It is no secret that AI has made huge strides in recent years. AI tools from four years ago look completely different than what they look like today, whether it is AI-generated images, or search engine tools like OpenAI, Google Gemini, and Claude. Even when watching the Super Bowl, you cannot escape AI.
In schools, AI has been utilized by both teachers and students. Teachers have used it as a tool for lesson planning, while students use it to assist with school work, and in some cases, to plagiarize. However, there is a growing concern among teachers that students’ ability to learn content has been compromised with the recent uptick in cheating, thanks to AI tools.
Teachers have grown weary of student AI use because it hinders students’ ability to actually learn and retain content. Ukiah High English teacher Mr. Douthit describes students’ use of AI with a metaphor: “If you go to the gym, and your friends lift the weights for you, you’re not going to get any stronger because you’re not doing the work. And I think there’s a similarity with your mind. You need to do the work to get stronger.”
Douthit explains that the main reasons for attending high school are to challenge students, encourage critical thinking, and prepare for life after high school. He adds, “If you’re outsourcing the things which may be difficult, then you’re never going to get better.” The concern of students taking AI shortcuts and not actually learning content has forced teachers into a more analog form of teaching.
As AI capabilities grow, teachers have had to adapt to students’ AI use. For example, Ukiah High Chemistry teacher Mr. Lane has shifted to making student grades dependent on test scores instead of assignments. In previous years, students could pass the general chemistry class by turning in all the assignments even if they failed the exams. But if students are using AI to do their assignments, they aren’t absorbing the content that the grade would otherwise reflect.
Some teachers are finding AI useful when designing assignments. Lane explains, “In chemistry, for example, we have AI as a tool to get more problems to practice for their standard space tests.” Lane goes on to compare AIs’ rapid growth and controversial nature to how Wikipedia used to be perceived: “Wikipedia was a thing that everyone was super against [ ], and now it’s a great research starting point for everything. It contains the entirety of human knowledge in one place. And it’s never going away.”
We reached out to Ukiah High Photography teacher Mr. Slocinski to get a sense of how AI is impacting the digital art world. He shared that he believes AI could “Establish itself as a separate art form.” He believes there are appropriate uses of AI in photography, and emphasizes to his students the importance of disclosing AI use when publishing.
Generative AI photos have also made their way into the school environment. The Friday Family Newsletter, sent out at the end of each week, is a great way for parents and students alike to read about what is going on at Ukiah High. A new addition to the newsletter has been the use of generative AI for the header photos. In a sit-down with Ukiah High’s Principal Dr. Alvarez, the Journalism class asked about this choice. Alvarez shared, “I’m using it as a generalized representation of what’s happening on campus.” She further detailed that her use of AI photos is specifically curated so that no personal information is put into Google’s AI tool, Google Gemini. When asked why she doesn’t feature real photographs, Alvarez explained, “The only people I know on campus that take pictures of things happening [ ] are either in this class or Yearbook, and neither of your classes are able to provide me with timely photos.”
Integrity, one of Ukiah High’s core values, is compromised when AI is used to cheat. However, cheating isn’t new to schools. Ukiah High History teacher Ms. McClure commented, “This is my 31st year teaching at the high school, and all 31 years we’ve been dealing with cheating.” Certainly, students’ temptation to cheat isn’t new, but AI seems to be a more accessible way to cheat.
During the conference, Dr. Alvarez closed with “We are doing our jobs as educators to prepare you for the world you’re going to enter, whether it be college, career, [or] military. AI is everywhere, and it’s going to continue to be everywhere. Our integrity as an educational system, as this school, is teaching you how to use AI with integrity.”
AI in our modern world is complicated, and students and teachers are actively deciphering how to appropriately incorporate it into our lives.
Note: The most recent edition of the Friday Family Newsletter featured photos of Wildcats.
Josette Mealey
Josette Mealey is currently a junior attending Ukiah High School. In her free time, she enjoys writing poetry and reading about the world around her. Originally from Decatur, Illinois, Josette has loved the unique feel of Ukiah since she was six years old. In recent years, she has been interested in local politics and has wanted to be an active member in her school and community. She wanted to take journalism so that she could get a deeper insight into the news articles she reads every day. Email her at josette_mealey27@uusd.net.