Virginia鈥檚 Louisa County school district is on the leading edge of providing 糖心动漫vlog with professional development on artificial intelligence.
Recently, the district has shifted its PD approach, from helping teachers use AI to draft lesson plans or parent emails to supporting teachers in integrating the technology directly into instruction and student learning.
Some of Louisa鈥檚 teachers, though, have run into AI resistance from a surprising group: their own students.
The reaction from students has been 鈥渙verwhelmingly negative,鈥� said Marcia Flores, a career and technical education teacher at Louisa County High School.
鈥淭hey say, 鈥業sn鈥檛 that cheating?鈥欌�� Flores said on Nov. 13 during a virtual panel at an Education Week K-12 Essentials Forum. In response, she tells them, 鈥淚 want you to use this to make your [work] better. It can help you with ideas.鈥�
Even so, 鈥渢rying to get them on board has been harder than I thought it would be, honestly,鈥� Flores said.
Her observation is particularly surprising, given that more than two-thirds of teens鈥�69%鈥攗se AI tools regularly to find information, according to a report released last month by the College Board, a nonprofit organization.
Students are still wrapping their heads around the contrast between using the technology for school versus, as one panelist put it, 鈥渁t home alone in their rooms where no one can see them,鈥� said Kenneth Bouwens, the district鈥檚 Career and Technical Education and Innovation director and its AI lead, who also spoke on the virtual panel.
鈥淲hen they鈥檙e in the classroom, and it鈥檚 like, 鈥榟ere鈥檚 AI, use it,鈥� they鈥檙e like, 鈥業鈥檓 not supposed to,鈥欌�� Bouwens said.
Part of the district鈥檚 focus this year will be explaining to students the difference between using AI as a helpful tool (for instance, to revise an email) as opposed to using it unethically.
Students should grasp that they can鈥檛 鈥渢urn in a 10-page paper that was written by AI and say [they] did it,鈥� Bouwens said. 鈥淛ust trying to get them to understand that [distinction] is what we鈥檙e working toward this year.鈥� The districts鈥� teachers have brainstormed ways to reinforce this, possibly including creating a 鈥�traffic light鈥� graphic showing when and to what degree it is appropriate to use AI on an assignment.
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