How a San Diego English teacher is using AI in her classroom
Jen Roberts, a 12th-grade English teacher at Point Loma High School in San Diego, uses AI tools like Brisk Boost and MagicSchool to enhance student engagement and learning, while a group of parents has petitioned the San Diego Unified School District to limit classroom screen time and generative AI use. Roberts emphasizes that these tools provide real-time feedback and support rather than replacing student effort, though concerns about privacy, cheating, and emotional attachment to AI remain." "article": "Jen Roberts, a 12th-grade English teacher at Point Loma High School in San Diego, begins each class with ten minutes of silent reading, focusing on themes like food politics through books such as *Fast Food Nation* and *The Omnivore’s Dilemma*. After reading, students use Brisk Boost, an AI tool that asks questions based on Roberts’ learning objectives to deepen their understanding of the material. Taylor Ashton, a student in her class, notes that the tool keeps students engaged by requiring active interaction with the text rather than passive reading. A group of parents has pushed back against increased screen time in classrooms, gathering nearly 1,200 signatures on a petition calling for the San Diego Unified School District to limit generative AI use. Their proposed resolution would restrict AI tools, though Roberts argues they enhance learning by providing immediate feedback. She compares the AI’s role to offering real-time quizzes instead of delayed assessments, allowing students to identify gaps in their understanding quickly. Roberts also incorporates MagicSchool, an AI platform designed for education, to assist students with writing assignments. Its idea-generator tool helps students overcome writer’s block by providing narrative prompts. Alfonso Jacinto, another senior in her class, has used AI tools to create study guides but acknowledges the temptation to misuse them for cheating, calling it a difficult habit to resist. Privacy concerns have also arisen, as Stanford researchers found that leading AI companies often use chatbot conversations to train their models, including data from teens. Roberts prioritizes student safety, selecting tools like MagicSchool, which claims not to sell user data to third parties or use it for advertising. MagicSchool’s founder, Adeel Khan, a former teacher, warns that consumer AI tools are unsafe for children, citing risks like emotional attachment to chatbots and exposure to harmful content.
Jen Roberts, a 12th-grade English teacher at Point Loma High School in San Diego, begins each class with ten minutes of silent reading, focusing on themes like food politics through books such as *Fast Food Nation* and *The Omnivore’s Dilemma*. After reading, students use Brisk Boost, an AI tool that asks questions based on Roberts’ learning objectives to deepen their understanding of the material. Taylor Ashton, a student in her class, notes that the tool keeps students engaged by requiring active interaction with the text rather than passive reading. A group of parents has pushed back against increased screen time in classrooms, gathering nearly 1,200 signatures on a petition calling for the San Diego Unified School District to limit generative AI use. Their proposed resolution would restrict AI tools, though Roberts argues they enhance learning by providing immediate feedback. She compares the AI’s role to offering real-time quizzes instead of delayed assessments, allowing students to identify gaps in their understanding quickly. Roberts also incorporates MagicSchool, an AI platform designed for education, to assist students with writing assignments. Its idea-generator tool helps students overcome writer’s block by providing narrative prompts. Alfonso Jacinto, another senior in her class, has used AI tools to create study guides but acknowledges the temptation to misuse them for cheating, calling it a difficult habit to resist. Privacy concerns have also arisen, as Stanford researchers found that leading AI companies often use chatbot conversations to train their models, including data from teens. Roberts prioritizes student safety, selecting tools like MagicSchool, which claims not to sell user data to third parties or use it for advertising. MagicSchool’s founder, Adeel Khan, a former teacher, warns that consumer AI tools are unsafe for children, citing risks like emotional attachment to chatbots and exposure to harmful content.
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