The Metro Nashville Public Schools Board of Education approved new guidelines for using AI in schools on Tuesday.¶
The decision comes after the passage of Senate Bill 1711, which requires Tennessee’s public-school districts and charter schools to submit AI policies to the Tennessee Department of Education in July for the 2024-25 school year. The legislation also comes as K-12 districts and higher-ed institutions across the nation continue to grow more comfortable with AI-driven ed-tech tools used for content generation, grading and lesson planning, despite many initial concerns about how recent advancements in AI programs like ChatGPT could encourage academic dishonesty and “AI plagiarism” among students.¶
According to the district’s new AI policy, parents will be notified about the adoption of new AI tools in the classroom and teachers will receive professional development and training on how to use the programs available to them this school year. The policy said the district will also allow students and teachers to make use of AI features on Microsoft Copilot and the graphic design tool Canva, adding that teachers and staff will be allowed to request the use of other AI programs to enhance their instruction moving forward. In addition, the policy stresses the “ethical and responsible” use of generative AI tools, which should be “used in a manner that is morally sound and responsible.¶
”MNPS high school teacher Laney Karnes said in a recent WKRN report that she supports the board’s outline of new AI guidelines, adding that schools should look to embrace generative AI’s classroom capabilities rather than ignoring the emerging technology altogether or seeking to ban it like other districts across the country have tried in the past.“These policies are a really good step in the right direction of being able to adapt and grow [with the] changing technology,” she said.¶
