Actions for students and families
Students
Be clear about the ways you want to use technology and the ways you think you should avoid (e.g., using a chatbot to help do homework).
Talk to your families, teachers, and principal openly about what you like and don't like about your learning experiences at school—what you're learning from, what you're not, and how you learn best.
Use feedback features or tell your teachers about questions you have about products, places where they are buggy, or any suggestions you have about how they could be better.
Parents and caregivers
Learn about and learn from what is happening already:
Learn about specific products and practical uses for AI in instruction. Getting concrete allows conversations about AI to move beyond abstract or theoretical possibilities into a grounded discussion of the pros and cons of specific uses. Our 20 product profiles may be a useful place to start.
See products in action with students. Observing actual use in schools changed the way we thought about the possibilities and the risks. Reach out to your school system to see if there are opportunities to observe a class.
Get information from your school systems about what products they are trying and the results they are seeing.
Mitigate the harm of bad uses:
Be clear about the ways you want your children to use technology and the ways you don't (e.g., using a chatbot to help do homework).
Be purposeful about which tools and specific websites your child has access to and which they don't. Monitor your child's use of general-purpose chatbots during assignments and homework. Have open and ongoing conversations with your child about the long-term consequences of using AI in ways that shortchange their learning.
Identify and leverage beneficial uses:
Find out what tools your child is using in school and see those tools in action to understand what part of learning they are designed to support.
For tools that have a connection to homework or create additional practice opportunities at home, get log-in information and work with your child through assignments to understand how it works.
Tell your child's teachers and school leader what parts of the learning experience work and what it can do better.
Communicate consistently, transparently, and humanely:
Engage in open dialogue about the instructional materials and products in use in your child's school. Talk to your child's teachers and school leader about their learning needs and what you care about in their learning experiences. Ask questions about the products your child is using in core curriculum, assessments, and intervention. (This resource from the National Parents’ Union includes helpful grounding information and questions to ask of your child’s school and school system.)
Talk to your child about what they find valuable, what they learn from, and what they don’t; relay that information to your child’s teachers and school leader.