Winnipeg school adapts teaching to artificial intelligence in the classroom

General Wolfe School in Winnipeg is using AI tools to help students with translation and research, and the Winnipeg School Division has created a 'thinking framework' for staff instead of a formal policy.

Students at General Wolfe School in Winnipeg are using artificial intelligence tools on school laptops to support learning, for example translating words and generating simple explanations. Teachers say students are taught to check AI results against reliable sources and to practise paraphrasing rather than copying. The Winnipeg School Division decided against a fixed policy and instead developed a "thinking framework" for about 6,000 staff because the technology is evolving quickly. Educators are working with Red River College Polytechnic and the University of Winnipeg faculty of education to explore how AI can fit into classroom practice. What we know: - A Grade 8 student, Denys Kotochihov, who arrived from Ukraine three years ago, uses AI to translate and simplify difficult English words. - Another student, Chuol Monybuny, used AI to find information about careers for a circulatory system project and then checked those results with trusted sources. - Donovan Ponce, a Grade 7 STEM and project-based learning teacher, starts the year with traditional research skills then "opens the door on AI," emphasizing human-centred use and critical questioning. - Teachers are taught to look for common AI sentence patterns and to teach paraphrasing to avoid simple copy-and-paste work. - The division's "thinking framework" asks staff to reflect on who benefits from AI, what drives it, and when human cognition should be preserved, and it draws on consultation with administrators, teachers and families. Summary: Students are using AI as a classroom tool while teachers emphasise verification, paraphrasing and student-centred learning. The division's framework is intended to guide educators in weighing when AI can assist learning and when tasks should rely on human thinking. Teacher groups will continue to examine AI in collaboration with local post-secondary partners.