Jessica Reid has thought about quitting the career sheB次元官网网址檇 dreamed of since childhood hundreds of times.

Until recently, she was overwhelmed by her workload as an elementary school teacherB次元官网网址� planning lessons for all subjects, creating behavioural support plans for students, grading, not to mention actual classroom time B次元官网网址� while also raising three young kids of her own.

But then Reid turned to artificial intelligence, joining droves of other teachers who say the technology keeps their workload manageable, especially as they chart the course for a new school year.

B次元官网网址淚 really wanted to dedicate this summer to exploring some of these AI tools and how to help me in my planning and my administrative duties,B次元官网网址� she said from her home in Muskoka, Ont.

B次元官网网址淓ither I was sacrificing my family and using my evenings and weekends on hours and hours of planning, or I was dedicating more time to my family and B次元官网网址� didnB次元官网网址檛 feel like I was doing my students justice,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淪o on either end, I felt like I was sort of dropping the ball.B次元官网网址�

Now, sheB次元官网网址檒l run OntarioB次元官网网址檚 curriculum through an AI program called Eduaide.AI and ask it to spit out lessons for her. She doesnB次元官网网址檛 rely on it for information B次元官网网址� and what information it does give, she always fact checks. It just gives her a guideline of what to teach and when, she said.

B次元官网网址淚 was able to plan most of my school year in a really short amount of time this summer. And in the subjects that IB次元官网网址檓 not an expert in and donB次元官网网址檛 feel as confident or passionate about teaching, the AI was able to fill in those blanks for me,B次元官网网址� she said.

Reid has been posting about her discoveries and sharing resources on social media, which she said has garnered both support and backlash.

Some commenters have accused her of setting a bad example, because if students were to do the same, it could be considered cheating.

Reid, however, dismisses those concerns.

B次元官网网址淭he role of the teacher and the student is very different. I earned my role as a teacher. I already have been through the education system,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淭hese kids are still on their academic path. IB次元官网网址檓 done mine.B次元官网网址�

Advancements in artificial intelligence are cause for skepticism and excitement alike, teachers say. While some students may use technology to cheat, those tools also have the potential to make education more efficient.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e been trying to figure out how to ride the wave instead of getting caught up in the wave and I really feel like this is a real disruption,B次元官网网址� said Kasi Humber, a French teacher in Truro, N.S.

Humber began experimenting with artificial intelligence after the 2022 release of the application ChatGPT, an AI-powered language model that captured the publicB次元官网网址檚 attention because it could write essays, solve complicated math problems and write code in just seconds.

Humber, who teaches about 200 students across three schools, said she began to use the technology to put together report cards. It allows her to input information and build organized spreadsheets with grades and comments for students.

Humber has also used it to provide reading materials that caters to her studentsB次元官网网址� level and interests. A student learning French who struggles with vocabulary can be given an AI-produced story that emphasizes the words they have trouble with, for example.

B次元官网网址淭hat has really helped me with their reading comprehension, just by making sure that IB次元官网网址檓 providing them with things that they actively want to be reading,B次元官网网址� she said.

As the school year begins, Humber said sheB次元官网网址檚 excited to use it more.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檇 much rather learn how to do it and stay ahead of it,B次元官网网址� she said.

Denis Tanguay, a high school computer science and shop teacher in the Ottawa French Catholic School Board, said he is still processing the use of the technology in his classroom. And while he hasnB次元官网网址檛 used the technology yet for his own course planning, he will allow students to use ChatGPT to improve their presentations.

B次元官网网址淲e donB次元官网网址檛 need to be afraid of the tool, but we need to teach the students how to use the tool properly,B次元官网网址� he said.

Tanguay said he would like to see more direction from education officials on how teachers might be able to use the technology.

B次元官网网址淚 think weB次元官网网址檙e looking at the first year where weB次元官网网址檙e going to be dealing with AI in the classroom,B次元官网网址� he said.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a reality, and we canB次元官网网址檛 ignore it.B次元官网网址�

However many educational institutions have not yet formalized their policies on the use of AI, which for some has created uncertainty.

Karen Littlewood, president of the Ontario Secondary Schools TeachersB次元官网网址� Federation, said some teachers use AI to determine whether work has been plagiarized.

B次元官网网址淥ur worldB次元官网网址檚 kind of changed in April last year when ChatGPT came out,B次元官网网址� Littlewood said.

B次元官网网址淚 think the responsibility lies first with the Ministry of Education and secondly with the administration at school boards to be sharing information and making sure that they have the best informed staff possible.B次元官网网址�

Sarah Eaton, an associate professor at the University of Calgary and an expert in AI education, says school boards and provincial education ministries should consider professional development for teachers to learn about AI and recognize when it is being used for cheating.

B次元官网网址淚t can also be scary because youB次元官网网址檙e going to have a whole different range of uses,B次元官网网址� she said.

Eaton, who has adopted AI technology in her own classes with an AI platform that can identify gaps in existing research, said teachers should try to embrace the new reality kids are living in.

B次元官网网址淐hildren who are five years old or younger B次元官网网址� they will never know school without artificial intelligence as part of their daily lives,B次元官网网址� she said.

B次元官网网址淚 think itB次元官网网址檚 kind of irresponsible for us as educators to turn a blind eye to that.B次元官网网址�

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