COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — At Sabin Middle School in Colorado Springs, one teacher is showing how Artificial Intelligence (AI) can change the way students learn and think.
Scott White, an American Studies teacher, isn’t just using AI to teach his class; he’s using it to shift how students engage, write, and explore the world around them.
For Myah Claussen, an 8th grader in Mr. White’s class, the idea of using AI in school was unexpected.
"I was a little shocked," Myah said. But after seeing it in action, she quickly became curious about its potential in education. “AI can be good or bad, depending on the circumstance,” she explained, recognizing how the technology can have both positive and negative impacts.
Zaire Dennings, another 8th grader, was also surprised at first.
“It’s knowing that my teacher knows about this and how he knows how to keep yourself and others safe on the internet with AI, and it makes it way more fun,” Zaire shared.
For him, Mr. White’s guidance on the responsible use of AI opened up a deeper understanding of how AI impacts everything from social media apps like TikTok and Snapchat to personal data security.
“I learned how it’s being generated in milliseconds, how it’s going through different databases by different companies, and how it’s getting connected to you,” Zaire added, reflecting on just how interconnected AI is with everyday technology.
Mr. White, who has been teaching for over 29 years, is blending old-school teaching methods with the latest technology. In his classroom, students use AI-powered tools like PowerSchool, which includes an AI app called Power Buddy within the Schoology platform.
“We use PowerSchool, and in that is another app called Schoology. And PowerSchool and Schoology - they have in it an AI called Power Buddy,” Mr. White explained. “Power Buddy is a sandbox for the kids. I tell them the first time, ‘We’ll do this next week. Break it. Do it. Break this thing. Go for it.’”
This hands-on approach allows students to explore and experiment with the tool in a safe environment, encouraging them to learn by doing.
Mr. White believes this kind of engagement gives students the freedom to test the limits of AI and understand how it works in a real-world context.
For him, introducing AI to his students is about more than just using new tools; it’s about teaching them how to think critically about the tech that’s shaping the world around them.
“If you don’t engage in this and give them good quality instruction, give them an ethic in AI, you’re doing them a disfavor,” he said, highlighting how crucial it is for students to understand AI’s role in modern society.
Across the district, leaders like David Khaliqi, the Chief of Data Science at Colorado Springs School District, are helping make sure AI is used responsibly, especially when it comes to student data.
“We have these closed systems that if student data is being talked about, it’s being talked about within our own system, and not out in larger training models,” Khaliqi explained, reassuring that students’ information is protected.
Khaliqi also emphasized the importance of teaching students about the benefits and risks of AI.
"It’s just creating more space and more opportunity to engage with students in a deeper and meaningful way,” he added, focusing on how students can become informed digital citizens.
Zaire’s already figured out how he wants to use AI in his studies.
"I don’t really like writing paragraphs and essays. I would use a little bit of AI just in case and while I'm stuck on something," he shared. For him, AI is a tool that helps when he’s feeling stuck, but doesn’t replace the hard work of writing.
With Mr. White’s innovative teaching and support from district leaders like Khaliqi, students at Sabin Middle School are getting a front-row seat to the future of education.
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