Seattle Public Schools (SPS) this month started rolling out new software from a startup called MagicSchool AI that sells generative AI tools to help teachers quickly generate lesson plans, student feedback, and more.
MagicSchool AI, a Denver, Colo.-based company founded last year, also offers separate tools for students designed to enhance learning and teach responsible AI use. SPS will provide MagicSchool software to both teachers and students, and has prepared resources to help introduce the new programs.
Artificial intelligence technology is increasingly making its way into the classroom — a trend that has led to some backlash with the adoption of ChatGPT and similar software that can automatically generate content and answer prompts.
“Given the novelty of this tool, we are still exploring its potential to enhance student learning while maintaining a focus on fostering student thinking and creativity,” said Dr. Michael Starosky, assistant superintendent of academics at SPS.
Founded by former principal and teacher Adeel Khan, MagicSchool is used by more than 2,500 school and district partners.
Teachers can prompt MagicSchool software to generate teaching materials based on their own parameters. There are more than 60 tools available, powered by AI models from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and others, according to the company.
“The speed of our growth is representative of the longstanding need to support overburdened educators,” Khan said in August, when the company announced a $2.4 million investment round.
MagicSchool also has a chatbot called Raina that can answer questions teachers may have about instructional approaches, behavior management strategies, and more. Students can use Raina, too.
The company says it is compliant with federal laws that govern student privacy, such as FERPA and COPPA. It also trains its models to moderate content for students.
MagicSchool positions itself as a more affordable option compared to OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Microsoft’s Copilot products that are also marketed to educators.
After the release of ChatGPT, some feared that AI would be used by students as a means for plagiarism and cheating. SPS originally banned ChatGPT from school devices a few months after OpenAI released the tool in late 2022.
However, recent research suggests those worries aren’t coming to fruition.
This past fall, SPS made ChatGPT available to ensure “our students have access to this transformative technology,” according to an FAQ page.
But the district does not recommend the use of ChatGPT for students or staff due to privacy and access concerns. It does give the green light to AI tools from Microsoft and Adobe.
There is debate about the ethical implications of using AI in the classroom. CNN reported this month that some teachers are using AI to grade essays.
There are also concerns related to deepfakes; misinformation; and plagiarism. The New York Times reported this week about high school students who used AI to create sexually explicit images of classmates. Issaquah High School near Seattle issued a statement to families late last year after a deepfake incident.
However, some are bullish about AI spurring creativity and the positive potential to change how students approach work and their thinking.
Earlier this year Washington state issued a roadmap to guide educators, students and families in using AI in public schools.
The overarching message was that AI and the tools it powers can’t be shut out of education, so educators are better off learning to work with it.
“As this technology revolutionizes industries, communities, sciences, and workplaces, our responsibility is to prepare students and educators to use these tools in ways that are responsible, ethical, and safe,” said Washington State Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal in an intro to the new guide.
SPS has its own guiding AI principles, including “protect academic integrity,” “human-centered,” and “mitigate and identify bias.”
“While we embrace the potential benefits of AI tools, we also recognize the importance of acknowledging their limitations and risks,” the FAQ page notes. “It is crucial for students and staff to exercise critical thinking skills when evaluating work produced by these tools, as the information provided may be biased, inaccurate, or incomplete.”
