Artificial intelligence in the classroom: what could it look like?

With the rise of artificial intelligence throughout the country, many parents have had questions regarding its usage in the classrooms that teach their children.

“Even as you get older, you still want the emphasis to be on teaching skills, teaching the mechanics and usage of the English language,” said Roanoke City Council PTA President Jessical Blandy. “We don’t want to rely on AI for that.”

School officials with Roanoke City Public Schools have told 10 News that - while they do plan on implementing AI into the classrooms - they are working with multiple people to make sure it is implemented correctly and in a way that follows school guidelines before giving any AI tool a passing grade.

“It’s very methodical, practical, and we have a very tailored approach to ensuring that we’re doing it in a safe and secure way that speaks to our guidelines and non-negotiables,” Roanoke City Public Schools Director of Operations Wesley Williams said.

Williams told 10 News that Roanoke City Public Schools plans on using at least two AI tools this year - Magic School AI and ClassLink.

ClassLink will allow school officials to keep track of if/when students and staff use AI on school-issued devices.

“Anytime a student is connecting to a system that we use here in Roanoke City Public Schools, that system allows us to track how much they’re using it, when they’re accessing it,” Williams said.

As for parents, the best thing you can do to get your kids ready for AI is to ask questions and stay informed.

“The research shows that the more engaged parents are in schools, the better safety and the better educational experience,” Blandy said. “You know, the everyday parent is not an educator. So if it’s an assignment you don’t understand, there’s absolutely no shame in saying, ‘hey, I don’t understand how this was put together’.”