“Just as it's offered efficiencies for us as administrators and school district leaders, it also offers those same efficiencies for the hackers and the cybercriminals out there,” he said. “We’re constantly watching that part of it and seeing phishing attacks and smishing attacks becoming much more elaborate and much harder to distinguish.”
Rick Surrency, superintendent of Putnam County School District in Florida, noted that the digital divide that was exposed during the pandemic surrounding home internet connectivity is now becoming an issue with AI access. Hintz said this divide will be especially apparent as paid versions of generative AI tools prove to be more valuable — and accurate — than the free versions.
“Students who have access to the paid versions of AI versus the unpaid and free versions of AI are going to receive different sets of information,” he said. “To me, that's very, very scary right now, because that's going to set a lot of students apart in ways that we cannot even begin to imagine.”
Tackling Misinformaton and Promoting AI Literacy
Because students are increasingly relying on AI for research purposes, tackling misinformation while promoting media literacy, AI literacy and digital citizenship will be key for educators.
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Amy Jackson, IT project manager for Fairfax County Public Schools in Virginia, defined media literacy as the ability to find, evaluate, create and communicate information using digital tools and cognitive skills. AI literacy is knowing, understanding and using AI in smart and safe ways — asking how it works, who it helps or harms, and how it shapes the world. Digital citizenship is the responsible, ethical and safe use of technology, which includes how we behave and participate in online communities. Critical thinking is at the core of these proficiencies.
The critical-thinking process involves questioning AI-generated content or images to determine their validity. Jackson presented a six-part questioning process to give to students: dissect the images, interrogate the data, question why, ask it hard questions, check the source and be the expert.
“This is not about AI,” she said. “This is not about Google. This is about research. This is about a book, a magazine, a conversation, anything that you're engaging with. Because AI literacy doesn't stop on a computer or on a screen.”
Jackson suggested spending the early weeks of school off the screens, teaching students how to use print media as sources to build foundational research skills. Then once that foundation is set, introduce technology and AI.
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“We’ll never eliminate misinformation or disinformation or malinformation,” she said. “Being able to critically think about something should always be there as well.”
Setting Guardrails and Promoting Responsible Use
Training — for both teachers and students — is vital to ensuring responsible AI use. At Niles Township District 219, Hintz ensures that teachers are trained on the latest school-approved AI tools before students to keep them one step ahead.
For students, Hintz designed a four-part course about the basics of AI, how to use specific tools, how to design efficient prompts and how to avoid bias.
He noted that Niles Township has guidance in place — not a policy — because of AI’s rapid rate of change. One element of this guidance can be found in the district’s classrooms, where assignments are rated using a version of Rodin’s sculpture The Thinker paired with the colors of a stoplight.
“We tell them, ‘If an assignment is a Red Thinker assignment, you're not allowed to use AI as part of your completion,’” Hintz said. “‘If we find that you have been, then you will be violating our academic honesty and integrity policies that we already have in place. If it's a Yellow Thinker assignment, then that means you can use AI, but you need to cite all your sources and prompts. If it’s a Green Thinker assignment, we actually want you to use AI to complete it.’”
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