AI in the Classroom
Educator Professional Learning
The HDSB is committed to ongoing professional learning for educators in the responsible and effective use of AI. School Programs, Information Services and other departments work collaboratively to ensure that teachers are equipped with the knowledge, skills and critical AI literacy needed to integrate these tools thoughtfully into their classrooms and professional practice.
Teacher-Directed Student Use
Students may utilize approved GenAI tools in the classroom and on their own to produce, refine and/or complete assigned tasks (e.g. research, writing):
- with their teacher's approval;
- within the parameters established by their teacher;
- in accordance to the age limitations/restrictions as determined by the GenAI developer and the HDSB (where there is a discrepancy, the decision of the HDSB shall prevail);
- in accordance with all HDSB administrative procedures and expectations of students including but not limited to assessment and evaluation, academic honesty, etc.; and
- with meaningful, signed parental/guardian consent (unless over the age of 18 or 16 or 17 years of age and withdrawn from parental control).
The protections described above apply to the platforms the HDSB has approved and configured within its own environment. They do not apply to consumer AI tools that students may access at home or on personal devices.
Most consumer AI services retain what users type into them. That information may be stored indefinitely, reviewed by staff at the company, used to improve the service, or shared with the vendor's own partners and service providers. A student who enters their name, their school, details about their family, health information or another person's personal information into a consumer AI tool has, in practical terms, given that information away.
This is why the HDSB approves a small number of platforms rather than many, and why we encourage families to talk with their children about what should never be typed into an AI tool whether at school or at home.
Privacy, Security & Data Protection
Before any GenAI tool is approved for student use, Information Services conducts a comprehensive review in collaboration with the HDSB School Programs Department that includes:
- A pedagogical review conducted in collaboration with School Programs to ensure the tool supports meaningful learning outcomes.
- A technical security review of the platform's infrastructure and access controls.
- A privacy review to assess data collection, storage, use and disclosure practices against MFIPPA requirements and HDSB privacy standards.
- Confirmation of a Data Processing Agreement (DPA) that contractually limits how the vendor may use student data.
- Verification that student data is not used to train AI models.
- Assessment of data residency and jurisdiction to confirm where student information is stored and processed.
Only tools that satisfy all of these requirements are approved for use. Approved tools are reassessed as vendor terms, platform features and regulatory requirements evolve.
Reporting a Concern or Privacy Incident
If you have concerns about how a GenAI tool is being used in your child's classroom, please speak with your child's teacher, your school principal or contact privacy@hdsb.ca. This includes:
- concerns that a GenAI tool not on HDSB's approved list is being used with students;
- concerns that an approved tool is being used without appropriate parental consent; and/or
- concerns that your child's personal information may have been entered into a GenAI tool or otherwise compromised.
The HDSB takes all such reports seriously. Privacy concerns are investigated in accordance with HDSB privacy breach protocols under MFIPPA. You also have the right to file a complaint with the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario (IPC) at any time.
GenAI Products Approved for Student Use in the HDSB
Effective September 2026, only the following GenAI products have been approved for use in the HDSB:
Secondary Students
Elementary Students
- Gemini (Grade 7+ only)
- NotebookLM (Grade 4+ only)
This list is subject to change as the industry continues to evolve and new products are developed.
Why These Age Thresholds?
These grade-level thresholds reflect both the tool developer's terms of service and the HDSB's own assessment of developmental appropriateness. Google's terms of service require users to be at least 13 years of age to access Gemini, which aligns with a Grade 7 starting point. NotebookLM is available from Grade 4 because it operates differently: rather than generating open-ended content from the internet, NotebookLM works only with source materials uploaded by the user or teacher, which provides a more structured and age-appropriate introduction to AI-assisted learning.
Where the HDSB's age requirements are more restrictive than the developer's terms of service, the HDSB's requirements prevail. These thresholds are reviewed regularly and may be adjusted as tools and student needs evolve.
Our goal is to create a learning environment where AI technologies empower rather than replace the human aspects of education. We embrace these technologies cautiously to prepare students for a future where these technologies are ubiquitous.
Gemini & Our Commitment to a Sustainable Future
Generative AI carries a real environmental cost. The data centres that power these tools consume significant electricity and water, and that cost grows as AI use becomes more widespread. Environmental commitments made today are only meaningful if they hold, and platform approvals are reassessed as vendor practices and independent reporting evolve.
Environmental impact was a substantial factor in the HDSB's decision to consolidate to a single general-purpose AI platform for student use rather than approving several. Running one platform across the system, rather than a menu of tools, meaningfully reduces the environmental footprint of AI use in our schools. Where AI platforms were otherwise comparable on pedagogical value, privacy and security, environmental performance was a deciding consideration, including the vendor's energy sourcing, water stewardship and the efficiency of the infrastructure serving our queries.
Why This Matters to the HDSB
Part of AI literacy is recognizing that these tools are not weightless, that every query draws on physical infrastructure and finite resources. Teaching students to ask whether a task warrants using AI, not only how to use it, is consistent with the HDSB's Multi-Year Strategic Plan and with our responsibility to model sustainable practice in the context of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
For more details, you can explore For more detail, see Google's Environmental Report and Water Stewardship Portfolio.
Parent/Guardian Consent
A teacher wishing to use GenAI in their classroom with students will send a consent letter home for parents/guardians to review. This must be done for every class/course where GenAI is planning to be utilized. This consent letter will:
- Identify class/grade/program.
- Outline the nature of the activity/activities.
- Identify the GenAI tool(s) to be used.
- Outline, at a high level, the privacy and security risks.
- Provide links to:
- Technology & You (www.hdsb.ca)
- GenAI tool(s) & page(s).
- Provide contact information for both teacher and HDSB Privacy (privacy@hdsb.ca).
Where a parent/guardian does not provide their consent, an alternate assignment(s) will be provided by the classroom teacher.
Student Use of Generative AI
Academic Integrity & Ethical Use
- Appropriate AI use (e.g., NOT using AI to complete assignments without citation) to ensure academic integrity and honesty is maintained.
- Students must be transparent in their uses of AI and properly cite AI-generated content if used in assignments, similar to traditional sources.
- AI tools must not be used to bypass learning objectives (e.g., generating essays, solving test questions).
- AI tools can be used to: assist with research and writing (essays, reports, etc.); assist with development of presentations; support speech and language development; support cognitive and executive functioning; support visual and hearing access / accommodations; translate text, create images or video; support application process for post secondary opportunities, employment, scholarships, etc.; and AI tutoring supports.
- Teachers must equip students with transferable skills that ready them to "navigate and shape their future successfully" in a digital age (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2025). This includes preparing students with AI literacy skills to use AI with integrity to support their learning. Digital Literacy Continuum.
- All HDSB staff and students are expected to critically review and challenge content that reinforces negative stereotypes or promotes deficit-based thinking including the perpetuation of stereotypes, PanIndigenous content and anti-Indigenous racism and content that upholds racist ideologies, harmful representations or other forms of discrimination.
How to Cite Generative AI
When students use Generative AI in their work, they must follow a standard citation format such as:
- APA: Google. (2025). Google Gemini (Version 1.0) [Large language model]. https://gemini.google.com
- MLA: "Response generated using Google Gemini, Google, version 1.0, 2025, https://gemini.google.com."
- Clearly disclose its use (e.g., "This response was generated with assistance from Google Gemini").
Resources for Parents / Guardians and Students
Common Sense Media provides an overview of AI and reviews of several popular platforms including Gemini, DALL-E and ChatGPT. They have also published the Parents' Ultimate Guide to Generative AI. Common Sense's 5 Tips for Talking to Your Kids About Generative AI is a short, clear video guide for parents and guardians.
With respect to Google for Education, the following two resources are excellent places to begin:
The following provide some further reading on the topic of AI and/or GenAI in teaching and learning:
AI Use in HDSB Operations
In addition to classroom use, the HDSB uses AI tools in some administrative and operational work, for example, to improve efficiency in routine tasks, support communications and help staff manage information. This corporate use of AI is governed by the same principles and frameworks described above, with particular attention to the protection of personal information.
Where AI tools are used in HDSB operations, the HDSB applies the following safeguards:
- Personal information, including student and family records, is handled in accordance with the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA) and the HDSB's data governance standards.
- AI tools are not used to make consequential decisions about students or families without human review and accountability.
- Only approved, vetted platforms operating within the HDSB's secure environment are permitted; staff are not authorized to enter personal or confidential board information into unapproved or consumer AI tools.
- Where AI assists in preparing communications or reports, human oversight and disclosure standards apply.
The HDSB maintains separate, more detailed governance standards for staff and corporate AI use, consistent with the administrative procedures listed above.
More Information
Please reach out with any questions or feedback as we navigate this rapidly changing digital environment together.
- For questions or concerns about privacy and consent with respect to approved GenAI tools, please contact privacy@hdsb.ca.
- For questions or concerns about the approval of GenAI tools, security, data protection, and/or the responsible use of GenAI platforms, please contact IT@hdsb.ca.
- For questions about the use of AI and how it intersects with curriculum, assessment and evaluation, academic honesty, and other matters, please contact your child's teacher or your school principal.
Additional Resources
