AI in the Classroom

As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to grow and develop, schools are facing difficult questions: Where should the line be drawn between responsible AI use and academic dishonesty? Furthermore, how do educators prepare students for a world shaped by this new technology?

At Hopkinton High School (HHS), administrators and teachers are grappling with these questions every day. They express both optimism and concern about how the realities of AI may shape the future of learning.

Redefining Academic Integrity in the Age of AI

When discussing academic integrity, HHS Principal Justin Pominville stressed that the school’s top priority is ensuring students produce their own work.

“The most basic definition of academic integrity is producing your own work. And that it’s representative of all the time and effort you put in. It’s not claiming credit for something you did not create yourself.”

He noted that academic integrity has become more complex in a world where students have access to AI tools. These tools can generate essays and ideas in a matter of seconds.

Shari Meyer teaches both AP English Language and Composition and other English courses at HHS. She believes AI poses a threat (is a danger) to her students’ ability to think critically and produce work on their own.

To explain her perspective, Meyer compared generated writing to communicating with someone online who secretly used AI to write all of their messages to you. 

“You wouldn’t really know the real person,” she said. “Writing is one way for a person to put themselves into the world. As a teacher, I want to support the real, live students in front of me.”

Classroom Expectations

To address these concerns, teachers at HHS are beginning to establish clearer expectations for how AI will be used in classroom settings.

Pominville explained that many teachers are beginning to ask a key question: Can AI be used to enhance learning, or will it solely replace original thought?

Some teachers allow AI for tasks like organizing research, outlining ideas, brainstorming, and creating visuals after a project is completed. However, utilizing this technology to form original thoughts remains a clear boundary.

Bringing AI Literacy Into the Curriculum

As AI becomes more integrated into daily life, educators at HHS are also beginning to discuss how students can learn to use it responsibly. They believe it is better for students to learn responsible use rather than simply avoiding it altogether.

Pominville described the school’s new digital literacy course as an important first step toward introducing AI literacy into the curriculum.

The class explores topics such as digital research skills, responsible technology use, and AI applications. Pominville said he hopes the course continues growing as more students recognize its value.

The “Green Light, Yellow Light, Red Light” Approach

Pominville noted that school systems are actively seeking the best way to approach AI education. 

As schools continue developing AI policies, some have adopted what Pominville described as a “green light, yellow light, red light” system.

Under this model:

• Red light assignments prohibit AI entirely.
• Yellow light assignments allow limited AI use with teacher guidance.
• Green light assignments openly encourage AI as a tool.

Pominville said the system helps students better understand expectations, especially because acceptable AI use varies by assignment and teachers. 

Concerns About Critical Thinking

Although AI can save time, teachers and administration expressed concern about its impact on students’ ability to think independently.

Meyer explained that writing is not simply about producing a final product. Instead, it is a process that requires patience, reflection, and mental endurance. 

“We need to build stamina for reading, writing, and thinking,” she said. “Once we lose our ability to think critically, we run the risk of believing anything AI tells us.”

Maci Ober is a Hopkinton High School senior completing her Senior Capstone Experience with HopNews. This is her second article.

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