The use of ai in school districts has been equal parts exciting and concerning for educators. Many factors involving the use of ai-powered programs and technologies have not yet been fully understood. However, the quest to integrate and understand the usefulness of ai is one that many school districts have undertaken to help both teachers and students.
During a recent technology and learning webinar sponsored by PowerSchool, designing an ai roadmap for school districts was discussed by: Alana Winnick, director of educational technology and data protection officer for the Pocantico Hills Central School District ; Greg Bagby, Educational technology Coordinator at Hamilton County Schools; and Joel Lathrop, Director of Educational Strategy at PowerSchool.
ai-roadmap-framework-creating-communicating-ai-guidelines-and-policies/” target=”_blank” rel=”nofollow” data-url=”https://webinars.smartbrief.com/on-demand/2095/part-1-designing-an-ai-roadmap-framework-creating-communicating-ai-guidelines-and-policies/” referrerpolicy=”no-referrer-when-downgrade” data-hl-processed=”none”>Watch the on-demand webinar here
Key takeaways
<h2 id="how-have-you-addressed-ai-concerns-in-your-district”>How have you addressed concerns about ai in your district?
Alan Winnick: ai is not going anywhere and we should accept it. Our job as educators is to prepare students for their future. It is unfair not to use it as a teaching tool.
We listen to and address issues raised by parents, teachers, and other stakeholders within the district.
One of the main challenges with ai is the idea of using it to cheat. But focusing on the learning process and how to best use ai tools to benefit learning rather than circumvent it helps change the idea of learning with ai across the board.
Greg Bagby: We cannot block or prohibit the use of ai. If they have access to it, they will use it. It's not about getting ahead of ai, but about understanding the best ways to use it. What we must understand is that ai will only get better.
Reaching out to the community is the best way to understand what the concerns are surrounding ai. Helping students understand ai is the best way to prepare them for career success after completing their educational career.
Integrating the use of ai at all scales helps normalize its use and train everyone involved on how to use ai products and programs.
Joel Lathrop: Preparation is important for a district to successfully implement an ai plan. Conducting an ai readiness assessment will go a long way toward knowing if your school district is ready to adopt ai on a large scale. Teacher training is important, as teachers will be on the front lines of introducing ai to students.
It is important to note that ai is not intended to replace people, but rather to complement the human element.
Bringing ai to your data is also important on a security level, as taking your data out of a secure environment can create security risks.
<h2 id="how-do-you-plan-for-district-wide-ai-adoption”>How do you plan for district-wide ai adoption?
GB: We created an ai support team to better understand the trajectory of ai in the world and in the education space. Creating a diverse team that can help principals, administrators, and others adopt ai in their school systems helped ensure the project's success.
Being open to working with other agencies on ai also helps create a comprehensive plan of attack. Working with educational technology organizations, universities, and even elected officials gives us an extremely diverse mix of information to help shape our ai direction for educators and students.
AW: Creating “ai policies” is not the mindset to adopt when it comes to ai, but having a firm stance on how to use it helps empower teachers and students to better understand how to advance its use. Giving teachers the freedom to create their own guidelines for using ai helps support teachers in their decisions while promoting the use of ai.
Starting the conversation about ai has really worked. Engaging teachers, industry experts, students, parents, and other stakeholders can create amazing conversation topics for ai. Adopt policy review to include ai.
JL: Many districts are still planning how to integrate ai into their existing technology policies. Some districts are banning the use of ai, while others limit it to teacher use only.
The best way to help adopt a district-wide ai plan is to know how ready your district is for ai. An assessment of ai readiness is important, but equally important is how secure your data is when using ai. Finally, knowing what your budget can handle is critical to knowing what tools and resources you can introduce to your district.
<h2 id="what-is-the-most-important-first-step-in-launching-a-district-wide-ai-plan”>What is the most important first step in launching a district-wide ai plan?
JL: Make sure the provider you use has K-12 experience. They must be aligned with their staff, their students, and their teachers.
AW: No matter where you are on your ai journey, you're on the right path. Communicate, have conversations, embrace learning.
GB: Make sure you have the right verbiage when using ai. Ensure the security of student information is a top priority. Policy, privacy and professional preparation.
For more information please visit school of power.
