Kalamazoo Public Schools Brings AI Into Classroom With Privacy-Focused Tool
*KALAMAZOO, Mich.* — Kalamazoo Public Schools has implemented an artificial intelligence program called Magic School AI after a rigorous vetting process that prioritized student data protection and privacy.
The district is also hosting seminars for parents on navigating the risks of AI in the digital world, following concerns that students are using chatbots for emotional support and answering personal questions.
"It's been interesting to watch, because there was great resistance and then finally acceptance," Alex Miller, Kalamazoo Public Schools Coordinator of Instructional Technology, said.
Miller oversees AI literacy training for teachers and students, helping them understand how to use AI tools responsibly in the classroom.
What Magic School AI Does
After months of evaluation, KPS selected Magic School AI because it protects student information and allows teachers to control how students interact with AI tools.
"So what's cool about this particular tool, Magic School, is that teachers can launch a room and assign students particular tools, like a study bot, or a quiz me, or a text rewriter, or chat with a character," Miller said.
In second grade classrooms, students are using chatbots to:
- Talk to book characters from their reading
- Ask historical figures questions during research projects
- Engage in personalized learning experiences