At Brimmer and May, a pre-K to 12 private school in Massachusetts, it’s “mostly up to the individual teachers” to decide how and when AI should be used by students, says high school history teacher David Cutler. That’s a level of responsibility and autonomy he welcomes.
Cutler believes teachers are the experts in the room and are best informed to make decisions, including those about AI and edtech.
Teacher Autonomy and AI
But not every teacher feels well equipped to make that call. Confronted with a rapidly evolving technology, educators have little precedent to draw on, says Marc Watkins, a lecturer at the University of Mississippi and founder of the Mississippi AI Institute for Teachers.
Watkins explains that there is no social contract or agreed-upon set of principles for AI use in education.
School and district leaders often struggle to provide clarity, says veteran educator Leah Cleary. They struggle to provide guidance.
The lack of clear policies is a challenge.
Establishing AI Policies
Some educators are exploring new ways to meet the challenge. Classroom educator Stacy Kratochvil recommends revisiting AI expectations before major assignments so students learn to make thoughtful decisions about educational technology.
Kratochvil starts by naming core values that the class agrees their potential AI use should support, such as integrity and honesty.
Discouraging AI Use
In his history classroom, David Cutler sees his role as helping students to become competent, critical thinkers and writers.
Cutler keeps generative AI use to a minimum and prefers that students don’t use it, unless under his supervision. He sets clear rules.
His classroom policy clearly states that students are strictly prohibited from using AI to assist in any production of work, unless otherwise noted by Mr. Cutler. This policy is strict.
Use of AI will result in an automatic “zero,” without the ability to revise or redo for any credit. The policy is clear.
To affirm they’ve understood his policy and keep them accountable, Cutler asks each student to sign it. This ensures they understand the rules.
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