Nebraska educators preparing for more artificial intelligence in schools

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – On Monday, the Future Ready Conference began at Lincoln Southwest High School, where several Nebraska education groups gathered to discuss how to prepare for changes in their classrooms.

One session covered artificial intelligence and informing educators about how they can adjust to new AI programs.

Dorann Avey, digital learning director with the Nebraska Department of Education, said many students are already using some of these programs, so it’s important that teachers be ready.

“Artificial intelligence is here, but it’s kind of been dropped on us pretty quickly, and some of us are finding ourselves wondering about it,” she said.

Part of the worry with advancing technology is that it can lead to students’ personal data getting into the wrong hands.

Some programs like ChatGPT have also become known for being used to write essays and doing the students’ work for them.

“Some of the ways that we used to use, now a machine can do it,” Avey said. “And maybe we need to rethink how we monitor progress and how we know what students know and understand and different ways they can maybe share that with us.”

SEE ALSO: How Lincoln Public Schools prevents ChatGPT cheating

But speakers at the conference say AI isn’t always something to fear.

Andrew Easton, digital learning coordinator with Nebraska’s Educational Service Unit, said there are some benefits.

For instance, there are programs that help write lesson plans for teachers, some that collect information for research, and others that provide interactive games for students.

“When you think about teacher shortages and the stress and strain that our professors have been placed under, anything that kind of helps to make things a little bit easier … is certainly welcomed,” Easton said.

Other benefits include personalized education by using AI that adapts to each student’s needs. There’s also digital tutoring that can give specific responses and guidelines to students based on their needs.

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Educators say getting everyone together and learning about these programs helps them to get acclimated to the world of AI and get ahead of what’s being developed.

The conference lasts two days, and organizers said they have about 250 online and in-person participants this year.