AI in schools: What are the districts of the Cortez region who tell students?

The Mancos school district has created a plan to educate students on the appropriate use of artificial intelligence

It is not a secret that artificial intelligence is increasingly relevant in daily life, workforce and even in education.

AI in education is a subject of particular interest, because students have unlimited access to platforms like Chatgpt and Grok and can use them in educational activities. On the one hand, students can learn platforms and use them to check their homework, get help with an outline or learn more about the field they wish to continue. On the other hand, students could allow AI offers to do their jobs for them.

THE Newspaper spoke with the school districts of Dolores, Montezuma-Cortez and Mancos to find out how they approach AI in class.

Dolores' superintendent, Alesa Reed, replied to THE Newspaper The questions saying: “We, as a district, are not yet in one place to answer these questions”, adding that they now have a “place to go ahead”.

Tom Burris, a superintendent of the Montezuma-Cortez school district said he should speak with a “friend”.

“On this subject, I will call a friend,” said Burris. “The subject of AI is very interesting and difficult.” Burris did not respond to follow-up emails for additional comments.

The superintendent of Mancos, Todd Cordrey, directed THE Newspaper To the director of the secondary school James Hughes, who shared the detailed plan of the district to educate students at AI in class in preparation for their future education and careers opportunities.

Hughes noted that the teaching of AI is aligned with the mission of the district of “promoting safe, positive and rigorous learning experiences”, as well as their vision statement, which says: “Each student will graduate with a large academic basis which allows everyone to demonstrate the skills of critical thinking, problem solving, teamwork and independent judgment.”

Hughes said that AI “represents an important opportunity for all stakeholders”.

“For students to succeed in future careers, they will have to develop a mastery of the use of AI,” said Hughes. “This technology serves as a precious resource that can improve the experiences of educators and students in the academic environment.”

The district has worked to “establish a clear understanding of the appropriate use of AI” and weighed concerns concerning cheating and moving the work.

From the school year of 2025-2026, the students of ninth year of Mancos will take a life skills course which will have a section focused on the appropriate use of AI at school.

“The objective is to demonstrate how to use this powerful tool to improve personal thoughts and understanding, rather than replacing critical thinking,” said Hughes. “We plan that this initiative will positively influence the incidence of surprised students cheating with AI. Given the novelty of this technology, it is essential to clarify what constitutes appropriate use, as it is often a gray area. »»

To help prevent cheating and the use of AI rather than its own single work, Hughes said that language teachers will be more than probably able to discern whether a student is carried out by the student or not. They will also use tools that allow educators to “observe the process of creating documents in real time”.

“Our objective is to educate both students and teachers on the appropriate use of AI, which, in our view, will lead to a reduction in concerns about academic dishonesty and an increased accent of the use of AI as a precious tool,” said Hughes.

One of the “best uses” of AI in the Mancos district will be the teachers' ability to create a “chatbot”.

“It is like a classroom in which they put information, which will create a resource so that students can use,” said Hughes about the chatbot. “It will keep them out of the web open and make sure everything they are looking for is correct.”

The district will also use a resource called AI Stoplight to help students learn the appropriate AI uses in their academics.

“Depending on the type of class, students will be able to verify facts, deadlines, research. During writing, students will not be allowed to use AI to help write their paper or rewrite it. It all depends on the class, ”said Hughes.

Hughes shared that although many fear that their work will be replaced by AI, a recurring theme that he discovered during AI conferences is: “If you are afraid of losing your job at AI, that will not happen. The work will be given to someone who knows how to use AI. »»

This declaration helped Hughes to make how important it is for students to be equipped with the skills necessary to prosper in their future career, and this includes practical knowledge of AI.

“As educators, our main responsibility is to prepare students in the future, and it is clear that AI will play an important role in this future,” said Hughes. “To serve our students effectively, we must not only adopt AI, but also teach them the skills necessary to take advantage of this technology. In doing so, we ensure that they are equipped for the evolution of the labor market and can prosper alongside AI progress. »»

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