BILLINGS — Billings Public Schools is instructing teachers on how to use artificial intelligence to plan lessons and receive feedback on students’ progress.
Teachers are learning how to use tools such as School AI, Magic School AI, Brisk Teaching and Diffit.
Watch to see why teachers are using AI:
Sarah Rainey, an instructional technology coach at the schools, is teaching educators how to incorporate these programs into their lessons. She hopes the services decrease teacher burnout and assist student learning.
“The load that's on teachers to meet the needs of every student in their classroom is a lot,” said Rainey.
According to a 2025 survey from RAND, 53% of teachers nationwide reported burnout.
“You feel like a failure at times when you can't meet everybody's needs, whether they're high, low, or in between,” said Rainey.
Some teachers have expressed concerns about bringing AI into the classroom.
“I've had several teachers who've taken my courses that are skeptical. You know, they come in with the idea that kids are going to cheat with AI. And the reality is kids are going to cheat even without AI,” said Rainey.
Carly Swain, a sixth-grade science teacher at Lewis and Clark Middle School, has embraced the use of AI.
“I love that I can create any sort of interactive that I want for my students to practice, and I don't have to spend hours coding it,” she said.
Swain uses AI to plan lessons, grade assignments and brainstorm activities.
The programs also help her customize learning tools for each student, based on how they absorb information.
“To these students who can't just sit and focus, it becomes accessible and that's what we want. So, I guess we have to determine what's more important to us: doing it in a way that we're comfortable or doing it the way it's comfortable for them,” Swain said.
