1 year of AI: Rockford teachers, students prepare for the future

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — Rockford Public Schools (RPS) teachers hope they have created more responsibility and awareness around the use of AI after a full school year of students using the technology.

RPS implemented Magic School, an AI learning tool, to be used by students and teachers at the beginning of the 2024-2025 school year.

“We have to be realistic. Kids are using AI, whether it’s for academics or for social reasons. They’re interacting with it,” said RPS Director of Educational Technology Susan Uram. “So, I do think as educators… We know we have a responsibility to make sure that there is some AI literacy going on.”

Students were able to access chatbots powered by artificial intelligence and learned how to prompt them in a meaningful way. The director explained that the AI is supposed to be used as a tool, not a crutch for learning.

“There’s an ethical responsibility around. Are you just asking it to generate something for you, or are you asking it for feedback and input?” said Uram. [Are you] using it as a learning tool, [or] just something to do the learning for you?”

AI is also helping teachers have time by creating the framework of lesson plans.

“It’s been kind of a game changer for us in being able to support our teachers and taking the Tier one curriculum, but making it their own and just enhancing it,” said Annie Peiffer.

“You’re able to go through the lesson plan and be very targeted with what you are teaching to your students, whether it’s students that need a little bit of additional support or students that need a little bit more of a challenge,” said Sara Bruce. “The AI can help target that lesson plan directly for those students.”

The district is trying to make sure everyone is prepared for the future of AI.

“We know that kids who will even graduate this year need to have AI skills and will enter an AI-influenced world,” Uram explained. “It’s not something that we can slowly adopt. It’s something that we need to understand as quickly as possible and start to incorporate into our professional practice for the sake of the students.”

RPS plans to continue using Magic School for the 2025-2026 school year to improve and refine students’ ability to use AI to their advantage.