MARIETTA, Ga. — Students in Marietta City Schools will see changes when they return to class this fall as the district works to balance technology use with concerns surrounding artificial intelligence.
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The Marietta City Schools Board of Education recently approved a resolution outlining new expectations for student screen time and the use of AI tools for assignments.
The changes do not ban technology in classrooms. Students will still have access to Chromebooks, but the district says it wants to be more intentional about when screens are used for teaching and learning.
“We can’t bury our heads in the sand and pretend that AI isn’t candidly infiltrating classrooms,” Superintendent Grant Rivera said.
The district says it is implementing new safeguards through an AI platform called MagicSchool, a school-focused AI resource designed to help teachers and monitor student use.
“MagicSchool is a school-friendly AI resource that allows us to put up patrols where kids cannot go to ChatGPT, for example, or have it wide open,” Rivera said.
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Students will be able to use AI tools both at school and at home, but assignments will have different expectations.
The district says assignments will be categorized based on whether AI use is allowed.
For some assignments, labeled “red,” students will not be allowed to use AI or technology. Other assignments, labeled “green,” may encourage students to collaborate with AI while still demonstrating their own understanding of the material.
The district says it gathered feedback from teachers, staff and parents through focus groups before the school board approved the changes.
Elementary school students will not be allowed to use AI tools in classrooms.
The new guidelines will take effect during the upcoming school year.
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