Education
How much AI in schools? Educators wrangle with a quickly evolving tech question
How much should artificial intelligence be in classrooms?
As AI becomes more pervasive, getting included in many software apps without the possibility to remove it, educators across the region have different answers to questions about AI in schools.
Teachers have been using it to help develop lesson plans and quizzes, helping to save time in the work day. A presidential directive seeks to make teacher use of AI much more prevalent — President Donald Trump signed an executive order for more AI throughout K-12 education.
Students have been exploring it, using popular apps such as ChatGPT to help study for assignments — or even to just do the assignment. Some children are even turning to AI for companionship.
Springfield Public Schools prevents students from using most AI chatbots on school-issued devices and loops detection of student AI use in with many other tactics for focusing on teacher-student relationships. A Missouri State University educator in its College of Education said there is not a lot of AI-specific training for teachers available right now.
And a man who helped create a new private school in Springfield wants to see AI taught much more.
Rob Blevins, co-founder of Discovery School, has launched the National Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Education, a Springfield-based group that seeks to make the U.S. a global leader in K-12 AI education. The group has goals of advocating for AI educational learning standards, better training, more certification and developing bipartisan legislation for states.
The group already has initial support from U.S. Rep. Eric Burlison, Blevins said.
“There are no learning standards for AI,” Blevins said. “It’s here, people are using it and it’s not going to go anywhere. The best thing to do is get in front of it, and figure out how to handle it as responsibly as possible.”
AI: Vast applications for new technology
AI isn’t limited to one type of application.
Well-known chat apps such as ChatGPT and DeepSeek allow users to ask general questions and receive back lengthy answers.
Popular software apps from companies such as Microsoft and Adobe now offer AI functions to summarize large documents or help write rough drafts.
On our phones, Android’s Gemini and Apple’s Apple Intelligence fuel on-board, in-app AI searches within schedules, contacts and other uses.
Even social networks such as Facebook and X (formerly known as Twitter) have their own AI apps.
In general, these AI apps go far beyond a search engine — they are capable of answering conversational questions by processing a colossal amount of information available on the internet. They can also create content: They can write rough drafts of papers or create images based on a user’s needs.
What AI has in powerful data processing, it lacks in discernment.
It has been criticized for incorporating data from racists and other political actors in its results. It has also been criticized for causing damage to the environment, as the computers responsible for crunching all that data require more and more power.
It has also been used to create fake images and bizarre stories not rooted in reality, blurring the line between truth and fiction. For instance, the same president who signed an executive order to increase AI training and data centers also blamed it for an image of someone throwing something out of a White House window.
New nonprofit would like to see more AI in schools
Blevins hopes his group can emphasize the key part of using AI: remembering that we are the humans in charge of discerning and directing how results are used.
It’s something that Blevins remembers every time he uses such an app, he said.
“Being able to be the human who determines what’s appropriate, not the machine,” Blevins said. “I always try to tell it that, ‘Hey, I’m the human, my job is to figure this part out. You’re supposed to give me data.’”
His plans for his nonprofit include several goals:
• Creating a school recognition and certification program to help embed AI across curriculum, training and other student experiences.
• Hosting a debate tournament, where students score points from how they prompt, defend and navigate AI-generated arguments around real-world issues.
• Organizing a show that combines a science fair with a career expo.
SPS: Teachers’ toolbox for working with students can handle AI cheating concerns
Springfield Public Schools handles AI like any other technology used by students and teachers: carefully, with an eye on teaching students how to make effective use of such tools.
“It’s technology that has been around for a long time,” said Bruce Douglas, chief information officer for SPS. “Our approach to technology is about just preparing students for it, knowing that there is going to be new pieces for it. There is going to be change, and that’s why we focus on critical thinking skills and how we prepare students.”
Douglas said he remembers learning about AI development when he was a student at Missouri State University more than 25 years ago. Some of his professors were doing research around the neural networks and large language models that are critical components for how AI works.
Currently in SPS, ChatGPT and many other AI tools are generally blocked from student Chromebooks and other devices, although a teacher can make a case for using an AI app for a certain type of lesson. Any evaluation for teaching students about AI is looped in with the district’s normal curriculum review process.
Like other individuals and businesses that use technology, SPS employees see the software they use incorporating more AI features prominently. The district tries to review them as they surface and focuses on what helps teachers teach students.
“The use of digital resources, whether they may or may not incorporate AI, is always about the learning goals for the students,” said Thomas Maerke, a technology integration coordinator for SPS. “The learning goals for our students are going to be what drives us forward, and it’s the actions of our dedicated and hardworking teachers that make that happen.”
But AI is already in the hands of students. Social networks such as Instagram and TikTok are filled with stories of teachers who spot how students use AI to try to get around assignments.
Douglas said that the district offers no specific training about AI use among students. Instead, it emphasizes training teachers on how to be better teachers, because the toolbox teachers use to understand the work students produce can easily spot AI assistance.
That includes simple things, such as a student’s sudden jump in quality between assignments, Douglas said. It also includes more advanced tactics of ensuring academic integrity, from verifying original sources to double-checking data.
The district’s use of virtual learning and experiences among teachers at Launch Virtual Academy have helped give SPS more experience in such areas, Douglas said.
“We emphasize the relationship between the teacher and the students so much that they know what a student is producing, and we have seen that play out in a lot of different ways,” Douglas said. “It all starts with the teacher’s understanding of the students’ work, having those conversations and getting to know students.”
The district’s curriculum review process is annual. A committee of teachers and other educators evaluate a wide variety of lessons and programs, and their first priority is to check alignment with Missouri Learning Standards — the list of core curriculum for which public schools are held accountable and reviewed by the state.
Because of their need to follow state laws in order to obtain state funding, Blevins knows that public schools will be slow to take on some of the measures he supports. He sees more opportunity with private schools. He said he has been speaking with both public and private schools across the country
Next five years for AI in schools: More tinkering as an educational tool
The pervasiveness of AI, with ubiquitous features and options popping up in popular software and apps, means that teachers and students are still exploring what it can do.
Minor Baker, director of Missouri State University’s school of teaching, learning and developmental science in the College of Education, said that he sees students testing the waters. In his position, he watches educational trends across the country, but he also observes his school-aged children.
“I think right now we are definitely in the curious application mode,” Baker said. “I think teachers are trying to figure out what parts of AI can be used for their jobs.”
AI’s time-saving promises are especially attractive to teachers who are routinely asked to add daily responsibilities to their workload. Baker said that AI can assist teachers with time-intensive tasks, such as:
• Email communications with parents, such as weekly newsletters or notes about upcoming lessons. Baker said teachers could anguish over proper grammar or addressing potential questions that could arise.
• Developing lesson plans. A teacher could spend significant time locating the perfect book for a topic or a perfect experiment for a lesson. Teachers can save hours by getting AI to pore over a vast library of options.
“Teachers spend a lot of time just locating resources such as what would be a good book to go with a particular topic,” Baker said. “Now teachers can say, ‘This is what I’m teaching, this is my learning objective, I need resources that may be readily available.’”
He agrees with SPS’ approach to training teachers on spotting AI use in students, mainly because he does not see an abundance of education about that subject.
But education will transform and adapt, Baker said. He remembers Texas Instruments’ TI-82 programmable graphing calculator and how powerful it was on its release in 1993.
“I think it’s exceptionally realistic that we will begin to tinker around the edges of using AI as a learning tool, a learning partner,” Baker said. “The calculator did not necessarily change mathematics. Certainly, AI is more expansive than the TI-82. But I also think that a lot of what we do in school can be enhanced by the use of AI when it comes to developing knowledge.”
Baker said that AI isn’t inherently bad, per se. Its ability to provide answers to questions complements a child’s inherent curiosity.
He compared it to a set of encyclopedias that his grandparents offered. He would pick a letter, such as J, and see what was inside that volume. Kids’ version of that today, he said, is they can land on a random thought about something and go down a rabbit hole to see what more they can learn.
“I think that the likelihood is that over the next five years, we’re going to find that AI is integrated into lots of what we do, and we’ll be using it as a learning partner in schools without actually changing how important teachers really are,” Baker said. “I think teachers run those relationships, and what they do personally will remain the foundation of what schools are.”
As advocates such as Blevins work for more AI, and as the White House develops its AI Action Plan, Douglas said that any plan or curriculum for beefing up AI education cannot leave teachers behind.
“One of our core beliefs is that it’s really the teacher who is going to make the impact in the student’s education,” Douglas said. “That’s the first box I always look at, how we are making sure we have great teachers in our classrooms, and then how do we support them from there? … If everything is grounded in strong curriculum led by qualified educators, those two foundational pillars then guide how tools are used to support student learning.”
There is a transformation coming, Blevins said. And he hopes that a regular education about AI will help students learn how to use it for the better.
“If we don’t teach kids how to use it responsibly, then they will learn to use it irresponsibly,” Blevins said. “AI is way more powerful than anything that we’ve experienced before. In some ways, it’s exciting, the things that are going to be possible now because of the innovations that will occur.”
Newswise — As Penn GSE expands its leadership in AI and education, newly hired associate professor Seiji Isotani adds a vital perspective shaped by decades of work in Brazil, Japan, and the United States.
A pioneer in intelligent tutoring systems, Isotani develops AI tools that adapt to the needs of students and teachers—especially in under-resourced settings. But for him, technology is never the starting point.
In this Q&A, he reflects on the childhood experience that launched his career, the importance of human-centered design, and why responsible AI must begin with understanding the people it’s meant to serve.
Q: What originally drew you to the field of educational technology?
A: Working with educational technology holds special meaning for me, inspired by a personal experience. As a child, I struggled in school. I couldn’t read or work with numbers at age 7, and some even thought I had a learning disability. Fortunately, my mom, a talented public school math teacher, and my dad, a professor at the University of São Paulo, worked with me every night until I caught up. Eventually, we discovered that my difficulties were due to issues with vision, communication, and hearing.
Once those were addressed, everything changed. I went from falling behind to becoming one of the top students, especially in STEM subjects.
That transformation lit a fire in me. I wanted to help others experience that same change, and I started to help other students with their struggles during class. When I got my first computer at age 11, I was instantly in love. I taught myself to program and quickly realized that I could use this technology to help other students learn in ways that worked for them. That spark led me to educational technology, and it still fuels my work today, particularly in one of my main research areas: intelligent tutoring systems.
Q: Your work explores the use of AI to improve learning. What’s one way you think AI could genuinely help students or teachers?
A: One of the most exciting ways AI can make a difference is by acting as a true partner for teachers, helping them do what they already do well or even improve their practices, but with more insight and support. By deeply understanding teachers’ needs (as explored in my recent study) and developing AI-powered tools like those in the MathAIde project, we’ve shown that even in resource-constrained environments, teachers can receive timely, actionable feedback about their students’ learning. They can use AI to plan lessons more efficiently and get personalized suggestions for tailoring activities to each learner’s needs.
At the same time, students benefit from more engaging and personalized learning experiences, including gamified elements that adapt to their interests and help keep them motivated (as evidenced in another study of mine). It’s not about replacing teachers or increasing students’ cognitive offload. It’s about giving both teachers and students “superpowers” so they can shine and show all their might.
Q: What drew you to join the faculty at Penn GSE?
A: Honestly, I couldn’t imagine a better place to do the work I care about. Penn GSE is a powerhouse when it comes to rethinking education through innovation. I’ve admired the school’s deep commitment to investing in the field of AI in Education to create real-world impact, especially in K–12 education.
The opportunity to contribute to and grow with Penn GSE, by helping build a strong program that not only trains the next generation of AI in education leaders but also shapes the global conversation on how AI can support more accessible and meaningful learning experiences, is incredibly exciting to me!
Penn is already leading the AI in education agenda across top universities in the U.S. and around the world, and the chance to be part of that movement is truly inspiring. After meeting the faculty and students, it became crystal clear to me: this is where I want to be to help change the world. I’m especially excited to collaborate with such a passionate and visionary community made up of people who, like me, are committed to making education more human, more engaging, and more inspiring through the thoughtful and responsible development and use of AI.
Q: You’ve worked in both Brazil and the U.S.—how have those experiences shaped your perspective on education and innovation?
A: Working in Brazil and the U.S. has certainly shaped my perspective, and adding to my journey, I’ve also had the opportunity to collaborate closely with researchers and schools in other countries, such as Japan, where I completed my doctoral studies. These experiences across very different educational systems and cultures have given me the flexibility to embrace multicultural environments, understand diverse classroom contexts, and navigate the complexities of working in both low- and high-income communities.
What I’ve learned is that challenges in education are not exclusive to any one region. Whether I am working in a rural school in the Amazon, an urban district in the U.S., or a high-tech classroom in Japan, I encounter students and teachers who struggle, whether due to lack of infrastructure, insufficient support, or systems that do not fully meet their needs. These shared struggles, though expressed differently across contexts, have helped me become more connected to what really matters: understanding people and their goals. This is why a human-centered approach is at the heart of my work. For me, it’s not just about gathering data or training AI models. It’s about what we can do with AI and data to help people learn better, teach better, and feel more empowered. Designing AI in education means listening deeply to communities, co-creating solutions with them, and ensuring that the tools we develop truly serve the people they are meant to support.
Q: What’s something surprising or lesser known about your research that you enjoy sharing with others?
A: One thing that often surprises people is that I tend to avoid starting my projects by advocating for the use of AI. Even though I’m deeply involved in AI in education, I actually try to avoid introducing AI at the beginning, especially when the goal is to improve public policy through technology.
In fact, when people ask me, “How can we use AI to improve education policy?”, my first response is usually a question: “Do you already have a shared vision for the kind of education you want in your country or community? Do you have an understanding of the needs of your teachers, principals, students, and families?”
If we can’t answer those questions clearly, it’s very hard to use AI effectively, because we don’t yet know why we need AI or how it should be developed or used to actually serve the people it’s intended to help.
Thus, whether I’m working with a ministry of education or a local school, I begin by engaging deeply with people on the ground. And sometimes, AI is not the silver bullet; in fact, it often isn’t. What tends to work best is not AI alone, but a thoughtful combination of AI with practices rooted in the learning sciences and well-established educational strategies (e.g., structured pedagogy). Nothing flashy, just what works.
Q: When you’re not thinking about research, how do you like to spend your time?
A: Outside of work, my favorite role is being a dad. Spending time with my 4-year-old son and 8-year-old daughter brings me so much joy. They constantly remind me that the true wonders of the world live in small discoveries, in the curiosity to learn about everything, and in the joy of sharing what you’ve learned with those you love.
I have also practiced Judo for about 35 years. In my early days, I trained professionally for competitions and was fortunate to win state and national championships a few times. Although I had to stop training during the pandemic and haven’t returned to a dojo since, I hope to resume my practice in Philadelphia. In the meantime, I still enjoy “training” and playing Judo with my kids at home.
Finally, I also love trying new foods, exploring different cultures, and occasionally watching anime, a fun reminder of my “otaku” days back when I lived in Japan.
Q: Are you more hopeful or cautious about the role of AI in education over the next decade—and what gives you that outlook?
A: You tell me. Just kidding! I’m definitely more hopeful, but in a grounded and thoughtful way. AI is already shaping our society, and it holds incredible potential to transform education for the better, especially when it’s designed responsibly with people and for people. I’ve seen what happens when we get it right: teachers feel empowered, students feel seen and supported, and learning becomes more meaningful, engaging, and joyful.
I have a strong sense that once we move past this initial wave of hype and the overemphasis on the technology itself, we will enter a new phase. That is when the real breakthroughs in AI for education will emerge, focused on truly serving educational needs and empowering communities.
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