Florence, SC (WPDE) – Nearly half a million dollars of artificial intelligence products will be used in the District 1 schools in Florence.
Florence 1 is the first district of the State to introduce an AI policy.
After several months of planning, school administrators said that AI would be an advantage for the district.
“We are going to give our students one step ahead in our state and ensure that they are competent when they leave our school system,” said Kyle Jones, assistant superintendent of the FSD1.
The acceptable use of the generative policy of artificial intelligence as well as several AI platforms were approved at the meeting of the board of directors of March.
Florence 1 teachers and students will use platforms like Google Gemini, Khanmingo from Khan Academy and Magic School.
Kyle Jones is the assistant superintendent of the Florence 1 school and said that the use of these AI tools can save teachers up to 15 hours per week in planning and classification.
“Teachers can never have enough time in class, so if you can imagine lessons on planning, evaluations, test creation, PEIs for our students with special needs,” said Jones. “The AI will help improve this and save precious teachers.”
The administrators of Florence 1 presented for the first time the use of the AI in class during their meeting of the board of directors last October. A month later, various members of the district and school staff began the framework for supporting the use of AI.
Jones said the list of AI tools had been approved according to ethics.
“The platforms we use are audible, they will adhere to our confidentiality and data standards and we will make sure that we remain in these adoption platforms while we use AI in class and an improved AI with our teachers and our students,” said Jones.
ABC15 spoke with a teacher who taught Florence at Francis Marion University.
Doctor Bryan McLeod says he supports the use of AI in K-12 schools.
He said he even implemented the use of AI in college classrooms.
“AI is not going anywhere and it is a tool and if we do not show our students how to use it from an early age, it increases the probability that they are contrary to ethics when they use and use it to cheat,” said McLeod.
Florence 1 is currently working on a discussion box for the district website which can inform parents of upcoming events or important dates that occur in the school district.
More information on AI standards in Florence 1 can be found on their district website here.
Artificial intelligence (AI) – Florence 1 schools
F1 and artificial intelligence. Florence 1 schools adopt AI to revolutionize teaching and learning. Recognizing the potential of AI as “teaching assistant” and “personalized tutor”, the district aims to release teachers and personalize students’ learning.
