Back to School: How AI is being used in the classroom

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Classrooms across Central California are welcoming a new kind of teaching assistant: artificial intelligence.

Todd McLeod, an information systems professor at Fresno City College, is an advocate of AI, telling us generative tools like ChatGPT and Claude allow him to create learning tutorials personalized to students.

"The textbook has the content, and the content's going from the textbook to you," he said. "With AI, you now have this interactive element. So the content comes to you from AI, and you can say, 'Wait a minute, I don't quite get that. Tell me more about it.'"

McLeod says the addition of AI serves as a safety net.

If a student misses class or needs help with a topic, AI is there to catch what fell through the cracks.

"This AI tutorial would ensure that every student gets taught every topic every week, and that's something we've never had in education before," McLeod said.

Still, parents and some students are staying skeptical, worried that AI is taking human interaction and effort out of learning.

"It can be an excess," said Danny. "I think there's a lot of people out there that want to deal with a real person."

"I feel like the changes that AI makes, you sort of lose your overall voice, especially when it comes to things like essays," says Connor.

A recent Gallup poll finds that only 18% of K-12 teachers in the United States have received formal AI training.

At Fresno Unified, AI is being implemented in phases. About 70% of district staff have taken a basic training course, and teachers are also undergoing a separate training.

"I feel like it is the teacher's job to a certain extent, to kind of guide that sort of process," Connor said.

McLeod explained that like any new tool, there is a learning curve with AI, and it's up to the teacher to establish safe practices.

"One of our roles as educators is to teach students to use tools in an ethical manner," he said. "How do you use that tool in an appropriate fashion so that you're not causing harm to yourself or to others?"

He added that AI should reinforce, not replace the judgment of teachers and students alike.

"Even if we have artificial intelligence, don't abandon your own intelligence because you still very much need to analyze your results and see if they make sense for you," McLeod said.

For news updates, follow Vincent Camarillo on Instagram.