EDUCATION GUIDE
SUPPLEMENT TO THE FREE PRESS • DECEMBER 2025
2
in the classroom What students, parents and educators need to know about how to use it effectively and responsibly AI L ike it or not, generative artificial intelligence has become an everyday tool for many Canadian students and educators. A study conducted late last year by an online learn- ing platform provided ample evidence of that. Studiosity’s Pan-Canadian Report on Digital Learning report showed that 78 per cent of students had used AI to study or complete school work. The study also found that 41 per cent of educators used generative AI in student learning activities, up from just 12 per cent the previous year. Karen Latimer, a computer science teacher at St. Paul’s High School, says AI literacy is becoming as essential for learners as reading, writing and numeracy and it needs to be treated as a core competency rather than an optional skill. “I think students need to learn how AI works and what it can do and how to use it effectively and ethically because it’s not go- ing away at all,” says Latimer, a presenter at the recent Interna- tional Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity held in Winnipeg. “If we just go with the status quo, (students) are going to find ways to use it more inappropriately and become consumers. If we teach the literacy and fluency of AI, then we can become the innovators and control what AI can do rather than just being passive about it.” AI is being used in schools for everything from automated tutoring to differentiating lessons and giving content recom- mendations. It’s also become an indispensable creative tool for teachers and students alike. And just like any tool, it’s important that users know how to use it safely and effectively. That’s why teaching AI literacy needs to be about more than simply learning how to use platforms such as ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot, Latimer explains. She says parents and educators also need to encourage young learners to “interrogate” AI so they can critically assess the out- puts it provides, understand their limitations, and apply them in an ethical and responsible manner. That includes asking BY JIM TIMLICK
AI IN EDUCATION
Powered by FlippingBook