Introduction
Cheshire Academy in Connecticut, which has approximately 400 students in grades 9-12, does not require teachers to use AI. However, according to the school’s librarian and technology coordinator, George Aiello, the “vast majority” of teachers use tools such as ChatGPT, Perplexity, and MagicSchool, which is designed for educators.
Developments
Rather than mandating specific applications, the school trained staff on writing effective prompts and on limitations such as inaccurate and biased responses. Teachers primarily use AI to prepare lesson plans, classroom materials, and grading rubrics; its use in student feedback has not yet begun because of concerns about quality, personalization, and privacy.
Miriam Przybyla-Baum, who has taught French for approximately 30 years, does not use AI directly but designs assignments that encourage students to question the technology.
Details
Students assess both the appropriate changes in their work edited by an LLM and interventions that eliminate their own voice; they also anonymously grade AI-assisted assignments. The school is piloting a “Student AI Council” program that will produce content and discussions on healthy AI use. Assignments are also labeled using a traffic-light system: green indicates that AI is fully permitted, while red indicates that it is prohibited.