ROCHESTER, Ill. — Schools in Central Illinois are adapting to the rise of artificial intelligence, with 46 percent of students already utilizing AI in some capacity. This year, Rochester High School is implementing a new program called Magic School AI to integrate AI into their classrooms.
David Hawkins, the assistant principal at Rochester High School, emphasized the importance of embracing AI. “It’s developing and it’s coming whether we like it or not. So what we want to do is give students and teachers an opportunity to grow with it,” he said.
Sheril Flynn, the director of technology, explained that the program will provide students with additional support through tutoring and feedback on assignments, while also assisting teachers with lesson planning. “And so they may use it for one lesson to introduce a concept and then the students will use it to be creative and come up with their own prompts and own ideas,” Flynn said.
Hawkins highlighted the goal of preparing students for the real world by fostering adaptability. “I hope they take away the ability to be adaptable,” he said.
Feedback from schools already using AI has been positive, with reports of a lighter workload for teachers by 7 to 10 hours each week and a 28 percent improvement in student outcomes.