Student Perspectives on Artificial Intelligence

When high school students from Whites Creek, Glencliff, McGavock, and John Overton gathered at the first MNPS AI Summit, they did not debate whether artificial intelligence belongs in school.

They were asking a different question: How can it help them learn better?

Sean Sanders, a senior at Glencliff High School, put it simply: “I don’t say, ‘Give me the answer.’ I say, ‘Teach me how to do it.’ ”

Sean gave a simple example. To prepare for the ACT, he asked AI to generate practice math problems and walk him through the solutions. Then he prompted AI to create study sheets so he could practice on his own.

Other students on the panel - invited to offer student perspectives on artificial intelligence to district teachers and staff - described using AI to format scripts, work through advanced math problems, and support research projects.

“Maybe you're at home and you're struggling with something,” said Mikayla Hester, a junior at Whites Creek High School. “You can't always text your teacher or e-mail them at 12 in the morning and ask, ‘How do I do this?’ Sometimes you can just ask AI, ‘Hey, can you explain this to me?’ And then maybe if you still need more help, you go to your teacher.”

Joshua Ausbrooks, a senior at McGavock High School, described using AI to clarify his creative work.

“I wrote down a script, but I wanted ChatGPT to format it in a way that was more understandable and more script-like.”

For these students, AI is not replacing learning. It is supporting it.

Personalized Learning on Demand

Students also see AI as a way to make learning more personalized.

Siddha Williams, a senior at John Overton High School, said AI can meet students where they are.

“I think AI will open doors to teach kids the way they need to be taught,” she said. “It allows students to break things down the way they need it broken down.”

For research, students see AI as expanding access to information they might not otherwise find.

"I found global resources from everywhere and just things that I thought I would never see before and perspectives from places that I've never visited or even heard of. And just like getting to add that extra layer to my paper, I think took it to the next level,'' she said.

Our students are thinking beyond the assignment. They are thinking about preparation.

Risks and Concerns

But the students also are thinking critically. They talked openly about the risks - from the personal to the environmental.

Easton Clendenin, a junior at Whites Creek, said: "It's very easy to fall behind and just ask Chat GPT to finish my test, do this essay, do all this. And whenever you do that, you lose the skills necessary to write an essay, which is one of the most important things you can learn how to do ... and if we continue to ask AI to just do that for us, we're going to lose that skill. And I'm very worried for our future with that."

Joshua added that students are sometimes “relying on ChatGPT for basic fundamental stuff.”

The panel also said guidance about AI isn't consistent. Some teachers prohibit it entirely. Others offer tips or model responsible use. At home, families also use and understand AI at very different levels.

Perhaps most importantly, students were clear about what AI cannot replace.

Siddha spoke about creativity.

“I don’t think there could ever be a robot that creates the same human connection that music and live performance can give.”

Mikayla added: “AI can act very human-like. It can trick people into thinking it understands. But it’s not real. It doesn’t feel with you.”

And Joshua, who strongly disagrees with the use of AI for art, offered a blunt reminder: “Don’t talk to robots unless they’re assistants. Go outside. Breathe. Meet people.”

Their message to the educators in the room was clear: Students want guidance, clear boundaries, and a voice in shaping how AI is used in schools.

Siddha captured the ideal vision of an AI tool in schools: “Just something that doesn’t give you the answer but guides you into being more passionate about what you’re learning.”

About DSI

The Digital Strategy and Implementation team supports blended learning, computer science education, and the thoughtful use of technology across all MNPS schools and departments.

The team designed Summit breakout sessions that included hands-on learning on topics such as integrating computer science and AI into classrooms, creating workflows and materials using Canva AI tools, using AI for college and career readiness, understanding data privacy and human bias, and building custom AI tools.

Academic Integrity and Guiding Principals

Our district offers detailed information on the use of artificial intelligence in the classroom.