Coming up next on Learning Curve.

We're talking tech in the classroom with our expert guests.

We'll dive into how AI and social media are shaping the learning environment for middle and high school students.

We'll discuss the opportunities and challenges, and what parents and teachers can do to help students navigate the digital landscape.

That's next on Minecraft.

Welcome to Learning Curve.

The role of technology in our schools is a hot topic.

From the use of AI to the challenges of social media.

How do we help students navigate this ever changing digital landscape?

Today, we're talking to a couple of experts about how technology is shaping the learning environment for middle and high school students, and what parents and teachers can do to help.

My guests are Tara Siano, principal from JMC Bailey Middle School, and Gary Moore, a math teacher at West Florida High School.

Welcome, both of you.

Thank you.

Glad you're here.

So we're going to be talking AI and social media and topics don't get much hotter when you start talking middle and high schools and and principal.

I'll start with you.

So you're at Bailey Middle School.

The policies that you have.

First of all, what are they at Bailey?

And secondly, is it specific to your school or does the county kind of regulate that where you've all decided this is how we address AI in our schools?

So it's definitely not mandated by the district.

I think each school has their set of parameters that they put in place with AI.

And when you speak to teachers, and it also depends on their subject area where they kind of run into more problems than other subject areas.

So for example, I was speaking with my English teachers and their concern is, is that students are now using AI to generate entire essays and there's AI checkers where the teacher is able to check that and see, some students have gone as far as actually using AI for an essay, but then handwriting it because they think that the teacher won't be able to detect it.

So teachers typically have their own set of rules as it comes to it.

Many teachers in my school have created AI contracts, where the students agree.

This is my understanding of what my teacher expects, and I agree that I will or will not.

So there have been protocols put in place to make sure that children and students are producing their own work.

And some teachers policy is they'll let them redo it.

Other teachers have a policy that they won't, and that it will be a zero.

But I do expect that they put that in their parent letter at the beginning of each year so that parents are aware, of course, and what parents don't understand.

And students many times, even if you use Grammarly to check your grammar and offer up different phrasing, if a student uses too much of Grammarly suggestions, it will also detect as AI generation or plagiarism.

Yep, yep, I teach it.

You know you have.

And a lot of the stuff you just said rings true, at the collegiate level as well, no doubt about it.

So, Mr. Moore, at West Florida High School, you're a math teacher?

Principal and I was talking about how maybe different subjects deal with it differently.

And English certainly comes up as it relates to writing essays.

How about from your perspective as a math teacher?

How much are you seeing it?

What about at just West Florida?

Overall, do you have sort of general rules for everyone, or does each teacher sort of decide how they address it?

So at West Florida, summer before last, we, we came up with an AI policy, and it's very similar to what, you know what we're saying now, where, you know, we need to make sure that our work is authentic.

We can certainly use it, in terms of, to help generate ideas.

And so, for example, we might use generative AI to say so we're trying to come up with a paper on, you know, the, the importance of the Pythagorean theorem through history or whatever.

You know, what are some talking points for this thing?

And then generative AI gives us a list, and then we can take that and then convince to writing, or for example, I'm trying to say this phrase, how might I better say it, you know, and then whatever.

So we certainly encourage the, the use of it in terms of, helping to generate ideas, but definitely not to, you know, plagiarize and to turn in something that is not our own.

In terms of a school policy.

Right.

So we have that, at least as of the summer before last.

But realistically, it's going to come down to, I'd say, the department so much as it is the teachers.

So the English department has their handle on it.

They turn it in for example, math department, we use our eyeballs.

You know, you can tell looking at that very immaculate.

No eraser marks, you know, that's that's, you know, whatever.

So, yeah, but it's it's definitely pervasive.

We're seeing it, but we're handling it in the classroom level.

Well, I appreciate that.

You know, you're pointing out that there are obviously a lot of tremendous benefits and, you know, not encouraging use is just sort of like putting our heads in the sand because, like, let's not pretend this isn't a thing.

So, so, principal, I know, I'll ask you, what about the you know, you talked about the things that are sort of red flags.

I'm sure also, your teachers are finding tremendous benefits and so are no doubt the students.

What are some ways that you're seeing it, being used commonly that everybody's kind of okay with.

So definitely idea generation.

There's, and embracement of that.

We want students to be able to generate unique and diverse ideas.

Just being careful to not take what is provided to you and making it your own.

Teachers have also communicated that they're using it to help with their lesson planning.

When they are finding a concept that maybe they want to understand all of the misconceptions that students may have, because that's very important to teach to those misconceptions.

They're using it to help them lesson plan in that way.

They've also told me that they're using it when they have a piece of complex text, that they allow AI to help them kind of break that up and provide them with interesting and unique strategies.

Sometimes you get stuck in that same box of using the same strategy.

So they use it to help them come up with some unique and fresh ideas.

So there are definitely benefits to AI, and I think it's important as children get ready to go out into the workforce.

The workforce is using it.

So we have to prepare children how to use it responsibly.

No doubt it's our job, right?

So I will tell you, you mentioned how students have used it for lesson plans again.

One way I'm using it regularly is I personally, I don't love it when I just lecture for an hour and 15 minutes.

I'm much more interested in interactive.

So I will say this is what I'm working on today.

Can you help me come up with a 45 minute in-class exercise and five seconds later I've got something and it may not be quite right.

It may not be quite perfect, but it gets me darn close, and I find that extremely useful.

So, Mr. Moore, I'll ask you, have you as a teacher, sort of employed any of those tactics?

Are you using it for lesson plans?

Have you used it for in-class activities?

Those sorts of things?

Oh, yes.

Oh, yeah.

Yeah.

So one of the, time tested, problems we face in mathematics in the classroom is coming up with, new problems.

Right?

And so we'll give them the exercises out of the notes, will go into the textbook or online resources or what have you.

But that bell ringer can't just be a copy and paste of what we've seen already.

And so sometimes just generating a new set of numbers, a new set of equations, etc., also, helping students to understand how to use, AI to help, you know, have a dialog where they may misunderstand a concept, you know, what is slope?

And so they can go back and forth, you know, answering questions, certainly not as a type of Google like, tell me what the answer is.

But, you know, my teacher said slope is rate of change.

What does rate of change mean?

What does that mean with linear equations?

As a teacher, definitely.

I'm using it in terms of lesson planning.

I'll take some material and maybe I have a classroom where I have, students who come from various backgrounds.

And so we want to make sure that if a student has, a particular need, maybe we have an accommodation for written, notes or whatnot.

We might have, I generate for us a PDF copy of, you know, the talking points where we're going to go through all these things.

Gotcha.

So, so I'm going to ask both of you, and I want to point out again, you you deal with high school students.

Obviously, you deal with middle school students.

Those are those are different levels.

I mean, a lot of kids are just maybe getting their first device at the middle school level, whereas at high school it's much more common.

So just the use I'm curious.

And I'll ask you, principal, do you find is it common language for sixth through eighth graders?

Meaning do you feel like.

Oh, yeah, they're they're all in.

They get it, they're using it.

Or.

Because I know they are in high school, do you find that at that level?

I wouldn't say so.

Sixth graders really are coming into a new era and a new way of learning.

You know, they have seven different teachers during the day.

I don't really know that.

They've used it very much in elementary school.

At least that's not what we're seeing with our sixth graders.

So I think our sixth graders are definitely at a different phase.

Our eighth graders are all in there using it for everything, from designing designs to writing emails.

But our sixth graders are not all quite there.

Gotcha.

And Mr..

I'll ask you the same as it relates to in your class or just what you hear from other teachers at West Florida High School.

What are they saying about student usage?

Are they is there a clear indication that it is just it's everywhere all the time?

Oh, yeah.

Yeah.

They're they're using a lot the, the the difficulty now is, you know, AI literacy helping students understand how to use it correctly.

Helping helping them to understand how to use prompts, and also just not using it as a, a fact checking machine.

You know, because the AI can produce hallucinations, etc., etc.. How are you, Principal plus and how do you, how do your teachers, as I'm sure you all have had these conversations many times.

How do you address the idea of plagiarism, of of cheating, of stealing?

Because I would imagine six, especially sixth graders who are brand new to this stuff, maybe don't even quite understand why is this wrong?

I mean, it's it's great.

What's the problem?

You're right.

I can see that being a thought, you know.

Right.

So it's really just encouraging children to critically think.

Right.

So if you're taking all of the information that something else has generated for you and using it, it's not your own unique thought.

There's a lot of intentional teaching behind that.

You know, I'm a former English and reading teacher myself, so in the classroom I would spend a significant portion of several class periods, not all at once, but pointing out to children, you know, the majority of what you're writing here isn't your idea.

Then you're stealing somebody else's idea, and it needs to be your own unique thought.

So the encouragement is in learning how to use these tools, but being responsible in the use of them.

And it takes a lot of, intentional teaching and intentional reminding of students.

And, you know, it's tough because sometimes they just don't really know how to do the question or the problem, and they want to do well and they want to get their work done.

But behind that comes the very important responsibility of not taking something that's not yours, which is really a lifelong lesson.

100%, I mean, and they're going to learn it again and again sometimes the hard way.

And you're so right.

It is hard when you've got a mountain of homework and you feel, well, no, I can get this answer or I can have two paragraphs in about six seconds or five if I plug it in.

I mean, it is it's it's kind of challenge.

None of us ever had to deal with it, that is for sure.

Mr. Moore, how about students at West Florida High?

I'm again, we're talking about high school there, so I think they're probably well acquainted with the idea of this is, to some degree, could be cheating or stealing if I'm not careful.

Do you have those conversations?

You do you get the feeling they're aware of that and taking that very seriously.

Yeah.

So we have a policy again about, you know, plagiarism.

Whether you get your ideas from generative AI or a textbook at the library or someone you just had a conversation with, you have to you have to use these things responsibly and taking someone else's ideas and citing them as your own is not okay at from wherever the source is.

And our students are aware of that.

Our English department does a wonderful job making sure that they know, again, coming from an English, you know, so all of our departments, you know, math, we say, hey, yeah, show me your work, whatever.

But they know that, you know, presenting these ideas is their own is not okay, when in fact it came from somewhere else.

A couple more things I want to talk about before we pivot, to social media, which is, part two of the conversation.

And that is going to be, what have what thoughts do either of you have on how parents, what parents can do at home to guide this conversation?

That would be helpful, certainly to your teachers that would be helpful specifically to you.

And why don't I start with you, Mr. Moore?

So, one thing that I would like for my parents to know is what is I like, how can how can the students use it appropriately?

Because, you know, right now it feels very polarized where there are parents who say, my kid is overtaxed, overworked, etc.

and any, any out they can use, right.

And and on the other end, we have parents who are like, I don't want to see the technology at all.

This is not okay.

You know, very, you know, hesitant to use technology.

And so having parents understand that it is a tool like any other tool we've had over the years and that it can be appropriately used would be very wonderful.

So that when they see their students using it or when their students ask, you know, they'll say, hey, let's sit down and we can do this in an appropriate and meaningful way.

Gotcha.

And, principal plus, you know.

I could see where it would be helpful for a school and administration to have more of a direct conversation about it.

Right.

So the conversations happening with children in the classroom.

But then how is that translated when the child gets home?

So I do see that there is an opportunity for us to involve parents more in that discussion.

Helping parents understand what is plagiarism, what do we consider plagiarism to be?

Maybe even providing some specific examples and then asking for their assistance?

Because ultimately we want the children to have their own thoughts and their own ideas.

That's what's going to be best for them in their future.

And it's interesting, you know, this stuff is so new, you almost wonder if there might be some value in some sort of program where parents get a little training on how it even works, because it's they didn't grow up with it, you know what I mean?

And I literally today at about noon was in someone's office, and, she was working on something.

And I said, you know, this might be helpful.

And she's like, oh, you know, I've heard about that.

What is it?

So I said, let's let's go right now.

So we went to the website, plugged in what she wanted, and her jaw dropped.

Her mind was blown, and she was like, well, this just saved me a couple of hours.

And that was great.

And very helpful.

But frankly, I was a little surprised that she hadn't jumped in on that before.

And I think it does kind of remind me, like, you can't make a assumption that tons of people really fully are all in just yet, especially parents who have done it their way.

And this is how I want to do it and maybe don't fully embrace it.

So is there anything to that?

Definitely there.

There's definitely probably a segment of parents who don't necessarily understand what AI is and what the power of it is behind it.

You know, we assume that most parents are, you know, in their 30s or in their early 40s, but that's not always the case.

Sometimes we have children that are being raised by their grandparents.

And so I could see where there would be a lot of benefit in really explaining it and giving some opportunity for parents to understand how powerful it is and also what it can do as a benefit to their child's education.

Yeah.

No doubt.

That's interesting.

Last thing and we'll move to social is, I'll ask both of you, does anything stand out that you've seen?

Maybe not even in the classroom, that kind of made you think, ooh, that's a little scary.

Like, as it relates to my job that stands out, you're nodding as if.

Okay.

Yeah.

So we're moving into, graphical like generative.

Right.

And so like, you can, you can take a picture of somebody and, you know, there are AI platforms that can make videos using that image or image generation itself.

And so now, as a teacher, you know, what happens in this kind of leads into the whole cell phone thing, right?

Sometimes in the classroom, what happens when a kid says click?

And now, you know, there's, some segment of me on the internet talking, saying things I didn't say.

And so that scares me as a professional.

No doubt.

Yeah.

That's that's scary.

Yeah.

And how about your friends will tell.

This to the same regard?

It's the misuse of that technology that really can create some problems, keeping in mind that it's not always malicious.

We need to remember children are developing many times some of these behaviors are developmentally appropriate.

So you have to keep that in mind.

It's not always malicious.

And that's why it's even more important because a child may find that it's harmless to take a picture of somebody and superimpose words over the top of it, especially, hey, if it's funny, but it's really kind of an invasion of that other person's privacy.

Yeah, for sure.

And once it's out there now, it's on the person to tell the world this isn't real and you just have to hope they buy it.

Right.

So yeah, that that part is scary.

All right.

So so I want to get to social media because again this is sort of part two.

So let's just first set the scene again.

And I'll start with your principal policy as it relates to I would say social media.

But maybe it's broader to say just for starters cell phone usage.

What is the policy on cell phone usage slash social at Bailey Middle.

And is it specific to your school or is it county wide.

So it's district wide now starting this year, because of state legislation that requires that students do not have their cell phones?

So definitely at the middle school level, we met as a group, as a cohort, and we all have the same policy.

Every single time the cell phone is confiscated, the first time it is provided back to the child at the end of the day.

But from there on forward, the parent has to come and get it.

So we did devise a plan this past summer where all of middle school would follow the same plan.

It has made a world of difference according to the teachers in the classroom, there's not as many distractions, issues, problems with the cell phone.

At Bailey, we require that the phones are turned off and in their backpack.

They also can't use their smartwatch to text on or do those types of things.

Earbuds are also required to be, in the backpack.

And so those are requirements that we have.

And and that is the requirement of each middle school in our district.

Gotcha.

And, Mr. Moore, how about, at West Florida High?

I'm sure that students are walking out with their phones all the time.

Maybe not in the classroom, but they're certainly using them.

Yeah.

So, at the high school, we can have the phones in between classes during breaks, during lunch, etc..

But, you know, once we break the threshold of the classroom, they've got to be in the bags, put away.

Some teachers have, areas in their classroom where students can deposit them like a cell phone caddy.

And so that policy is dependent on the teacher.

For example, in my classroom, when students come in, in my statistics class, we're still doing stuff on paper sometimes, you know, and with the homework at least.

And so I have them, take pictures and submit those assignments into canvas and so it's necess, it's necessary in that case.

And so they'll come in, we'll take questions on the homework, take pictures.

And then once we've gone through that transition where we're done with that, then we're depositing them back into the bags.

Gotcha.

All right.

So so that's that's cell phones.

Now let's let's get into to social media specifically.

And and both of you you know I know principal policy I know you may not be in the classroom, but you're your your ears are to the ground.

I know at all times and obviously much more.

You've got students coming in.

So so why don't I start with you as it relates to when what you're hearing as it relates to social media, like good or bad?

Like what what kind of feel do you get in terms of the role is playing in these students lives all the time.

They are inundated with notifications, trends.

Who said, what about me?

And this isn't this isn't new, and it's certainly not.

I don't feel like it's certainly not going to go away when the cell phones are removed from the classroom because they have their whole lives outside of school.

But it certainly weighs on students.

And I see it and hear it all the time with students talking about, seeing other students or seeing kids from other schools, etc.

and it just, it just takes up real estate in their minds and in their concerns.

And so it, it certainly while I view social media in general as a positive thing where we can share ideas, it definitely weighs heavily on children, especially when they're misusing it.

So principal policy, I know to to touch on his point.

As he said, I know that in in your school and in middle schools across the board, as you said, they don't get to have their phones.

They're watching the earbuds.

But let's not pretend that means that they're not entirely plugged in because they have lives outside of school.

So as it relates to middle schoolers, first of all, are they are they on on as much?

I mean, do you find that middle schoolers are all kind of plugged into social media?

100%?

I would say that the majority of not all.

I don't want to generalize, but many students, their entire focus and drive is behind that social media and a lot of it has to do with they want to communicate with their friends, they want to be part of what's going on, but they are overwhelmed with it.

And I and I think, I wish that they had had an opportunity like we did to be able to go to school and not have it be a part of anything that they're doing.

Yeah.

So, so honestly, is I hear from both of you, I appreciate you saying that your perspective overall is positive.

Mine isn't quite glass half full, but that's okay.

It sounds.

Still, I heard a lot of words that sound concerning, and I heard concern in in your voices.

Is that fair?

And if so.

And and I'll start with you, Principal Yano.

What what concerns you in terms of what you're hearing from from the students themselves, from teachers of what they may have overheard.

A lot of what I hear students doing is communicating with one another in a way that may not be kind, may not be productive.

And so, again, it's developmentally appropriate.

This is the age where we're teaching kindness, leadership, empathy.

So you have the opportunity to be able to teach those things.

But overall, I my experience has not been that social media is being used more in a positive way of what does what can the world offer me, but more in the inappropriate ways of maybe not being as nice to each other or, sure, taking videos of things that happen at school that shouldn't be having videos of things of that nature.

Yeah, yeah.

No.

And, Mr. Mora, how about you?

Yeah.

So, you know, children are going to act in the developmental bracket that they are in, right.

And so we certainly do see that here.

That.

Right.

And while they're not having the phones out in the classroom at the high school level, right, you know, if they're out at break, you know, they can still, you know, do whatever they're not supposed to be on social media in general.

But, you know, that's very difficult to police.

Sure.

And so, yeah, you know, they're, they're going to do and say things that are hurtful and harmful to each other.

In my mind.

And the reason why I'm kind of positive about the idea of social media is that it's it is a it's adjacent to nasty notes back and forth.

You know, it's it's the more things change, the more they say.

The same here.

Yeah.

But it also exposes students to a lot of things that is outside of their sphere of influence.

And so for good or ill.

Right.

And so, you know, we can talk about, hey, these things are happening in the world.

So world history, right.

These things are happening in the world.

I'm sure you've seen it on your have your for you page or whatever.

Now let's discuss.

So we have a couple minutes left and I'll start here.

We'll start with your principal policy on when you hear, maybe teachers or maybe you overhear something yourself that is concerning.

That feels like bullying.

That might be a red flag.

What sort of obligation do you have to to step in to say something?

You know, see something, say something?

Do you act on that?

Especially when they don't have their phones?

You may just overheard it.

Yeah.

So that's a tough one.

Absolutely.

If something is reported to us we always investigate.

We look at both sides, we talk to parents, we talked to children.

If it's happening on our school campus, we can and are able to provide interventions, consequences, whatever it may be.

However, if it's outside of the school day and parents call us and they have concerns, we can certainly speak with their children.

But we do not provide discipline for something that has happened outside of the school day.

Sometimes that's difficult for parents.

If it's an extreme situation, we do encourage them to reach out to the other parent or call law enforcement.

But it has to be something it's occurring during the school day for us to provide any sort of intervention.

And again, by not having the phones in the school that that almost takes the ball out of your hands.

But to some degree, Mr. Moore, you don't.

They've all got the phones in their hand.

So you might be saying things that happened moments ago.

And what what do you what your colleagues, what sort of obligation do you have to do something if you hear something.

Running up the flagpole?

Yeah.

You know, if a student comes to me and says, hey, so-and-so just took a video of me in a way that, you know, whatever, we're going to run it up to our our administrators or dean and, you know, the procedures that follow, you know, we'll, you know, they'll do their investigations, etc..

Right.

All right.

Listen, 30s or less, have you any thoughts?

Parents can can think through anything you tell a parent as it relates to their kid using social at school or around school?

I think the biggest message I would leave for parents is get involved, get in the school, volunteer, be part of, be part of it.

And then that way you know what's going on and you can help us.

That's so good.

It's so important for a million reasons, Mr. Moore.

Absolutely.

The same thing, as parents are more involved in their students lives, they become more aware of what's going on, but also, they're part of the fun.

You know, we can definitely use this tool in a positive way.

Well, I wish we had two more hours because we could talk about this stuff forever.

And I certainly appreciate the insights from both of you.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Tara Siano from GMC Bailey Middle School and Gary Moore, math teacher at West Florida High School.

I appreciate your time very much.

That'll do it for this month's learning curve.

Thank you so much as well for taking time to watch for our executive producer job hubs.

I'm Christian Garman and we will see you.

In a moment.