As technology reshapes the workforce, Bentonville School District is working to equip students and teachers with the skills to adapt, with recent focus on the rapidly growing field of artificial intelligence (AI). 

The school district plans to form a committee of educators and stakeholders early this year to develop a vision for AI in Bentonville Schools and create new guidelines and resources. 

AI and machine learning specialists rank among the fastest-growing roles today, according to the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2023. 

As companies increasingly look for employees with a skill set in AI applications, Aaron Nickles, the district’s executive director of technology, said it’s important teachers incorporate these tools into student learning.

“What we’re seeing in the marketplace is companies like Walmart, J.B. Hunt, Tyson, they want people who are efficient in AI tools or resources, because they think that those people are going to be more productive,” he said at the Dec. 17 Board of Education meeting.

Growing Use of AI in the Classroom

Along with businesses and corporations, school districts across the nation are grappling with how to implement AI tools while providing guidance on when its use is appropriate.

While some educators are already implementing various AI tools into learning — mainly at the secondary level — the use of the technology in a classroom-learning setting is still fairly new. According to an Edweek Research Center poll, 75% of teachers across the nation have never used AI applications.

While Nickles said he believes the number of Bentonville teachers who have used AI is higher than this statistic, the data is still notable.

“It’s pretty staggering, when you think about that, if we’re trying to teach students a little bit more about resources, that a good majority of our staff probably have not used it to any extent,” Nickles said.

While the district is preparing for a more deep dive into AI, it has already provided guidance to teachers over the use of AI in the classroom with a recently updated acceptable use policy. 

Industry experts such as Homeland Security agents have also been brought in for educator professional development to present on topics such as AI and cybersecurity. 

“So we’re doing a lot of good things, but we want to expand upon it,” Nickles said.

Goals Moving Forward

With the committee, the district is working to provide more guidance in AI while increasing access to resources.

The district will also work to help educators better teach with and about AI by providing more professional development on the topic, Nickles said. For students, another goal is to enhance their AI skills by creating personalized learning experiences and increasing access to AI applications.

Nickles said he has found that companies are increasingly seeking expertise in AI tools for video editing, image generation, 3D design, SEO tools and speech/audio technologies. Other tools the committee will be exploring are in language learning, animation, research, audio, text-to-speech, content authoring and productivity.

Nickels said they plan to emphasize responsible use to avoid plagiarism and cheating.

“We foresee high school students using AI primarily as a research tool to access information quickly, generate ideas, translate languages, receive personalized learning support, and check their understanding through interactive quizzes,” he said.