Students can use LLMs to write papers and claim the work as their own, and some LLM programs collect student data, something districts can’t legally do.
The MVCTC administration decided using AI was going to be a focus for this school year after talking to local business leaders and seeing how AI was advancing.
Rhonda Phillips, assistant superintendent of instruction at the MVCTC, said the possibilities of LLMs are potentially great for education.
“I compare it to back when Google first appeared, that now we see how much it has changed education,” Phillips said. “I really foresee AI being able to take education to the next step, and I get very excited.”
The MVCTC is using a program called Magic School, which has been adapted by several other districts in Ohio including Dublin City Schools, according to the Magic School website.
A spokeswoman for Magic School said the company is partnered with 120 school districts in Ohio with more than 70,000 educators using the platform.
Magic Schools is set up for schools, with options for teachers like lesson planning, making tests and rubrics, and writing emails, and ways for students to interact including study aids, tutoring tools, and interactive learning opportunities designed to strengthen engagement and professional writing skills.
Phillips said the school began to pilot AI in classrooms last year. She said the MVCTC administrators were focused on getting teachers on board with using AI and making sure they have enough training.
“Our philosophy is if we train the teachers, give them the tools they need, it will then in turn train our students to correctly use AI,” Phillips said. “And we want our students to learn how to use AI to get better, but not to get out of work.”
It’s too early to know exactly how students are reacting to the platform yet, but no one has complained about it, Phillips said.
“I am anxiously waiting to see what their response is,” she said. “But I have not heard any criticism or negativity about it”
Kelly Younk, spokeswoman for the MVCTC, said the school is taking a slower approach to AI and was concerned about student and data safety while integrating it into the classroom.
Younk said the teachers have gotten initial training from an outside contractor, which Phillips said was the Hamilton County Educational Service Center. The contract has the employee coming in four to five times a year and staff can sign up for a coaching session. There’s also an AI tech team of staff members who can provide ongoing support to their peers.
The MVCTC adopted an AI Board Policy that ensures all AI usage aligns with the school’s educational goals, complies with state and federal regulations, and protects student data and privacy, according to Younk.
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