With the 2024-2025 school year starting up, there is something new requiring the attention of the students and staff of West Morris Central High School: the artificial intelligence policy. As the use of AI increases in the lives of many, West Morris Central is working on implementing AI to improve the learning experience of the students.The school has also purchased a subscription to SchoolAI, an AI platform specifically meant to help with learning. Using different forms of AI requires responsibility, and the faculty is trusting that students will only use AI in the proper situations and when allowed. To help establish a sense of trust and moral commitment, students have been asked to sign a form, the AI Policy, in which they agree to use AI responsibly and only in the right circumstances.
The AI policy is a great place to start when it comes to using AI in a responsible way. As Freshman, Bella Cryan said, “if you’re in a situation where you’re not sure it’s safe to just use it, don’t use it…” If a student isn’t sure whether they are allowed to use AI or not, they should just assume that they aren’t, and not risk cheating. AI should really only be used as an assistant, not something that does the work for a student. Freshman English teacher, Ms. Stoner is eager to begin implementing AI within her classes and has an idea of how she thinks AI should be used. “I think that the policy is a great start, and it gets us thinking about the best practices and honor code that kind of goes with using AI. However, I think the other part of that is learning how to use it effectively, how to use it more as an assistant than the person writing it for you” stated Ms. Stoner. AI isn’t there to take over and do the work for students, but it can be used for proof reading, drafting, and choosing independent reading books, which is what Ms. Stoner plans on doing with her classes. AI can be a very effective tool, but it is also up to the students to use it appropriately, when allowed, and in the right circumstances.
One of the most useful things that AI can do for students is help them learn, which is why the school acquired a subscription to SchoolAI. According to Ms. Stoner, SchoolAI is a, “space online that teachers can really design for their students for a specific purpose in mind so it can really do just about anything.” Students will be able to get tutors, do hands-on activities, and get the help that they need, and so will teachers. Teachers will be able to draft more complex, interactive, and beneficial lesson plans to better educate their students. As AI grows, schools, students, staff, and everyone in the community has to be able to adapt to the changes. SchoolAI is a great step into incorporating AI at West Morris Central, but as beneficial as SchoolAI is in school, different AI platforms are also being used by many outside of school. Ms. Stoner recently used ChatGPT to edit a profile that didn’t sound right, and others use it for many more things. Incorporating SchoolAI into the curriculum is the right step to take because AI is everywhere, so it might as well be used to benefit the student body in the best possible way, through learning.
AI is new, and requires caution, as well as adaptability. The current generation is the first generation to use AI and as Ms. Stoner said, “ AI is in the age of experimentation, and I think it’s really good that we’re all experimenting and seeing how it can help us as teachers and students alike.” If AI is used responsibly, and if the AI policy is followed, then AI can really help to advance things and benefit the overall community.
