Michigan high school students have a lot to juggle right now between heavy workloads and extracurriculars, college applications and rapidly changing technology like AI.
The Michigan Department of Education gives them an opportunity to bring their perspective to the table with a Student Advisory Council that meets monthly with the State Superintendent and other department leaders.
Haslett High School sophomore Nanaty Assefa and junior Aikem Gill are both serving on the council this school year.
They both have experience with advising education leaders as members of Haslett's Superintendent Student Advisory Board. Assefa says they've created concrete solutions out of discussions from the group.
"We took all of our ideas of what we wanted for the school year to eventually make this teacher panel and give advice to teachers. I feel like teachers don't really get to hear from the students and what we want that often," she said.
Both students say a state law that went into effect this fall banning phone use during classroom time has not had a big impact on their day-to-day. Haslett Public Schools already had put limits on phone use in the classroom. Gill says while some of her classmates have been annoyed by the change, she's found things to enjoy about it.
"I find myself engaging more with people around me in the hallways and getting into kind of deeper conversations in the classroom as well," Gill said.
But Assefa and Gill don't agree on everything, like AI use by students. Schools and educators have taken different approaches to handle use of the technology in the classroom. Assefa says she doesn't see a place for it in the learning environment.
"I think it kind of dumbs us down. And especially when it comes to school, you telling a prompt to a computer to generate your thoughts for you, it doesn't teach you anything. You don't learn from that," Assefa said.
Gill says she values her peer's opinion, but her personal use of AI while studying has been beneficial.
"I do feel that AI can also enhance the student experience," Gill said. "Speaking personally, I've used AI to kind of help me whether it's math homework or SAT prep, kind of those concrete rules."
Gill does say when it comes to more creative assignments or work that requires deeper thinking, AI probably isn't the right tool to use.
Looking forward, Gill says her hopes for serving on the council include finding ways to bring education about life skills not typically taught in the classroom into school spaces.
"Now, I think really highlighting those experiences and those opportunities within the classroom can also help advance us in society as a whole."
For Assefa, she says serving on the council is a big responsibility, but it's a challenge she's looking forward to.
"We get to take all of the problems, all of the issues that are so big to our students, to our fellow peers here, and take them to the state level so that they can actually be fixed, that they can actually have their problems solved," Assefa said.
Interview Highlights
On being a part of a student advisory board for their district
The way we collaborate and put our perspective into actual action is such a wonderful, like I love that experience so much. We took all of our ideas of what we wanted for the school year to eventually make this teacher panel and give advice to teachers. I feel like teachers don't really get to hear from the students and what we want that often. So, that experience was so great, and I loved it so much.Nanaty Assefa
On serving on the Michigan Department of Education council
We kind of had a general conversation about what we want to do in our time together, and I think one of the big things is bringing perspectives like we do at our board here, but from all around the state, right? Doing perhaps interviews with students virtually, anonymizing those voices and those responses, so that we can get a general consensus about what we need to do better and how can we come up with solutions that serve the problems of our students.Aikem Gill
On the statewide ban on cellphones during instructional time
I've actually had a nice time with it, again, it's a very different perspective than a lot of other students here, but I find myself engaging more with people around me in the hallways and getting into kind of deeper conversations in the classroom as well. Now, obviously, there are some benefits that come with having cell phones around, but I think we're taking in a lot more now that we don't have it with this.Aikem Gill
Interview Transcript
Sophia Saliby: Michigan high school students have a lot to juggle right now between heavy workloads and extracurriculars, college applications and rapidly changing technology like AI in the classrooms.
The Michigan Department of Education gives them an opportunity to bring their perspective to the table with a Student Advisory Council that meets monthly with the State Superintendent and other department leaders.
Haslett High School sophomore Nanaty Assefa and junior Aikem Gill are both serving on the council this year.
I went to Haslett to talk to them about what students their age are thinking about. You’ll hear Aikem first and then Nanaty.
You've both served on your district's student advisory board. What's that experience been like?
Aikem Gill: I think the greatest part of that experience is just collaborating with people across various grade levels and with different perspectives because we all have different perspectives coming from the same school and kind of coming together, collaborating, working in a space, so that we can make our entire district a better place for everyone that we represent.
Nanaty Assefa: The way we collaborate and put our perspective into actual action is such a wonderful, like I love that experience so much. We took all of our ideas of what we wanted for the school year to eventually make this teacher panel and give advice to teachers. I feel like teachers don't really get to hear from the students and what we want that often. So, that experience was so great, and I loved it so much.
Saliby: So, what do you want to accomplish on the Michigan Department of Education Student Advisory Council? This is kind of a bigger leap up.
Gill: At our first meeting, actually, we kind of had a general conversation about what we want to do in our time together, and I think one of the big things is bringing perspectives like we do at our board here, but from all around the state, right?
Doing perhaps interviews with students virtually, anonymizing those voices and those responses, so that we can get a general consensus about what we need to do better and how can we come up with solutions that serve the problems of our students.
Assefa: Yeah, I think the best part about serving on this state superintendent board is we get to take all of the problems, all of the issues that are so big to our students, to our fellow peers here, and take them to the state level so that they can actually be fixed, that they can actually have their problems solved, and I think that's so wonderful.
Saliby: What are those problems?
Assefa: Funding is a big thing sometimes because, you know, the state, they give certain amount of money for certain things, and sometimes it's just not necessary right now in our district, maybe. And they're like, okay, well, actually, we need money in this aspect of our school, not this. And I think that's a really big issue that I think people have a problem with that I would love to bring up with the state.
Gill: Yeah, I would say a lot of it is just making sure that students' voices are being heard and their concerns, whether that is perhaps at their school they feel that they don't have the certain opportunities perhaps for the field that they want to go into and obviously the state is already looking to those types of things and they advocate for funding across various realms of different career paths but, you know, kind of taking a deeper dive into that more specific voices and perspectives.
Saliby: So, a ban on cell phones during classroom instruction time is now in effect. What do you and your peers think about it? Was that something that was in effect in Haslett, or you know, are you talking to other students and they're like, "I hate this" or "this is great," or "I can focus more?"
Gill: Last year, we definitely had a pretty strict cell phone policy of no use in the classroom unless otherwise permitted by the teacher. Now this year, it's also come into effect into our passing time and our time in the hallways. Now, I would say my perspective within like a week of this is I've actually had a nice time with it, again, it's a very different perspective than a lot of other students here, but I find myself engaging more with people around me in the hallways and getting into kind of deeper conversations in the classroom as well. Now, obviously, there are some benefits that come with having cell phones around, but I think we're taking in a lot more now that we don't have it with this.
Assefa: It's a very reasonable bill. I mean, I don't think things have changed much. I could still talk to my friends the same way that I did pre-the bill, and most people aren't, like, viscerally angry about this, you know? They're just like, "Oh, it's just a new rule. Now that we can't take our phones out in class sometimes, sometimes you need it, and then now you can't even take that out." That is kind of annoying, but most people are fine with it. It's honestly not that big of a problem to most students.
Saliby: So, AI use in the classroom has become a big topic. I talked to teachers last month about this. How are you guys seeing it pop up, both in the classroom spaces from your teachers but also maybe from your peers?
Assefa: I don't use AI that often. I don't like it. I think it kind of dumbs us down. And especially when it comes to school, you telling a prompt to a computer to generate your thoughts for you, it doesn't teach you anything. You don't learn from that. So, I'm very much against AI. And in school, most of our classes you can't use AI, which I think is very good because, you know, you're actually learning the lesson that they're trying to teach you.
And in personal life, that's somebody else's choice. But in school, I don't think AI should be used, and I don't think most students use it anyways.
Gill: Yeah, I have somewhat alternative perspective to that. Now, I obviously value student voices and opinions, and I think that restricting our use solely to AI can limit that. However, I do feel that AI can also enhance the student experience.
Like speaking personally, I've used AI to kind of help me whether it's math homework or SAT prep, kind of those concrete rules. Now, that creative thinking, I think it's really valuable to have that conversations with fellow peers, and kind of elaborate that thinking on a deeper realm there.
Saliby: What do you think is something adults don't think about when it comes to kids your age in school? What are they overlooking?
Gill: So, I would say definitely, as we grow up, we need to develop all sorts of skills, and we end up learning a lot in the classroom that we do use later on in life. But there's certain skills that we may not fully learn in the classroom, and that can only come with real life experiences. Now, I think really highlighting those experiences and those opportunities within the classroom can also help advance us in society as a whole.
Assefa: I think the thing they're overlooking maybe is the amount of work that they assign, especially because as we get older, we get more activities, we get harder classes.
Time management is one of as a life skill that all of us need to know, and it's very necessary. And I think the amount of work that they push out to us, it's very like, it helps you learn time management, but when you first get into it, it's significantly hard to adjust to, which is I think something they overlook. But honestly, it's not that big.
Saliby: Those were Haslett High School students Nanaty Assefa and Aikem Gill. They’re serving on the Michigan Department of Education’s Student Advisory Council this school year.
This conversation has been edited for clarity and conciseness.
