FLORENCE, S.C. (WPDE) — Florence District 1 is making significant strides in educational technology by investing nearly half a million dollars in Artificial Intelligence (AI) products for its schools. This initiative marks the district as the first in South Carolina to introduce a formal AI policy.

Following several months of careful planning, school administrators believe the implementation of AI will greatly benefit students. Kyle Jones, the Deputy Superintendent of FSD1, stated, ‘We’re going to give our students a leg up in our state and make sure that they are proficient when they leave our school system.’

The district’s board of trustees approved the use of an acceptable use policy for generative artificial intelligence at their March meeting, alongside a selection of AI platforms set to enhance learning. Teachers and students are set to utilize popular educational tools such as Google Gemini, Khan Academy’s Khanmingo, and Magic School.

Jones noted that these AI tools could potentially save teachers up to 15 hours a week, significantly easing their planning and grading burdens. He elaborated, ‘Teachers can never have enough time in the classroom so if you can imagine lessons on planning, assessments, creating tests, IEPs for our special needs students, AI is going to help enhance that and save teachers valuable time.’

The initiative to incorporate AI into the classroom began with a presentation during a board meeting last October, followed by a framework development involving various district and school staff members in November.

Jones emphasized that the AI tools selected for implementation were chosen based on ethical standards. ‘The platforms that we use are audible, they will adhere to our privacy and data standards and we’re going to make sure that we stay within those platforms of adoption as we utilize AI in the classroom and enhance AI with our teachers and students.’

In addition to classroom applications, Florence 1 is also developing a chat box for its district website. This tool will help keep parents informed about upcoming events and critical dates within the school district.

For further details about AI standards in Florence 1, visit their official website here.

The district is embracing AI as a transformative tool in education, envisioning it as both a supporting ‘teaching assistant’ and a ‘personalized tutor’ to enhance the learning experience for all students.