Navigating the Digital Age: AI Toolkit Unlocked

To foster a better understanding of the rising influence of artificial intelligence or AI, MGC New Life Christian Academy organized a workshop for the school community on January 27, 2025, entitled “AI Toolkit Unlocked: Empowering the Future Together.”  

Held at the lecture hall and auditorium, the event featured three sessions tailored for parents, students, and teachers, all facilitated by Reverend Mel Brian Berida, the Junior High School Principal of Dallidagum Foundation Inc. Each group focused on topics and activities regarding the use of AI in education. 

For the session with parents, Rev. Berida highlighted the practical uses of AI in supplementing their children’s learning. He also demonstrated its usage and provided hands-on activities for the parents to boost their confidence in the use of AI tools while upholding ethical values.

Students from Grades 6 to 12 learned and discussed the ways AI can be maximized for schoolwork and research. Rev. Berida emphasized the importance of academic integrity and ethical usage while using AI platforms such as ChatGPT and Meta AI. The students also participated in various tasks to enrich their learning, which included using ChatGPT as a tutor or a grammar-checking tool.

Meanwhile, teachers learned about the benefits and risks of using AI in education. Additionally, Rev. Berida demonstrated different ways AI tools can be beneficial in class-related activities, guiding the teachers as they experimented with its features. 

Reflecting on the talk, Junior High School parent Iris Chiu expressed, “The speaker was knowledgeable on the AI tools and showed ways for parents to enhance learning with the children. There seems to be no limit to learning, as there are tons of resources available for those who seek it (too much, in fact). The challenge is to gauge which ones are useful and relevant because the volume of information we can digest can be quite overwhelming.”

Olive student Bryce William Co, who found the methods of using AI interesting, admitted that the event was “an eye-opening experience, teaching a lot of useful tips and tricks about using AI in learning.” 

“I've learned that this new technology will be a part of our lives for the years to come, and I've come to realize that in order for us teachers to teach our learners to use this properly, we ought to master using it first, so we can guide students to use these [platforms] for the enhancement of their learning,” stated Berea teacher Jerome Lim.