Pasco โCounty โSchools to Integrate AI Tool, Microsoft Copilot, into Classrooms
LAND O’ โคLAKES, fla. (WFLA) – Pasco County Schools are shifting theirโ approachโข to artificial intelligence, โannouncing they will allowโ students toโฃ utilize Microsoft Copilot as a learning aid. Superintendent john legg stated the district recognizes the pervasiveness of AI, saying, โ”Youโค can no longer bury your head in the sand andโ say we’re not going to use AI because it’s literallyโ everywhereโฆyou’reโค saying don’t use technology.”
The decision โคcomes as the district acknowledges โstudents are already accessingโ AI tools. Legg emphasized the importance of providing guidance, stating,โข “Students are using AI right now.โค The question isโ are we providing โฃthe guidelinesโ and the expectations for them on howโฃ to use it.”
Under โฃthe โขnew โguidelines,โฃ students under the age of 13 โคwill not be permitted to use AI for โขschoolwork.โค All students โutilizingโ copilot will be required to clearly โidentify portionsโ of their work that receivedโ AI assistance.
Individualโข teachersโ will retain โฃthe authority to determine when and how AI โcan be used in their classrooms,with some assignments remaining “old-fashioned” and โrequiring self-reliant completion.
“We wont โour students to be critical thinkers and โขindependent thinkersโ but if we don’t provide the framework to use that tool they will become โaddicted and they will use it โฃin the inappropriate way,” legg explained. โPotential usesโ include grammar and spelling checks, and assistanceโ with brainstorming andโ organizing ideas.
Pasco County teachers have already begun โusing Copilot to โaid in lesson โขplanning and assignment creation.The software โฃwill be rolled outโฃ forโ student use beginning in December.