Parent Academy

The goal of Parent Academy is to provide learning opportunities for parents to better understand ways to support their students’ academic success and personal well-being. We welcome parents and families to engage in various activities and events to explore topics related to mental health, well-being, equity and inclusion, and academics. Please visit our website (www.sd25.org/ParentAcademy) for archived newsletters, further resources, or to submit an idea/topic for the next Parent Academy newsletter.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly becoming a part of our everyday lives, influencing everything from how we work to how we learn. As parents and guardians, understanding AI and its implications is key to guiding our children through this ever-evolving technological landscape. This edition of the Parent Academy focuses on equipping you with knowledge about AI, its potential benefits, and the challenges it may present, especially for young minds in a digital age.

With AI becoming more integrated into education and everyday tools, it’s important that we engage with it thoughtfully and responsibly. Below, you’ll find resources to help you understand AI, foster meaningful discussions with your children, and develop strategies to navigate this exciting but complex technology. Together, we can ensure AI supports and enhances our children’s learning and growth while addressing any concerns it may bring.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is when computers are designed to do tasks that usually need human thinking, such as solving problems, recognizing patterns, understanding language, and making decisions. These AI tools can learn and improve by recognizing patterns in data. You might see AI in your daily life through voice assistants like Siri and Alexa, personalized suggestions on streaming apps, and language translation tools.

In District 25, we thoughtfully consider how AI can support our students and educators. AI has the potential to assist teachers by automating administrative tasks, offering personalized learning opportunities, and providing students with feedback. For example, an AI-powered tool might help assess reading levels, suggest resources tailored to a student's learning pace, or analyze performance trends to identify areas needing attention.

While AI can offer valuable support, D25 is committed to ensuring that these tools are used in ways that align with educational goals and developmental needs while prioritizing users’ data privacy and security. Both educators and parents are exploring ways AI tools may support student learning while maintaining academic integrity, student voice, and authentic learning. While AI tools can offer valuable support, their use in K-8 settings is currently limited due to age-appropriate restrictions.

As AI becomes a more integral part of their learning experience, here are some conversation starters for parents:

• Understanding AI's Role: Ask your children, "Did you know that tools like Siri or Alexa use AI to help us? How do you think these systems work?" This can help them understand how AI fits into their daily lives.
• Ethical Use of Technology: Encourage children to think about when using AI is appropriate. For example, "When might it be okay to ask AI for help with homework, and when is it better to try solving the problem on your own?"
• Academic Integrity: Talk about the importance of original work and honesty in school. Ask, “How might using AI tools help with learning, and when might it get in the way of doing your best work yourself?”
• Biases in information: It's important for parents to be aware that AI systems can sometimes reflect societal biases present in the data used to train them. Discuss with your children how to think critically about the information they receive from AI-powered tools.
• Classroom expectations: Communicate with and understand the teacher's approach and expectations regarding using these tools to support learning.
• Authentic voice: Emphasize to your children the importance of maintaining their own authentic voice and ideas, even when using AI-powered writing or creative assistants. Discuss strategies for using these tools responsibly.

AI is an evolving technology that presents exciting possibilities for learning and support in our schools. At D25, we aim to use AI thoughtfully and responsibly to enhance educational experiences while prioritizing student growth, privacy, and ethical use. As we continue exploring AI’s potential, we look forward to engaging with the community to explore these tools to benefit and support every student’s unique learning journey.