Have you ever used AI on a school assignment? Chances are, the answer is yes. 51% of people ages 14-22 stated they had at least used it before according to a report done by Common Sense Media, Hopelab, Harvard Graduate School of Education, and Center for Digital Thriving.
Fran Smiland, who teaches Honors Algebra 2/Trigonometry and Algebra 1 at Mayfield, uses AI to “find other problems which are like problems I’ve given in class, to format documents that were not formatted correctly, and to just put together information that looks more professional.”
Smiland said she used AI pretty close to daily, and that she finds it as a “useful tool when used correctly.”
From student Colette Nappi ‘26’s perspective, she uses it “for some simpler tasks, like Grammarly AI for proofreading my essays and sometimes even using it when generating ideas or prompts, like in Yearbook Camp when we used it to generate ideas.”
In response to this budding technology, Mayfield has created an AI Policy which goes over the guidelines of using AI as a student during the 2025-2026 school year. The policy’s goal is for students to use AI in a way that is “empowering them to use AI ethically, responsibly, and productively.” Indeed, students should know that it is possible to use AI in a way that is supportive to their learning outside the classroom, such as using it as an online tutor, to help brainstorm for a written assignment, or even to review past skills and knowledge through practice questions the AI comes up with. In the classroom, it is imperative to use AI in a way that the teacher supports. Of course, students should not be using this generative technology to cheat on homework.
Many people have different opinions about how we use AI, as well as the abilities the technology can give us.
Nappi ‘26 added that she tries not to use it, “because she enjoys ideas that the mind can make itself.”
On the other hand, Andrea Manale ‘29, who uses AI to help her with studying math, said, “I find it as something good” because “it helps a lot of people.”
“I like AI, I use AI, it’s not like I’m against it,” April Garcez, Mayfield’s Social Science Department Chair said. “But it’s a slippery slope, and what it can be used for is what others find scary and I find scary.”
Although students and faculty both have mixed opinions on the use of the AI at Mayfield, most approve of the policy. In particular, Smiland feels that the AI policy “really represents our Holy Child Mission, and our values, and the fact that there is going to be AI, and that we as people, all people, are going to figure out if we are going to use it.” Smiland supports the AI statement, and said she probably wouldn’t make any changes if she could change it.
Manale ‘29 had similar thoughts, saying that the AI use statement was good because it “makes sure that AI gets credit for things you don’t do.”
It will be interesting to see how AI evolves and is used by more people for day-to-day life. For now, what’s important to know is that AI is a useful tool, and that it can really help students in school. So, will you use AI? Or will you not?
