URBANA— Urbana is beginning to guide its teachers and students on how to use artificial intelligence in the classroom.
Students in particular are already using AI tools, said Urbana School District 116 Chief Information Officer John Gutzmer. The district wants to teach them to use it responsibly, using tools that comply with student data privacy laws.
“If you go on ChatGPT, everything that you put in there becomes part of ChatGPT,” he explained. “So all of the questions you ask and data you put in there is integrated into the database, and who knows how it could come back out in another question somebody asks in Abu Dhabi three months later.”
Gutzmer recommended that teachers and students use Google’s Gemini for ED or NotebookLM tools, or an education-specific platform called MagicSchool. He said all comply with privacy laws, so data goes into the school but does not go out.
Can AI even the playing field?
The Urbana Board of Education adopted a group of updated policies in September, based on recommendations from the Illinois Association of School Boards.
One policy now requires the district to create a plan for how to use AI in a “safe, ethical and equitable manner” and communicate that through trainings for teachers and instruction for students.
Gutzmer said the district’s first step has been to email guidelines to teachers.
He said using AI well could eliminate disadvantages some students face compared to others.
“A lot of people at home have parents who are there every night for them to help explain the different atomic models and help them with their five paragraph essays. A lot of students don’t have that, ” Gutzmer added. And if AI can fill that gap, that is something that would make me really happy.”
All K-12 students in Urbana schools receive iPads or Chromebooks, depending on their age.
He said teachers can also use AI to provide more unique instruction for each student. Gutzmer added that teachers can use AI to make the same assignment 20% harder for kids who need the challenge and 20% easier for students trying to catch up.
Gutzmer also said the district is not requiring teachers to use AI at all. He said teachers can communicate their policy with a stoplight metaphor. “Red” means students cannot use any AI on an assignment. “Yellow” means they can use AI to assist them, perhaps for editing their work or explaining concepts. “Green” means students should use AI in the assignment.
A committee will come up with the district’s official AI plan. In the meantime, the district plans to set up afterschool trainings on AI for teachers within the next few months.