruction for DCS, said, “As part of our ongoing commitment to providing a high-quality, equitable education for all students, we are excited to share that Dexter Community Schools is increasingly integrating artificial intelligence (AI) tools into our educational practices while working to protect students. We recognize the growing interest and observations about the role of AI in education, particularly its potential to enhance equity, personalized learning, and student engagement. We also acknowledge that it is an expectation by employers, and many universities, that students have AI literacy skills and experiences.”
Bruder said an AI tool has been designed by DCS staff, for DCS students. It has been specifically developed by Dexter Community Schools to “enhance student learning in a safe and supportive environment.”
Unlike traditional AI tools, Bruder said the tool operates entirely within the district’s secure server, “ensuring student data privacy as it is not connected to the internet.”
“This allows us to maintain strict guardrails to prevent access to inappropriate content and, most importantly, to protect your child’s data,” he said. “In addition, the tool has been created so that DCS staff can check student AI chatbot logs to ensure proper use of the tool.”
His letter to families was given in part because it provided an opportunity to families to opt-out for those who do not want their children to use this new tool.
Bruder said AI offers transformative opportunities to tailor learning experiences to individual student needs.
By leveraging these tools, he said “we can:
- Promote Instructional Equity: AI can help us identify and address learning gaps, providing targeted support to students who need it most.
- Enhance Personalization: Adaptive learning platforms powered by AI can adjust to the pace and style of each student, ensuring everyone has the chance to succeed.
- Empower Educators: AI tools can assist teachers by streamlining administrative tasks, allowing more time for meaningful interactions with students.
- Foster Innovation: AI-driven resources open doors to creative problem-solving and real-world applications, preparing students for future opportunities.”
His message included a look at DCS’s AI Position Paper, which begins with, “In the Dexter Community Schools, we recognize the immense potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in revolutionizing education and enhancing Human Intelligence (HI). We view AI as a tool that can intensify the human element in education. AI can undertake routine tasks, freeing teachers to invest more time in direct, interpersonal interactions with students. Its potential for improving assessments, providing immediate, personalized student feedback, and delivering valuable, implementable data to teachers to improve instructional effectiveness is encouraging. Our stance on the use of AI is rooted in the belief that it should serve as a powerful tool to augment and complement human intelligence rather than replace it.”
Bruder said in the second semester, they anticipate that more students may be using AI under the guidance of their teachers. He said teachers will have the ability to dictate AI use on any and all activities and assignments. These experiences, he said, are designed to teach students how to effectively and responsibly use AI as a learning tool within clearly defined parameters. Students will also learn how to cite AI correctly.