When using AI, the same digital "rules of the road" apply: protect your privacy, question what you read, and act responsibly. We encourage families to keep an open dialogue with their children about how to use these tools effectively and ethically. For school-related use, we recommend students use Gemini through their official WISD Google for Education account. This version is specifically configured with extra security layers designed to keep students safe across all grade levels.

This is by far one of the most common questions asked around AI in education. The best rule of thumb is this: If you wouldn’t let another person do it for you, don’t let AI do it either. Submitting AI-generated work as your own is the same as having someone else do your homework. However, using AI as a partner to brainstorm, ask questions, or get feedback is similar to collaborating with a classmate and is usually encouraged.

Ultimately, AI should enhance a student's learning, not replace it. Because every assignment and teacher is different, students should always follow their teachers' expectations for how AI can be used. Check out how we explain this to students here.

Our teachers use AI as a high-powered assistant to handle time-consuming tasks—like drafting lesson materials, creating practice questions, and tailoring assignments for different learning styles. By streamlining the "behind-the-scenes" work, teachers can spend more of their energy doing what they do best: working directly with students and responding to their individual needs.

While AI is a great tool for providing quick feedback during a lesson, it never replaces a teacher's expertise. Final grades are always determined by the teacher, who reviews the work and applies their own professional judgment before anything hits the gradebook.

Talking to your child about AI doesn’t have to feel complicated. It’s really just about building smart habits and a healthy dose of skepticism. Encourage your student to think of AI as a learning partner, not a shortcut, and keep the focus on privacy and honesty.

It's important to remind students that AI can sound very confident while stating things that aren't true ("hallucinate"). Encourage them to question the information AI provides, verify information, and always be honest when they have used AI to support their own work.

The best way to stay involved is open the conversation with your student. Try asking these open-ended questions:

How have you used AI in class lately?
When does AI actually make learning easier, and when does it just feel like a distraction?
How do you determine if what AI tell you is accurate?

Conversations centered around AI help students build the awareness and responsbility they need to use AI effectively.

Want to know more? Check out this Activity Guide for Parents: Talking to Your Kids About AI from Common Sense Media.

Think of AI as a personal tutor, not a shortcut. The goal is to jumpstart a student's thinking, not do the thinking for them.

Here are three ways students can use AI to work smarter:

The Interactive Study Guide: Instead of just re-reading notes, have your student upload them and ask: "Create a 10-question practice quiz based on these notes to see what I actually know."
The Creative Spark: To get the gears going for brainstorming, they can ask: "Give me 5 creative ways to present a report on the Texas Revolution."
The Project Manager: For those overwhelming assignments, use AI for organization: "Break this 3-week research paper into a daily checklist of small, manageable tasks so I don't fall behind."

To get started, go to Gemini.Google.com. Click Tools, then Guided learning as seen below.

Use Gemini's Guided Learning Tool

Click here to learn more

We want students to use AI to get smarter, not just to get done. Guided Learning in Gemini is designed to be a digital tutor that coaches your child through the problem-solving process.

By utilizing proven learning science, Gemini helps students truly grasp the "why" behind what they are studying, ensuring they actually master the material instead of just rushing to finish an assignment.

Here is a quick breakdown of how it supports your child’s learning:

1) The "Socratic" Approach

2) Breaking Down the "Big Stuff"

3) Visual & Interactive Aids

Diagrams & Images
YouTube Videos
Interactive Quizzes

4) Custom Study Tools

Flashcards
Practice Tests
Personalized Feedback

5) Built-In Safety & Guardrails

Think of AI as the personal assistant you don't have to employee. It is a fantastic tool for lightening your "mental load" and checking off those nagging to-do list items.

Here are three ways AI can simplify your daily life:

The Ultimate Meal Planner: Take the stress out of "What’s for dinner?" Tell the AI what ingredients you already have in your pantry and ask it to generate a 5-day meal plan—along with a specific grocery list for the few items you’re missing.
The "Translate to Human" Tool: When your student brings home homework that looks like a foreign language (we’ve all been there with Calculus), ask the AI to "Explain this concept like I’m in 5th grade." It gives you the foundation you need to help them without the headache.
The Instant Draft Writer: Stop staring at a blank screen. Whether it's a polite check-in with a teacher or a firm note to a coach, ask the AI to "Draft a brief, friendly email about [topic]." You can tweak the tone until it sounds just like you.