Tech Explained: Indiana Teachers See Pros, Cons of AI in Classrooms in Simple Terms

(TNS) — Matt Miller, who teaches part-time in Parke County, is also a full-time education consultant and trainer who makes presentations across the country on educational technology, including artificial intelligence.

He’s talked to many teachers and finds that everyone is wrestling with issues related to AI — how best to use it while also addressing some of the risks involved.

In Indiana, some districts have embraced AI and sought grants for pilot projects, he said. Other districts are resisting it and are more focused on how to stop students from using it to cheat.

“It’s a wild west for kids. They just use what they’ve heard from friends and saw on TikTok,” Miller said.

He sees benefits and concerns.

“This is one of a handful of things I’ve seen that actually pro-actively helps the teacher’s workload,” especially important with the national teacher shortage, Miller said.

AI can be used to come up with creative teaching ideas, generate practice questions and discussion prompts and help automate some grading, he said.

In his Spanish classes at Parke Heritage High School, Miller uses AI-generated images and conversational AI chatbots to help his students learn Spanish.

But when it comes to student use of AI, it can be a double-edged sword, Miller said. “If you don’t design learning carefully, AI can make the work a little too easy.”

Hard work and overcoming challenges in classes and coursework can produce better long-term learning, he said.

Other AI concerns include inaccuracy, data privacy and biases in AI models, he said.

What’s important is to help students become AI literate, to understand how it works and to distinguish and balance what’s good — and what isn’t.

Schools need to be willing to talk to students about AI. “Kids are using it already,” Miller said, and teachers are having to deal with it. “It’s real, it’s here and it’s now.”

According to Miller, schools need to provide teacher training. “If they don’t know what the technology is and what they’re up against, they are just sort of shooting in the dark, trying to address it,” he said.

MORE TEACHERS USING AI

Some educators may not be comfortable with AI, but more and more are using it, according EdWeek.org.

The percentage of teachers who are using artificial intelligence-driven tools in their classrooms nearly doubled between 2023 and 2025, based on survey data from the EdWeek Research Center.

In 2023, a little more than a third of teachers, or 34 percent, said they used AI “a little,” “some” or “a lot,” the publication reported.

In 2025, 61 percent said they used the technology in their work in some capacity. Factors cited included professional development as well as AI being embedded in educational tools. Also, it helps save time for certain labor-intensive tasks, EdWeek reported in January.

At the same time, a year-long, global study by the Brookings Institution suggests “at this point in its trajectory, the risks of utilizing generative AI in children’s education overshadow its benefits.”

It says that well-designed AI tools and platforms can offer students a number of learning benefits “if deployed as a part of an overall, pedagogically sound approach.”

But over-reliance on AI tools and platforms can put children and youth’s fundamental learning capacity at risk, the report says.

“These risks can impact students’ capacity to learn, their social and emotional well-being, their trusting relationships with teachers and peers, and their safety and privacy,” the Brookings Institution reported.

The report provides a series of recommendations.

AI IN WEST-CENTRAL INDIANA

South Vermillion School Corp. has been using artificial intelligence tools in classrooms and administration for a couple of years, according to Jenny Fossi, the district’s director of instructional technology.

Teachers and administrators have attended district-run and external workshops to learn how AI can support lesson planning, differentiated instruction for students and data analysis.

Many staff now use AI daily, either through standalone tools or features built into existing systems.

“It’s simply another tool in our toolbox,” Fossi said. “It is important that we don’t rely on what is shared from AI, but we evaluate the results and make them our own.”

At this time, teachers are permitted to use AI tools for instructional and administrative purposes; student use is not yet allowed, Fossi said.

South Vermillion currently has an AI section in its board policy, and a more detailed AI Acceptable Use Policy will be brought to the board for approval by the end of the year.

Once approved, the district will provide additional professional development focused on teaching students to use AI responsibly.

“Like earlier technological shifts — such as the arrival of Google — AI changes how we teach and learn,” Fossi said. “Our approach is to embrace the beneficial uses of AI while preparing students and staff to use it ethically and thoughtfully.”

This academic year, the Vigo County School Corp. has been researching and discussing AI between administrators and teams of staff members.

Board policy will be discussed at a future board meeting.

VCSC is working to put guardrails in place where they need to be, along with giving students the opportunity to enhance learning and making teaching by staff more effective and intentional, according to the district.

“The Vigo County School Corp. is preparing to intentionally integrate AI tools and practices into use for both our students and staff in ways that are purposeful, ethical and data-informed,” Superintendent Chris Himsel said in a statement.

“AI is a powerful tool, and when used properly, can enhance the educational experience. VCSC is working to develop capacity for AI literacy for students and educators while ensuring data privacy, promoting equity of access and maintaining the human-centered values that define great teaching and learning,” he said.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Olga Scrivner, assistant professor of computer science and software engineering at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, has presented AI workshops to K-12 teachers.

The goal is to help teachers see that it’s a tool that students will use, and to give them the resources and confidence to design assessments that promote real learning.

“Yes, I emphasize that concerns about students misusing AI are valid, but that blanket bans usually don’t work,” she said. “Students will experiment with these tools, often without guidance; that is why teachers need to be familiar with these tools to guide them.”

Educators who attend workshops are divided in their views of AI, she said. Some are very excited to experiment with AI, while others are skeptical.

A large part of the workshop is about giving educators hands-on experience with tools, showing both what AI does well and where it falls short, “so they’re not just reacting to buzzwords or fear. That builds real confidence,” Scrivner said.

By the end of the workshops, teachers are actively creating things they can take back to their classrooms, she said.

For example, a Spanish teacher used AI to generate multiple practice resources for teaching verb tenses at different difficulty levels.

Others explored platforms like MagicSchool and Khan Academy to discover ready-made, K-12 appropriate materials and lesson supports they hadn’t previously had time to sift through.

Some teachers focused on creating their own visuals and illustrations for slides, while others used AI to rewrite instructions in clearer, more accessible language to better support diverse learners, Scrivner said.

INDIANA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

AI was one of the topics addressed by Indiana Secretary of Education Katie Jenner when she testified before a U.S. Senate committee in September.

In written testimony, she wrote that Indiana has been “very intentional in leveraging AI to improve education for our students.”

This includes focusing on student one-on-one tutoring; teacher task support; and AI literacy for both teachers and students.

The expectation is that parents are kept fully informed and educators remain at the center of decision-making, Jenner’s testimony stated

“With guardrails in place — privacy and data security by design, human-in-the-loop review, and strong professional learning — AI is being deployed to support teachers, not replace them,” Jenner said.

To help schools integrate AI in ways that benefit students, IDOE has provided grants, including Digital Learning grants.

Districts have used AI in a variety of ways, Jenner said.

Some schools have used literacy-focused AI tools to provide tutoring and coaching for early readers. Others are using AI tutors for middle and high school students in math and English/language arts, where data show the greatest need.

Students are exploring creative applications — chatting with literary characters, crafting stories, navigating the college admissions process, and receiving coaching to set and pursue academic and career goals, Jenner stated.

“These innovations are proving that when implemented responsibly, AI can reduce paperwork for teachers, extend instructional time and empower students to take greater ownership of their learning,” her statement said.

A guidance document for schools was published by IDOE in 2024 and updated in fall 2025. It can be found at: bit.ly/4b9LT6w.

Meanwhile, the Indiana State Teachers Association would like to see the Indiana legislature begin to tackle use of AI in terms of establishing guardrails.

“Our members are seeking some assistance and guidance,” said Jennifer Smith-Margraf, ISTA president. “AI is a tool that can be great, or it can have really bad consequences.”

The goal is a statewide framework “to make sure there are some common-sense policies statewide as well as making sure we build in shared protections and transparency that parents and community stakeholders can expect no matter what school their child attends.”

The goals would include making sure student protections are in place, student data is protected and privacy laws are followed.

Guidelines should address harmful, inappropriate content and safety concerns, Smith-Margraf said.

Also, “We need to make sure students are taught how to use AI ethically, critically and responsibly,” she said.

As a society and a state, “We need to have this conversation. This is what we consider acceptable, this is not what we consider acceptable,” she said.

She’s also aware that President Donald Trump has signed an executive order that seeks to limit states’ ability to enact their own AI laws.

Smith-Margraf stated last month it’s not clear how that executive order might impact any effort by Indiana legislators to establish guardrails on how AI is used.

© 2026 The Tribune-Star (Terre Haute, Ind.). Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.