AI "is here." Miami-Dade Public Schools wants to create guidelines
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Determining how and when to use artificial intelligence in the classroom is again at the forefront of discussion in Miami-Dade County schools — just as a new school year is set to begin.
The latest: At the School Board's monthly meeting Tuesday, officials are expected to weigh a proposal requiring district staff to create guidelines teachers can use to incorporate AI in their classrooms.
- A central component would be a "tiered framework" governing the use of AI for certain tasks, ranging from no use of AI for some to minimal or maximum use for others.
Why it matters: The continued push to welcome AI into the classroom marks a pivot from just a few years ago, when the district initially blocked AI chatbots like ChatGPT.
- And while it has already begun incorporating AI into schools, the district has yet to roll out a formal framework for staff or students to reference, officials said during a school board workshop last week.
Meanwhile, the University of Florida, through its statewide education task force, began developing AI guidelines for local schools, per The New York Times.
What they're saying: "AI is not coming, it's here," said board member Roberto Alonso, who proffered the item.
- "There's no way of banning this or stopping this — there's only ways of adopting it and learning how to best use it."
Zoom in: The district already uses Google's Gemini, with "safeguards" for students in grades nine through 12, and has piloted a few programs for other grade levels.
- But the district's youngest students have no access to open AI programs, officials said.
Flashback: The board approved a measure in March 2024 to review federal and state guidelines related to the use and implementation of AI.
- Teacher training on some programs began last fall, officials said.
Yes, but: "This is new territory nationwide," Chief Academic Officer Lourdes Diaz told board members.
- "We're just beginning to incorporate some of these things into our pacing guides and working with teachers to create different possibilities for them to use AI in the classroom."
What's next: If approved, district staff are expected to propose the guidelines to the board in October.