What High Schools Should Really Be Doing About AI

In this episode, Gary and Scott tackle one of the most requested topics from our listeners — what high schools should be doing to prepare students for an AI-powered world. Instead of banning AI or pretending students aren’t using it, we explore how schools can embrace AI responsibly, ethically, and effectively. 

We break down: 

• Why AI literacy is now a foundational skill 
• How schools can shift from fear to structure 
• The four-tier AI policy every school should adopt 
• Real-world classroom examples across English, math, science, history, and languages 
• How parents can support responsible AI use at home 
• A practical 90-day action plan for school leaders 

If you’re a parent, teacher, principal, or district leader wondering how to navigate AI in education, this episode gives you a clear, practical roadmap. 

About your AI Guides

Gary Sloper

https://www.linkedin.com/in/gsloper/

Scott Bryan

https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottjbryan/

Macro AI Website:

https://www.macroaipodcast.com/

Macro AI LinkedIn Page:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/macro-ai-podcast/

Gary's Free AI Readiness Assessment:

https://macronetservices.com/events/the-comprehensive-guide-to-ai-readiness

Scott's Content & Blog

https://www.macronomics.ai/blog

Transcript

00:00
Welcome to the Macro AI Podcast,  where your expert guides Gary Sloper and Scott Bryan navigate the ever-evolving world of artificial intelligence.  Step into the future with us  as we uncover how AI is revolutionizing the global business landscape  from nimble startups to Fortune 500 giants.  Whether you're a seasoned executive,  an ambitious entrepreneur,

00:27
or simply eager to harness AI's potential,  we've got you covered.  Expect actionable insights,  conversations with industry trailblazers  and service providers,  and proven strategies to keep you ahead in a world being shaped rapidly by innovation.  Gary and Scott are here to decode the complexities of AI  and to bring forward ideas that can transform cutting-edge technology  into real-world business success.

00:57
So join us, let's explore, learn  and lead together.  Welcome back to the Macro AI podcast.  I'm Gary.  And I'm Scott. And today we're diving into a topic that you, our listeners have been bringing up again and again. So we're deviating a little bit from our normal set schedule of topics.  And interestingly, uh most of you are asking as CEOs or CIOs, but you're really asking his parents.

01:26
Yeah, exactly.  Like Gary said, again, we're getting  this question and the question that we keep hearing is, what should high schools actually be doing about AI,  besides trying to just outright ban it? Yeah. mean,  let's be honest, students are using artificial intelligence, whether schools acknowledge it or not. Yeah. I think what we found is that the reality is about 80 % of high school students  have already used generative AI for their schoolwork. Could be probably more than that, but they're using it for

01:56
brainstorming, they're using it to edit, they're using it to research or, you know, whatever you can come up with. Absolutely. I  it's not something new for them to try a piece of technology like this. No different than a lot of the apps for the last, you know, 10 years or so on their phones. So then when you think about this, you know, the schools,  a lot of them are either ignoring it, banning it, or letting every teacher come up with their own rules around AI. Yeah. And then meanwhile,

02:24
you know, parents look at their workplaces and say, every company I know is adopting AI, my kids  really need to be ready for this. Exactly. And that's why we're doing this episode today, to  answer the common question we keep getting and to give high schools and parents really a clear practical roadmap instead of fear or guesswork.

02:51
Yeah. So let's just  jump right into the why, why AI belongs  in high school.  So  I think no matter what a student ends up doing, whether it's  nursing or engineering or carpentry or marketing or whatever it is, law teaching, AI is becoming part of that job. Yeah, exactly. And, kids need to know more than, you know, how to use chat GBT. They really need to, you know, kind of do a few things. I think one is  to ask better questions.

03:21
you know, as they're looking to use artificial intelligence and to evaluate AI critically. ah So, you know, it's not just, you know, black and white.  And also to know when artificial intelligence is wrong. You know, many, many of you have used AI tools and have found mistakes. So that's, that's an important piece because if they're not focused there that they could have, you know, disastrous results. And, and to use artificial intelligence as a tool without outsourcing

03:50
their thinking, right? We don't want to replace critical thinking. And,  you know, there's a lot of arguments that it can't just yet. So that's one area that really, you know, being able to have that conversation with students. Yeah, exactly. And as we've talked in a number of previous episodes, I think what employers really want are people who can combine their human judgment with AI and work alongside it and use it for assistance. Right. And they also, they also want employees to be confident with their understanding

04:20
of AI, how it works in there and have some  level of mastery  with AI and how to manage it. Yeah, exactly. mean, this isn't about teaching kids to rely on AI. It's about teaching them how to work with it. So maybe what we do, Scott, is we kind of, let's talk a little bit more about the fears and kind of break those down. Yeah, sure. I think a lot of teachers, uh they really worry that AI is going to really damage

04:49
but critical thinking. And I think that fear is totally fair. So if the only thing you're grading is the output,  like the final paper, then that's your only viewpoint. Yeah, I mean, I could see that. mean, AI can crank out a polished essay in seconds. I mean, that's the reality that we  face in this market right now. Yeah, so maybe flip the assignment. If you're doing things like requiring prompt histories or require reflections on what you just accomplished, ah

05:19
You make sure that your students are able to critique AI's reasoning. And then suddenly you've increased the amount of thinking that's happening and the amount of understanding of how to use those AI tools effectively. Yeah. I mean, AI isn't inherently good or bad for learning. Depends entirely how schools structure the assignments  using this new form of medium for the students. Yeah. 100%. So I think, you know, good structure makes AI a catalyst and not, not a crutch.

05:48
and students will learn lessons that will almost certainly be critical to their future employment. Yeah, I mean, it's  really to have a simple artificial intelligence framework for schools that they can use.  We did some research  on simple AI frameworks  that organizations can use in the workplace. We've also done that now here that schools could use as well.

06:15
you know, here's the game changer that schools love once they hear it. It's really a tiered AI usage policy and kind of four simple levels. Yeah, they're what we thought was you really need to keep them really into it. So we just to just to simplify them. So, you know, number one would be a tier one would be no AI at all. So no AI for tests or in-class essays. Tier two would be using AI, but using it as a study buddy.

06:45
to review concepts, to quiz themselves, to ask questions. uh Tier three would be AI as a partner. So using it to brainstorm or draft and then disclosing  what sources it used. And then tier four would be AI as the object of study. So actually analyzing and critiquing the AI and the AI output itself. Yeah, and this definitely clears up confusion instantly.

07:12
When you reference what tier is allowed for a particular exercise, like you kind of just called out, students know what they can and can't do. Teachers know, parents know. So if, for example, AI is a study buddy, you know, as the teacher and parent, you can reemphasize, look, you're going to class, but this isn't meant to have an artificial intelligent tool to make up and listen and dictate everything that you're doing in the classroom while you just sit there and zone out.

07:42
Right. So there's that piece that the human element comes into to kind of help coach our students. Yeah, exactly. And I think that this will continue to evolve as the tech evolves.  So  it doesn't just lock you into a, you know, a 2025 mindset. um So, you know, let's talk about  some other things that schools can be doing now. Yeah. I mean, I think what, you know, I'm using air quotes, good,  what good looks like in schools and it's

08:11
Similar to what we've talked about on some of the episodes, know, create an AI task force. So step one, don't go about this alone. Form a small artificial intelligence task force with teachers, parents,  student, and IT. Obviously you want IT involved. Uh, very similar to how business leaders would form an AI center of excellence.  And we've talked about that on the show as well. So think that step one is really creating that, that task force, uh, for the organization at the school. Yeah. uh

08:40
Yep, exactly. And obviously students would be critical there. They'll, they'll, they'll give me the inside look as to what's actually happening, you know, what students are at what level with their ability to use AI. Yeah. And I think also no different than in the workplace where you're investing in employees, invest in teachers first schools love buying tools, but the real investment should be in the teachers, know, providing them training and support and experimentation time will really help them get comfortable with this.

09:09
this new process on how to teach students. Yeah, there's no doubt. Teachers have an incredible workload  and, you know, oftentimes they're staying late just to get the work done. And there's, there's no question that AI can save teachers a lot of time, but only if they know what it can accomplish and how to use it responsibly. So you mentioned training. I think that's, that's probably one of the keys and investing in teachers first. Yeah. And part of being responsible is building AI literacy into the curriculum. So

09:39
AI literacy shouldn't just be a one-off lesson. It should show up across the curriculum. So if I think of English, know, maintaining the credibility and source analysis for that, that subject, um, history, want synthetic media and propaganda, math, comparing problem solving methods,  uh, science,  which is very important class modeling and explanation. So these are the areas of that foundation of building the literacy for your AI program.

10:09
Yeah. And I know you and I do this all the time. We could, we could think of a lot of different things to do under each one of those topics. And it's, think it's, it's  getting to the point that AI is kind of a new digital citizenship. It really, it really needs to be everywhere because it's, it's going to be everywhere. Yeah, you're absolutely right. You know, also reinvent,  um, assessments.  So, you know, we know that there's a lot of different assessments depending upon your district or your institution, whether it's the state or federal level. um

10:39
If you're only grading the final product, think of it this way, artificial intelligence wins. If you grade the thinking, the student wins. Yeah.  Yeah. This is a really good one. I mean, that means that graphs,  prompt chains, reflections, and short oral defenses to talk about how you used it  and what you came up with. And I can't reiterate it enough that students need to be taught to prompt  and be prompt experts so that they know how to drive this

11:09
this new technology that's really obviously revolutionary. Yeah, that's a good point. Just starting them at the ground level so they become masters long term. ah You know, it's part of this too, you also want to require verification.  So make students fact check artificial intelligence and the tools that they're using. Build it into every assignment and similar to what you were talking about earlier, Scott, where you're footnoting and citing the resources that you're using.

11:36
require the verification as part of that process. Yeah. And I think that the models now are even  better at  minimizing hallucinations than they were just six months ago, certainly  better than a year ago, but it's going to happen. And I think that some of the best learning moments are going to happen when students actually can catch AI making mistakes and then understand and maybe even explain why it happened.  Yeah. Good point.  So if we shifted now, ah

12:06
into some classroom examples. What does good AI use  actually like in a classroom? Let's go over the examples that we put together prior to the show, kind of thinking about some of the questions we've received from you all and want to put this into practice. So maybe Scott, you start first. Yeah, sure. think example one that I came up with was English as a, as a debate partner. So, you know, instead of designing assignments where AI can just write the essay, have students use AI

12:35
kind of  as a foil. So they ask AI for arguments,  then they critique them, and then they write their own thesis and explain why their argument is different or better. Yeah, I like that one. Suddenly AI is a sparring partner, not a shortcut. No different if you were learning to play chess and playing against the computer to  become better. I like it. Another example that  Scott and I came up with is kind of the history, the deep fake  lab.

13:04
So give students real and AI generated images,  videos or quotes and mix them up so they can kind of understand, you know, what's real and what's not, because that is the reality that we're seeing today is a lot of deep fakes out there. Yeah. I think there's going to be more and more. We've talked about that in other episodes. So you could, you could have students investigate. They could do reverse image searches. could  triangulate sources and look for digital footprints and just figure out, you know, what, what is real, but what is not, what is AI generated?

13:33
Yeah. I mean, it becomes detective work and those skills are critical in the real world. I mean, there's been a couple of times where I've had to scratch my head and try to figure out, this a deep fake or not? So even at, at my level, you know, I, I  still have to utilize  some of those methods and why not teach this to our students? Yep.

13:53
Yeah, I think the next one that we came up with is one that I really like. And I know that some parents that have reached out to us are actually doing this already. They're working with their students on math problems and they're using AI as a personal coach. So oftentimes you let the students attempt problems first, and then they use AI to compare steps and identify mistakes. And you can teach them how to have AI coach them through the steps of a problem since we know that

14:23
You know, all of the current AI models are, they've certainly mastered high school math. That's for sure. Yeah, exactly. I mean, your point, it's, it's like having a private tutor without having to pay for it.  Um,  and the student actually learns from the comparison and almost in a judgment free way, right? Because there is another human on the other line. And I know that that can be the angst sometimes with having private tutoring.  Um,

14:49
And you can even shift this into foreign language. you know, think about practice conversations. AI can chat at the student's level. So, you they could practice Spanish, French, whatever the subject is. And, you know, it could be that introductory or it could be more advanced and allowing the model to be able to get down to their level so they can slowly increase their aptitude. It could be very powerful. Yeah. I like this one too.

15:16
A lot of the major models out there are really fine tuned to be able to do this. And it's, it's just obviously AI is huge for language learning. And I think, teachers can, they can really even review a complete transcript and provide personalized feedback if they want to  get engaged in a, in a script. Yeah, absolutely. And from a parent standpoint, you know, kind of building a parent playbook.  Um, let's, let's kind of cover the parents for a moment.

15:43
And again, most of our listeners are business leaders  and many are also parents. So you have a big role in this as well.

15:51
Yeah, I think, I think really parents need to start by making AI a non-secret. You need to talk about it openly, talk about how your kids are using it. Yeah. And ask your kids how they're using it what they know about their school's policies towards AI. You'd be surprised. Many students may not know that there's a policy around AI and  your school may not even have one yet. ah But you could also ask the questions what they like about AI, what they don't trust about AI.

16:18
And that's another way to just have a conversation with a student because we know at times, you know, students don't always want to really have conversations with their parents. But if you're getting to their level talking about AI, they may open up to you more. Yeah. And I do think that a lot of the students are, are confused about what the policies are. And like, like we talked about earlier, it does kind of change sometimes on a, on a per class, teacher basis.  Um, so, you know, the parents can ask the school some good questions, you know,

16:46
Ask the school, what is your AI policy? How are you teaching responsible use?  know, give you some good visibility into what's happening  at your school. Yeah, absolutely. mean, showing that you're not asking for shortcuts. You're seeking to understand their structure. Yep. Yeah. So, you know, if we were to shift to,  you know, a 90 day action plan for schools,  maybe we cover that. And it really starts with step one.

17:14
build a small working group like we talked about earlier. It could be five or six people, know, and sprinkle in, it could be the cohorts of teachers, a student, a parent, somebody from IT, for example, but  really start to get that foundation of people that are bought into helping the school with this action plan. Yeah, and I think  the mission at this stage is pretty straightforward. You know, what's happening in our school right now, you know, no judgment, just where are we?

17:43
Yeah. And draft a simple tiered policy is your next step.  Start with one page for students and one page for parents. So that way there's a line of separation, but everybody understands where their responsibility will lie in this new  format. Yeah. And I think that the simple four tiers that we discussed will really keep it simple so they know where AI can play in whatever activity or assignment you're working on. again, uh

18:10
Step tier one was no AI, tier two was AI as a study buddy,  tier three was AI as a partner. And the last one, tier four was AI as the object of study. So just keep it readable, keep it simple. know, policies that no one reads or  can be pretty useless.  And, and similar to, you know, in your, business professional environment for your organization, you know, run a pilot. start with teachers, pick three to five teachers who are excited.

18:40
about this prospect and let them experiment for a semester with this new run book for you. Yeah, and just  be totally transparent, gather honest feedback, what worked, what didn't work, what surprised them,  how did it go? Exactly. And  this kind of moves into the teacher professional development. You're trying to keep it human. So  using a simple framework like UNESCO's to structure professional development, for example, might be a good option for you.

19:10
Yeah. So in this case, you you focus on ethics,  pedagogy, using AI to reduce teacher workload, for example. Yeah. And, and I think communication is, is paramount here. You know, communicate clearly, tell parents and students exactly what you're doing and why you're doing this.  Um, you know, that's, that's what I think a lot of parents want to understand is, Hey, you know, we're, trying to get out in front of this now.

19:36
Because I know my student at some point would like to be employed and will this help them? you know, will they be prepared? And I think that communication sets the mind at ease of both  the parent and the student. Yeah. And like you said in the beginning, you know, keep, it human.  we know AI is here. Our job is to help you learn to use it responsibly. Exactly. Exactly. So I think as we close out the episode, you know, the bottom line is

20:04
Artificial intelligence is already part of students' lives and is a technology that they need to know how to work alongside in their careers. So schools have a choice.  They can fight it or they can guide it.  100%. And  guiding it doesn't mean  replacing human thinking. It means strengthening it  with the incredible cognitive resource that is now here to stay with artificial intelligence. Exactly. And if you're a school leader listening to this,  start small. Start simple.

20:33
but I would suggest just starting somewhere. Yeah, and I'd like to offer it up. If your district needs help building an AI roadmap, just reach out. uh Gary and I both work with enterprise clients, but uh we're here to help.  So we've got some good resources. Yeah. Again, I appreciate you listening  and thank you for spending time today with us on the episode.  See you on the next one.