COEUR D’ALENE, Idaho — Coeur d’Alene schools are introducing artificial intelligence in the classroom to help teachers streamline their workload.
District officials recognize that while it’s impossible to shield students from AI, they can educate them on how to use it responsibly and thoughtfully. The plan is to make it a tool for teachers to improve efficiency, and introduce it for students to use under supervision next year.
“We know that a lot of our students and staff are already using some of these tools,” said Seth Deniston, Deputy Superintendent of Operations.
Deniston said the greatest benefit he sees is the time saving opportunities this can provide for teachers. “Whether that’s lesson plans or creating a quick assessment to check students’ knowledge,” he said.
The district has chosen a software called Magic School, the leading generative AI platform for K-12 schools. It serves educators and tries to build responsible AI experiences for students. The software personalizes features to assist teachers with tasks like providing writing feedback and identifying strengths and areas for improvement in student work.
“There’s real results and outcomes. You can drive through the use of AI. And again, all of that’s only possible with the teacher in the loop,” said Adeel Khan, Magic School AI founder.
Khan, a former teacher, said the software aims to enhance the learning experience. A survey found teachers save an average of seven hours a week on work when using Magic School.
“And I think that’s like the future of AI in education. How do we give teachers superpowers,” said Khan.
Teachers in Coeur d’Alene began using the free version of Magic School this fall. Data showed 175 registered users in November creating more than 3,000 generations.
The district is now paying for the upgraded version, which costs around $4 per student, totaling approximately $38,000 for all the schools in the area.
“As our students transition from school with us out into the real world, well, they’ll be using, tools like this all the time,” said Deniston.
The plan is for teachers to oversee students and help them when using the software next year, in an effort to help prepare them for the integration of AI in their future jobs.
“There are so many different technology tools that our students have access to today. And it’s really important to me and to our district that we’re thoughtful users of that technology,” said Deniston.
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