How students in Surrey, B.C., are helping shape the future of AI in classrooms
Students in Surrey, B.C., are helping the district decide how to best use AI in classrooms.
As artificial intelligence continues to reshape the way people learn and work, students in Surrey, B.C., are taking an active role in guiding how AI is introduced in their classrooms.
Grade 7 student Benjamin Neufeld is part of the Surrey School District's Superintendent's AI Advisory Council — a group of students offering feedback on how schools can responsibly use the fast-evolving technology.
'Often, you know, teachers can sometimes feel overworked,' Neufeld said. 'And I think that having AI is like having, sort of, almost like a substitute for that teacher.'
Grade 11 student Jasper Zhang, also on the advisory council, said while some teachers are embracing AI tools, others are more hesitant — a divide he believes education leaders need to address.
'So instead of making our students just, like, bury their heads in the sand and hope that AI goes away,' Zhang said, 'we should be learning productive ways to help students, when they go to the workforce, to be able to adopt and use AI'
Surrey School District Superintendent Mark Pearmain has been hosting AI information sessions for months. One of the biggest concerns he hears from parents is about student privacy and safety — particularly when it comes to sharing personal data with online AI platforms.
'We've heard from parents, staff, and students,' Pearmain said. 'One of the biggest concerns coming from parents is the safety side of AI.'
The provincial government has released guidance on AI use in schools, and B.C.'s Minister of Education Lisa Beare told CTV News the province supports schools using AI, but emphasized the need for guardrails.
'We have to recognize it's here, and people are using it,' said Beare. 'So we want to make sure that everyone is using it safely, and that it's being used in the best possible way in classrooms.'
Still, implementing AI effectively is a logistical and financial challenge — especially in a district like Surrey, which is already facing budget pressures. But Pearmain believes the technology could help level the playing field for many students.
'The majority of our students aren't necessarily English-first language speakers,' he said. 'Many don't have parents with formal schooling or post-secondary education. Now, you have a platform that provides a level playing field.'
Pearmain and the student advisory council agree that a balanced approach is key — one that enhances learning without becoming overly reliant on tech.
'If ChatGPT goes down or if the power goes out,' Zhang said, 'we should still be able to do all the things we were able to do before AI.'
For now, the district is leaving the final decisions up to individual teachers, while working to provide more support, tools, and guidance for the next school year.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
London school raises thousands for Canadian Cancer Society through Relay for Life
Hundreds of students participated in AB Lucas Secondary School's Relay for Life Friday. 'I think it's really something special when you get to see a group of, you know, young, passionate students who are really motivated to, you know, make a difference and do charitable things,' said Kevin Birball of the Canadian Cancer Society (CSS). The school's goal is to raise $150,000 to donate to the CCS. 'I think we're definitely on track to hit our goal if everything goes as planned, which is really exciting. And just thinking about the way that you see the whole school community come together, for one cause, you know, cancer, something that affects all of us. And you never know who's been affected. You come out to this event, and you hear people share their stories and hear about why they participate. And it's just really cool to see the way that everyone unites,' said relay organizer and Grade 12 student Carissa Vanoostveen. 'I just want everybody to get involved. I think it's a really good cause. And I think, like, no matter how much you do or how much like you put into it, it's worth it in every way,' added co-organizer and Grade 12 student Nathalie Gasparotto. At the start of the day, online donations had already surpassed $115,000, with plenty of cash donations left to count. To date, the school has raised over $1.5 million dollars and is the top earning school in Canada. 'All of these hard-earned fundraising dollars will go to our mission at CCS, for cancer research, support programs, and advocacy purposes. These kids are making a huge, huge difference in the mission at CCS and supporting some of people affected by cancer,' said Matt O'Brien, Canadian Cancer Society.
CBC
3 hours ago
- CBC
Fishermen spot pod of killer whales off Cape Breton
Lobster fishermen in northern Cape Breton got an up-close glimpse of a pod of killer whales this week, a sighting that a marine biologist says is on the rise. Bernie Lamey was hauling lobster traps on Monday not far off Cape Smokey, a famous Cabot Trail landmark, when a couple of orcas started circling the boat. Within 10 minutes, the fishermen had spotted about a dozen. The orcas seemed to be in a playful mood. "They came around our boat, bumped into the boat, rolled around, showed their bellies, [came] up and had a little look at us," he told CBC's Information Morning Cape Breton. "They almost looked like they were more interested in us than we were of them. It was pretty spectacular." Lamey said he knew right away they were killer whales by their distinctive black-and-white colouring. "That's a pretty hard whale to miss," he said. "We get to see all kinds of marine life out there.... Looking down in the water and seeing something that's only three feet away from you that's the size of your boat is pretty impressive." At least one whale stayed several hundred metres away, but Lamey said he knew it was an orca, too, because its dorsal fin was nearly two metres tall. "The fact that they were killer whales and the fact that there was 10 or 12 of them there at one time and they decided to stay and play for a few minutes was just an experience that I'll never forget." Elizabeth Zwamborn, a marine biologist and a professor at Trinity Western University in B.C., runs an annual survey of pilot whales off northern Cape Breton. They're black like orcas, but don't have white patches on their cheeks and have smaller dorsal fins. It's possible to mistake juvenile white-beaked dolphins as juvenile orcas because they're both black and white, but Zwamborn said the videos and photos she's seen this week off Cape Breton are definitely killer whales. Zwamborn said only one orca has been seen inshore in the 27 years the study has been running. They're more commonly spotted farther out in the North Atlantic off Newfoundland and Labrador or in the Arctic. Climate change is affecting the ocean's temperature, bringing North Atlantic right whales into the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Belugas have also left the Gulf and headed to Cape Breton, but it's not clear why they wandered so far from home. This year, orcas have been seen off Cape Breton near Money Point, Cape Smokey and Flint Island, Zwamborn said. It could be the same pod, or it could be more than one.
Global News
3 hours ago
- Global News
Halifax's AI surveillance system inactive for new wildfire season – and the public wasn't told
Halifax has been without an AI wildfire surveillance system since October when the pilot project ended. For residents who were directly impacted by the Tantallon wildfires and for councillors in districts in which these towers were located, this is the first time they're hearing the program is offline. 'It's a bit of a dangerous time to maybe not have all things focused on the task at hand,' said Richard O'Fegan, Westwood Hills Residents Association president. He says he was excited when he first heard about the FireScout pilot program that ran from March until October 2024. O'Fegan viewed it as a step in the right direction for wildfire prevention, especially after his community was burned down in the 2023 Tantallon wildfire. 1:48 N.S. unable to lay charges in 2023 wildfire despite 'exhausting all possible avenues' He's now disappointed to hear the program was quietly paused. Story continues below advertisement 'We're not approaching anytime soon that there'll be less wildfires that occur, so investments in that area and really communicating to the greater community of what the efforts are … is very, very crucial,' he said. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy The pilot program saw AI surveillance cameras installed to monitor areas for smoke and fire on a 24/7 basis. The cameras were installed in Hammonds Plains, Lower Sackville and Musquodoboit Harbour. Halifax Fire deemed the pilot a success but says it was ended after the company running the software discontinued their service. Global News reached out to Alchera X, which built FireScout, but did not hear back by deadline. Halifax Fire declined an on-camera interview, but Deputy Fire Chief Dave Meldrum says in a statement they are working with staff to assess the results of the pilot. Currently, there is no completion date on the assessment or information on when procuring a new service will start. Coun. John Young says the city should have taken more steps to ensure there wasn't a gap in service and that residents were informed. 'We don't want to be left behind like we were before in trying to put things together as they happen,' said Young. 'We have to be more preventative, we have to be more precautionary and also … we have to do things a little different than how they've been done in the past.' Story continues below advertisement — with a file from Rebecca Lau
