Lawrence Township Integrates AI into Classrooms for Enhanced Learning Experience

The Metropolitan School District of Lawrence Township is incorporating Artificial Intelligence (AI) into its classrooms to enhance the learning experience for students of all ages and teachers. The district's chief academic officer, Troy Knoderer, believes that AI is here to stay and that it's essential to teach students how to use it effectively.

"We've got to teach students the appropriate use, but not to be afraid of AI," Knoderer said. "Prepare students for what's next and in order to do that we've got to engage them with AI because it's here."

Knoderer is overseeing district-wide AI implementation this school year, which includes introducing a chatbot named "Dot" to students. The chatbot can help teachers grade work faster and create lesson plans, while also assisting students in completing assignments.

"Part of our work last year then was also adopting school board policy. Policy around AI that really sets the vision for the district, indicates that we're embracing AI as a school district, indicates the uses that that we would approve. And then the things that students can't do — around academic integrity and making sure that we're using it to move learning forward," Knoderer added.

Teachers will be in control of School AI and how students utilize it, creating "spaces" for kids to work in at school and dictating what is allowed and what information is given through AI. The chatbot can also help with language barriers and translation.

"That's an important part of the teaching of AI. That this is a chatbot, and many students know the term robot, so it's a chatbot that you're interacting with. But your teacher is in the middle of that conversation that you're having," Knoderer said.

When asked why the district is approaching AI in this manner, Knoderer emphasized that AI is here and students are already accessing the technology outside of school. He calls it a "turning point" in education.

"We need to teach them how to use it appropriately, how to deepen their learning," Knoderer said.

He says districts across Indiana are doing the same thing, using AI as a tool to enhance and support human learning rather than creating new content or images. The district has received a $55,000 grant from the Indiana Department of Education to fund its AI pilot program this year.

"The other reality is that AI-related jobs are among the fastest growing in the world right now. And so in preparing students for what they might go into as a career, we've got to expose them to AI," Knoderer explained.