The back-to-school scramble is exciting, exhausting and expensive, and experts say one hidden cost is catching parents off guard.
Bay State educators are today the ones getting schooled on integrating AI in the classroom, taking cues from Gov. Maura Healey, who launched an entire series of training programs this summer.
“Artificial intelligence in the classroom takes on a lot of different forms,” said Jessica Garner, the senior director for Innovative Learning with the International Society for Tech in Education (better known as ISTE). “We’ve been called upon to do a lot of training in schools and districts.”
It’s training that Garner’s teams use to show teachers how AI can help them curate individualized lessons.
“This is the makeup of my class. I have four students who are learning English as a new language. I have three students who have a learning disability,” Garner said.
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But the National Retail Federation says the upgraded in-school learning comes at an out-of-class cost, predicting K-12 families will shell out an average of $858 back-to-school bucks this year, with more of it going toward new gadgets.
“AI has really come on the scene in such a way that people can’t ignore it,” Garner said. “Students are using it in their personal lives.”
Finance company MarketBeat says while schools are quick to implement new tools, parents may be playing catch up getting the devices their students want or need to support the influx of classroom creativity.
MarketBeat suggests exploring subsidy programs for low to moderate income families, checking for school sponsored software, and when possible, buying refurbished.
Experts say the other layer of hidden AI classroom costs also hits the schools, and the amount of time and money it takes to train educators on artificial intelligence technology.
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