From plagiarism to study aids to avoidance, here’s how some students are integrating AI tools into their education

Nariah Farrar was in seventh grade when AI tools went mainstream in schools.

With AI embedded in common social media apps like Snapchat, talk among her peers promised an intriguing shortcut for finishing schoolwork. Allured by the convenience, she plugged an essay prompt into AI chatbot ChatGPT and had the whole thing written in moments; the time she didn’t spend on the assignment was now her own.

Until, “I got busted,” she said. Teachers quickly flagged the work as AI-generated and she received detention for plagiarism.

Now a freshman at downtown Lewis and Clark High School, Farrar and other peers still turn to the tech for schoolwork in myriad ways. Many kids said they use AI tools to help with studying and to retain information. Some said they use AI tools to scan worksheets and fill in answers for them to get homework off their plate.

The wave of AI use has prompted Spokane Public Schools to consider revamping its policies on how students and teachers use the technology. School leaders have assembled a team to roll out policies beyond what guidance the district already provides its staff and students, Scott Kerwien, the chief of student success, told the school board on Wednesday.

Early conversations include how staff can use tools to tailor lesson plans to the specific interests of their students, making school work more engaging and applicable for student learning.

“You could learn about world history just through a textbook, or you could personalize it for how the history of your chosen career field makes sense and actually still aligns with a student’s history class,” Kerwein told the school board. “I think that’s some of the legwork we can do much easier in AI.”

For students buried with homework and extracurriculars, the convenience of using AI as a shortcut can be tempting.

“It’s less stressful to get your work done first. … It’s really quick,” said LC freshman Giulianna Goddard, acknowledging that it can ultimately be an educational detriment.

“You don’t learn anything, and then, when it comes to the real tests, you’re done,” added Farrar.

Others are far more reluctant to use AI in school or at all, expressing potential ethical or environmental concerns.

“I don’t want the American people to suffer because AI is taking their jobs,” said LC student Isaac Haney, who said he doesn’t use the technology even when approved by his teachers.

From the district’s perspective on student use, it’s about readying kids to enter a world where AI is everywhere.

“The mission of the school district is to help prepare kids for the future workforce and help prepare them to be productive citizens in our community, that’s our core mission,” Superintendent Adam Swinyard said. “So we try to look through that lens; what skills and what things would kids need to know about AI to be able to be successfully engaged in the future workforce?”

AI has been present in classrooms since the technology became mainstream in recent years. Spokane Public Schools’ student filter on devices connected to school Wi-Fi blocks common AI chatbots like ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini and Microsoft Copilot, said school spokesperson Ryan Lancaster, because of parental consent terms on the platforms.

Still, the technology is readily available to kids after the school bell rings. Staff have access to AI tools while at school, Lancaster said.

To prepare teachers for this reality, Gonzaga University has been offering a training series for teachers across the state to integrate AI in a “human-centered approach,” exploring the benefits and drawbacks of using the tech.

For Anny Case, GU professor and chair of the Department of Teacher Education, it’s not a question of if AI should be in the classroom, but why and how it can be used advantageously.

“AI can help us individualize learning in ways that meet students where they are, adapt to their specific needs, and give them a level of control over their learning,” Case wrote. “But other forms of AI-supported individualized learning force students into narrow pathways that hinder their confidence, abilities, and creativity.”

Using AI at school is not a black-and-white approach, Case said, rather, it requires an educator and students’ discernment on how to use the tool appropriately.

“The most important priority is the degree to which AI expands or undermines human potential. It’s not simply a matter of what AI can do for us, but rather, what is AI doing to us,” Case wrote. “So the possibilities are exciting; the risks are real and human discernment is the heart of the matter.”

Current district guidance “supports” the use of AI in the classroom, provided there is “collaboration prior to using AI and transparency between educator and learner.” Guidance warns students and staff not to wholly rely on AI tools or answers, evaluating it for accuracy before putting it into any work.

Students, who haven’t lived a day of life without cellphones, the internet or social media, are integrating AI tools in their educational world.

LC sophomore Robby Henrich said he regularly consults ChatGPT to explore history, an interest of his. But he said he never uses the tool for his school work.

“That’s definitely a concern of mine because a lot of people are using AI, I’d say, for schoolwork and they’re not learning,” he said. “They’re not learning to rely upon themselves really, and they’re just looking to AI for an immediate answer.”

Henrich said he’d like to see ethical use of AI taught more at school because he knows it will likely be present in whatever career path he chooses.

Other students said they regularly use AI tools in their schoolwork, including asking a chatbot for homework answers, uploading an entire worksheet to an AI assistant that will answer questions or turning in a fully AI-generated essay.

Some students mentioned using AI apps as study aids rather than a short cut on school work. Apps that come up with practice quiz questions, create flashcards or tutor them on complex math or science problems can be helpful, kids said.

“I have this thing called Quiz AI on my phone,” said LC freshman Mason Durgan. “It gives you step -by -step tutorials instead of just giving you the answer. I try to limit getting the straight answer as much as I can, but also getting help from AI.”

Swinyard said his daughter, a middle school student, uses a tool that can turn school notes into a podcast. She studied for a recent biology exam listening to the podcast while going for a run, Swinyard said. Another parent told him their child was seeing the benefits from using an AI math tutor.

“It’s fascinating,” he said. “Our kids are innovating and learning things pretty quickly.”

With the ability to ponder any question, Swinyard sees the potential in the technology as an ignition for a student’s curiosity.

“If everybody spent five or 10 minutes a day just learning something new on generative AI, how beneficial would that be?” he said.

With reporting contributions from Laura Sheikh of The Spokesman Review.