News Summary
The Williamsburg-James City County (WJCC) school system has partnered with William & Mary to promote ethical AI use in education. A task force and the AI Ambassadors group have been established to train educators and guide responsible AI integration in classrooms. They aim to enhance teaching methods while ensuring student safety and accuracy in AI tools. The initiative includes a Generative AI Guidebook and a contract for plagiarism prevention software, setting a model approach for AI use in educational settings.
Williamsburg, VA – The Williamsburg-James City County (WJCC) school system is taking significant steps to promote the ethical use of artificial intelligence (AI) in classrooms. A new partnership with William & Mary aims to train educators across the district, emphasizing responsible AI integration in educational settings.
In an effort to lead in this emerging field, WJCC established a task force last fall dedicated to guiding the ethical use of Generative AI, a type of AI platform tailored for educational applications. As part of this initiative, the school system unveiled a group known as AI Ambassadors, tasked with providing training to educators at over 16 schools within the district.
The training program is a collaborative project between WJCC and faculty from William & Mary’s School of Education and Computer Science department. The AI Ambassadors are responsible for offering guidance on how to effectively use AI in classrooms, which includes creating writing prompts and designing lessons that incorporate AI tools. The first training session was held in June, with additional sessions planned throughout the summer.
Generative AI is capable of producing text, images, audio, and video based on previously learned data, with popular examples including ChatGPT, Midjourney, and Google Gemini. WJCC primarily teaches using the MagicSchool AI platform, with students of varying ages utilizing Microsoft CoPilot. Various software applications within the district, like Canva and Nearpod, also integrate AI features, making the technology increasingly prevalent in educational contexts.
The WJCC school system has developed a Generative AI Guidebook that outlines protocols for responsible student AI usage. This guide includes critical measures such as fact-checking AI-generated content to ensure accuracy and reliability. To further support this initiative, the school board has approved a two-year contract worth $43,000 for CopyLeaks, a software tool designed for plagiarism prevention and AI detection, applicable to students in grades 6 through 12.
During a recent presentation to the Virginia School Board Association, WJCC’s leadership, including Superintendent Daniel Keever and his team, discussed their approach to integrating AI within the school system. They focused on how to support teachers in effectively utilizing AI tools while also addressing concerns about potential misconduct in student usage of AI.
William & Mary is enhancing its focus on AI integration as well, allowing course instructors to set specific AI usage policies within their syllabi. The School of Education at the university primarily employs AI for teacher development and instructional design. In addition to these initiatives, William & Mary has introduced a new AI minor this semester for undergraduate students, featuring courses on AI tools and their applications in various sectors, including national security.
The AI Ambassadors group plans to reconvene in October to evaluate their progress in implementing AI initiatives across WJCC schools. This ongoing collaboration between WJCC and William & Mary highlights the growing recognition of AI’s role in education and the importance of addressing its ethical use in learning environments.
As the integration of AI in educational practices becomes more common, WJCC’s proactive measures may serve as a model for other school systems exploring similar initiatives to ensure responsible use of this powerful technology.
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Additional Resources
- Daily Press: WJCC Schools Prepares Teachers to Use AI in the Classroom
- Wikipedia: Artificial Intelligence in Education
- GovTech: Williamsburg-James City Schools Recovered from Cyber Attack
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Artificial Intelligence
- Daily Press: Letters for Sept 20
- Google News: WJCC Schools
- 13 News Now: Speed Cameras Being Installed in School Zones
- Google Scholar: Artificial Intelligence in Education
- WTKR: Fighting Scams – William & Mary’s Research on AI
- Google Search: WJCC Schools AI
- Virginia Mercury: AI Weapons Detection Startups Compete
Author: STAFF HERE WILLIAMSBURG WRITER
WILLIAMSBURG STAFF WRITER The WILLIAMSBURG STAFF WRITER represents the experienced team at HEREWilliamsburg.com, your go-to source for actionable local news and information in Williamsburg, James City County, and beyond. Specializing in "news you can use," we cover essential topics like product reviews for personal and business needs, local business directories, politics, real estate trends, neighborhood insights, and state news affecting the area—with deep expertise drawn from years of dedicated reporting and strong community input, including local press releases and business updates. We deliver top reporting on high-value events such as Williamsburg Farmers Market, Yorktown Market Days, and Busch Gardens Food & Wine Festival. Our coverage extends to key organizations like the Greater Williamsburg Chamber of Commerce and Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, plus leading businesses in education and hospitality that power the local economy such as College of William & Mary, The Williamsburg Winery, and Sodexo. As part of the broader HERE network, including HEREVirginiaBeach.com, we provide comprehensive, credible insights into Virginia's dynamic landscape.
