Friday August 25, 2023

As AI came onto the scene in 2022, educators watched as the learning experience evolved before their eyes. Some districts moved swiftly to ban tools like ChatGPT, while others decided to watch and see how it played out. Quite a few districts who left AI tools open at first decided to block it on their campuses as end-of-the-year testing came around. Everyone in education had this question: what is to be done with AI in K12?  

From new “experts,” to newsletters, all-knowing panels to all-inclusive products, AI applications are popping up left and right. More than half of adults in the U.S. believe it's important to teach AI in K-12 schools–some are still unsure. With all the enthusiasm about AI right now, it's made educators take a good look at what's best for their students. 

K-12 educators are asking: should we leave AI chat tools open and boundless, or should we ban AI due to data privacy risks? 

While asking these tough questions, schools have been missing tangible steps they should take with AI in K-12. 

Parker Gentry, CEO of Skill Struck and Chat for Schools, describes the predicament schools are in, “We have seen time and time again the resilience educators and administrators have during times of change. While AI offers unique challenges around cheating, we see far more educators who want to embrace AI than shut it down. With the proper guardrails, personalized learning experiences can soar thanks to AI.”

Skill Struck is launching Chat for Schools to provide those guardrails with AI in the classroom. 

Using this tool, districts are able to provide their students and teachers with: 

• A safe place to interact with an AI chat without jeopardizing their data.
• An age-appropriate reading-level for the AI chat.
• Notification and filtering system when certain words are detected.
• Curriculum and professional development to teach students and teachers about the risks and opportunities with AI. 

Below is a sneak peak of the Chat for Schools interface.

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Justine Chavez, the  Digital Learning Innovation Coordinator for Santa Fe Public Schools and Skill Struck partner said during our AI panel, ”Students are determined to utilize AI in the way they know how, especially students who have never been taught to use AI as a brainstorming tool, as a thought partner, or as a resource to support their learning. How can we put our teachers and our students in a place to utilize this new resource(AI)?”  

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Chat for Schools is our response to Justine’s important question. Implementing it into K12 classrooms creates a safe place for students to learn how to use AI respectfully, responsibly, and as a learning resource while providing their teachers with control and peace of mind.

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Learn more about Chat for Schools secure, guided playground where students can safely learn ChatGPT in the classroom here.