Control Alt Achieve: Classroom Guidelines for Student AI Use

AI isn't coming - it's already here and it is not going away.

Classrooms around the world are seeing an explosion in the use of AI tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, and more. Whether we are ready or not, our students are already using these tools, and will just keep experimenting with them more.

As educators, we need to help guide our students' use of AI so it’s productive, ethical, and supportive of learning. And what better place for them to learn about AI than our classrooms?

Now there are dozens and dozens of sample guidelines and policies for the classroom, and I have shared many of them in the past. Over the last few years I have reviewed these examples, spoken with educators across the country, and worked to identify the critical elements of classroom AI guidelines for students.

In the end I created two things:

A comprehensive template with classroom guidelines for student use of AI
A powerful prompt to help you modify my template to fit any grade level and any subject area

If you don't already have a set of AI guidelines for your classroom, or if you are looking to improve the guidelines you do have, then I believe this template and prompt will be a great asset to help get you there.

See below for access to the template and directions on how to use it for your students. And please email me with your suggestions for improving this template and process. I would love to hear your ideas and learn along with you!

📄 Copy the Template

You can access and make a copy of the template using the links below:

Classroom Guidelines for Student AI Use

View Template - Google Docs link
Copy Template - Google Docs link

👀 Overview of the Template

The template is divided into three sections and covers all of the critical elements of classroom AI guidelines for students. This content will certainly continue to evolve over time and I will update the template as needed, but at the moment this is the current version.

Keep in mind that this is just the template you will work from. You will not be giving this exact version to your students, but will be modifying it for your specific grade level and subject area, which will be explained further down.

The three sections of the template are:

👍 Permitted Uses of AI - I felt it was best to begin with positive ways that students can use AI in your classroom to show this is not just a set of rules on what not to do.
👎 Prohibited Uses of AI - Then this section dives into ways AI should not be used.
📋 Additional Guidelines for AI Use - And finally this section covers other items that don't quite fit into the two earlier categories.

✍️ Customizing the Template

Once you have your own copy of the template, it is now time to customize it for your specific grade level and subject area. If you teach multiple subject areas that are significantly different, you might want to repeat this process for each subject to get a set of guidelines that is specific to each.

The customization will be done in three steps…

1️⃣ Step 1 - Edit the original template (optional)

For this step I would encourage you to read through the template and make any changes you would like.

Deletions - For example, there may be something I included in the "Permitted Uses of AI" section that you do not agree with, such as using AI to help with brainstorming. If so, simply edit that section, or remove it, or move it to a different part of the template.

Additions - There also may be items I left out that you need to add to the template, such as another permitted use or something else that is prohibited, which I did not include in the original template.

Modifications - Lastly there may be content that you need to adjust to reflect your specific classroom. For example, in the "Documenting your Work" section, perhaps you have your students use a tool like Class Companion for their writing assignments, rather than Google Docs. You can make that change in that section to explain that expectation for your students.

You might not make any changes at all during this step, but if you do they will help in the customization process. When done, move on to the next step.

2️⃣ Step 2 - Use the AI prompt to customize

For this step you will use an AI chatbot to help customize the guidelines for your specific grade level and subject area. You will provide the AI chatbot with your current version of the template, as well as a special AI prompt. Here is the prompt:

Here is a template document with classroom guidelines for student use of AI. Rewrite this document to make it specific and appropriate for a [grade and subject] classroom. Rewrite the content at a reading level that would be understandable for [grade and subject] students, and using examples that would be appropriate and relevant for a [grade and subject] classroom. This may include changing the length of sentences, using different words, removing content that is not relevant to a [grade and subject] classroom, and adding examples that are relevant to a [grade and subject] classroom.

Simply customize this prompt by putting in your grade level (or grade band) and subject area (or class name) wherever it has [grade and subject] such as:

Grade 8 US History
High School AP Biology
Elementary Art
Grade 5 Math
Grade 1 General

For example if you teach Grade 7 Pre-Algebra, then the prompt should look like this:

Here is a template document with classroom guidelines for student use of AI. Rewrite this document to make it specific and appropriate for a Grade 7 Pre-Algebra classroom. Rewrite the content at a reading level that would be understandable for Grade 7 Pre-Algebra students, and using examples that would be appropriate and relevant for a Grade 7 Pre-Algebra classroom. This may include changing the length of sentences, using different words, removing content that is not relevant to a Grade 7 Pre-Algebra classroom, and adding examples that are relevant to a Grade 7 Pre-Algebra classroom.

You can use this prompt with you preferred AI chatbot such as:

Simply paste in the AI prompt, and copy and paste your current version of the guidelines template, and the AI chatbot will generate a new version that is customized to your specific grade level and subject area. You can then copy that new version and paste it into Google Docs or whatever word processing program you use.

3️⃣ Step 3 - Edit the modified template (optional)

As a final step I would then encourage you to read through the customized version of the guidelines and make any final changes you need. This will be the version that you now give to your students.

And of course over time you should revisit your guidelines and make adjustments as needed. AI is constantly evolving so it is very likely that your guidelines will continue to evolve as well.

🏫 Examples for Grades and Subjects

Just as examples, I ran through this process for a few different grade levels and subject areas. You can see the results below:

Example - Grade 3 version - Google Docs link
Example - Grade 7 Math version - Google Docs link
Example - AP United States History version - Google Docs link

📅 Current Version of the Template

If for any reason you are not able to access the template through the Google Docs links above, below is the current version of the template which you are welcome to copy and paste to use as needed.

👍 Permitted Uses of AI

Below are some suggestions for how you can use AI to help support your learning.

🤔 Brainstorming

HOW - AI can help you in the brainstorming process. This could include ideas for research, what to write about, what to create, questions to explore, perspectives to consider, and more.
WHY - This can help expose you to different ideas and broaden your thinking, especially during the early stages of a project.
BUT - AI is not meant to be a substitute for your own ideas, creativity, and critical thinking. Begin by doing your own brainstorming and then use AI to assist as needed.

💯 Feedback

HOW - AI can be used to provide feedback on your work. This could apply to anything you create such as writings, solutions to problems, presentations, art work, and more. The feedback could focus on your grammar, spelling, style, content, solutions, explanations, arguments, and more. To get the best feedback possible, provide the AI with assignment directions and grading criteria or rubrics when available.
WHY - This can be helpful to provide a second opinion on your content and identify areas where you can improve your work.
BUT - AI should not be used to redo or correct your work, but should only provide insight and guidance on how you could improve your work. Additionally, do not only rely on AI for feedback, but turn to other sources of feedback such as classmates, teachers, tutors, family members, and your own self-reflection.

🎓 Tutoring

HOW - AI can serve as a tutor to help you learn, understand, and review information. This can include explaining content at a level or in a style you understand, answering questions you have, providing examples to help explain information, generating sample problems, quizzing you on content, and more.
WHY - This can provide you with personalized tutoring and support in a way that you can understand. AI can also be available outside of normal school hours to provide tutoring when other support is not available.
BUT - Rely on your teachers as your main source of instruction and support, as well as other knowledgeable people such as tutors and family members. Remember that AI can make mistakes, so think critically about the tutoring support it provides.

🔎 Research

HOW - AI can assist with research for writing assignments, a variety of projects, and learning in general. AI can provide detailed information on most any subject, suggest additional sources for further research, summarize large amounts of information, change the reading level or rephrase content to make it more understandable, and more.
WHY - AI can be a partner in your research process by summarizing content, suggesting sources, and clarifying complex topics.
BUT - AI is not a replacement for actually reading articles and books, watching videos, and thinking critically about the information. AI can assist with finding and providing information, but you still need to process the information yourself. Additionally remember that AI can make mistakes, so be sure to double-check the information and sources it provides.

🔑 Assistive Technology

HOW - AI can provide a wide range of assistive technology support such as reading text aloud, translating content into another language, allowing you to dictate what you want to be typed, providing real-time captioning, and more.
WHY - Assistive technology can help support you if and when you struggle with reading, writing, speaking, and other accessibility needs.
BUT - Assistive technology is designed to help assist learners when needed, as well as also when included in their IEP or 504 plan. However, if possible, students should still work to improve the skills that the technology is supporting.

👎 Prohibited Uses of AI

Below are some uses of AI that are not acceptable for you as a student.

🤖 Completing Assignments or Assessments

AI may not be used to complete school work for you. This includes, but is not limited to:

Having AI write your written work such as an essay, report, poem, story, research paper, and more, and submitting the generated text as if you wrote it.
Having AI write the rough draft of your work, and then you simply edit the work.
Having AI re-write the work you have done, such as taking your rough draft and rewriting the work to improve it.
Having AI answer questions for you, such as on a worksheet, quiz, test, or other assignment.
Having AI solve problems for you, such as math problems.
Having AI generate other content (slideshows, videos, code, etc.) that is required for an assignment.

↩️ Circumventing Learning Objectives

You should not use AI in ways that undermine the intended learning goals of an assignment.
If the purpose of an assignment is to develop a specific skill (e.g., writing, critical thinking, problem-solving), using AI to bypass that skill development is prohibited.
For any assignment, your teacher can make it clear what the learning goals are for that assignment.

🩼 Over-Reliance on AI

Although AI can be a helpful support, assistant, and tutor, you should not rely solely on AI-generated information or solutions.
You need to practice and develop your own critical thinking, creativity, writing skills, communication skills, and more.

🥸 Impersonation

You may not use AI to impersonate another person (classmates, teachers, public figures, etc.) without their explicit permission and involvement.
This includes using AI to generate fake emails, social media posts, images, audio recordings, videos, or other communications or representations.

📋 Additional Guidelines for AI Use

📑 Citing AI Use

If you use AI to assist with any assignment, you should provide credit or a citation explaining how the AI was used.

This can be done with MLA or APA citation format.
Or if the AI provides the option to share a link to your conversation, you can include the link in your credits section.
Or you can include a simple sentence explaining how you used AI to assist with the assignment, such as "I used ChatGPT to brainstorm ideas for this report and to give feedback on how I could improve what I wrote."

📝 Documenting your Work

To help avoid concerns about AI plagiarism, you should use tools that help to document the work you have done.
For example, written projects should be completed entirely inside of Google Docs so that the built in "Version History" tool can record the details of what you wrote. Work should not be done in a different tool and then copied and pasted into Google Docs.

✅ Verifying AI Content

Remember that AI can make mistakes or produce content that is inaccurate, incomplete, or biased.
It is important to think critically, evaluate, and double-check the information provided by AI.
This can include using tools to fact check the information, doing your own research, and asking the AI follow up questions to evaluate potential errors or biases.

🔒 Avoid Sharing Private Information

Many AI tools collect all data that users type in, and can use that data for advertising, training future AI models, or sharing with other organizations.
Be cautious to avoid sharing sensitive details such as full name, address, personal images, and such.
Your teacher can inform you if there are certain AI tools approved by the school which allow for more personal information to be shared safely.

Post by Eric Curts

📮 Join the "Control Alt achieve" email discussion group

💬 Join the "Control Alt Achieve" Facebook group - bit.ly/caa-fb

🔔 Get new blog posts automatically through email - FollowIt link

📰 Sign up for my email newsletter

🐦 Connect on socials: Bluesky - Threads - X - Facebook - LinkedIn - Instagram - Mastodon

▶️ Subscribe to my YouTube channel

📧 Reach out through email - ericcurts@gmail.com

📗 Check out my "Control Alt Achieve" book

🏫 Bring me to your school, organization, or conference with over 70 PD sessions to choose from