FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (FOX26) — Artificial intelligence is making its way into classrooms across Fresno County, and local education leaders say the technology is not going away.
Now, school districts are working to determine how AI can support students and teachers without replacing the learning process.
Some districts are already incorporating AI into classroom instruction, while others are taking a more cautious approach.
Fresno Unified School District says its AI plan is focused on teaching students how to use the technology responsibly.
Superintendent Misty Her said she has seen AI used with English learners after students completed their own writing. Students then used Microsoft Copilot to receive feedback on grammar and sentence structure.
Her said one teacher also used Copilot to help students generate deeper, more thought-provoking questions during a classroom lesson.
“Ask Copilot to help you come up with some questions that are deep and thought-provoking around this topic,” Her recalled. “And the kids did it and all of a sudden all the hands went up in the room.”
Her said the exercise increased participation from only a handful of students to nearly the entire class.
Clovis Unified School District is also preparing educators to use AI.
Superintendent Corrine Folmer said the district is training educators on the responsible and appropriate use of the technology while considering how it can help prepare students for college and careers.
“There will be a place for AI because it’s our responsibility to prepare kids, but it needs to be done with guidelines and parameters and with responsibility,” Folmer said.
Selma Unified School District is taking a more gradual approach.
Superintendent Edward Gomes said the district is beginning with administrators and teachers before expanding the use of AI among students.
“We’re still slowly moving it into students because we’re really taking precautions of how to bring the AI into the classroom,” Gomes said.
Sanger Unified School District says AI is already built into some of the programs used by students.
Superintendent Dennis Wiechmann said the district’s focus is on ensuring the technology supports education rather than replacing the work students need to do themselves.
“AI is not going to go away,” Wiechmann said. “For us, it’s… use it as a tool to support learning and not shortchange the learning process.”
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While the four districts are approaching artificial intelligence differently, their message is similar: AI can be a useful educational tool, but it should not replace students, teachers or critical thinking.
California is also moving to address AI in education. Under AB 2876, the state must consider incorporating AI literacy into math, science, and history-social science curriculum frameworks when they are next updated, including lessons on how AI works, its limitations, and ethical use.