🤖 Spearheading AI district-wide

🗳 Poll: Addressing AI & academic integrity

This week’s question: How do we solve the AI / academic integrity issue?

Several of you said that you could have voted for several of these!

🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Educate students about concerns (36)
⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ Create policy to prevent it (2)
🟨🟨🟨🟨⬜️⬜️ Change our classwork (28)
🟨🟨🟨🟨🟨🟨 Focus on future-ready skills (35)
101 Votes

Some of your responses:

• Voted “Educate students about concerns”: When students buy into the reason for assignments and the whole learning process, they will understand the concerns behind AI in education. That said, if our main reason for education is "the mark" rather than producing life long self motivated learners, then we are already doomed!

• Voted “Change our classwork”: By "change our classwork" I also mean change our view of what classwork (and homework and assessment) looks like, not just the type of assignments we give. Instead of creating classwork that takes AI out of the equation, teachers and other school staff have to educate themselves on how AI can be used to then set the example with an acknowledgment that this will now always be a part of the learning process.

• Voted “Change our classwork”: Students do not want to be taught what they can look up on the computer. They believe it is a waste of their time. We have to teach them HOW to use what they can look up. How can they be creative and express themselves in the lessons that are presented? They want to show their personality, and teachers need to adjust to allow them time to be creative. We need to show them the appropriate uses of AI and how it will benefit them in the future.

• Voted “Focus on future-ready skills”: Focusing on future-ready skills (and communicating this to students) will increase the relevance of what students are doing in school, which often lessens the desire to cheat. Honest conversations with students about learning and the importance/relevance of what they are doing in schools AND AI is also a "must-do" with regards to academic integrity.

🗳 This week’s poll

What are your AI concerns?

This list is pulled from a section in the CoSN 2024 State of EdTech District Leadership report.

Instructions:

1. Please vote on this week’s poll. It just takes a click!

2. Optional: Explain your vote / provide context / add details in a comment afterward.

3. Optional: Include your name in your comment so I can credit you if I use your response.

📺 Interview: Spearheading AI District-wide with Chad Sussex

Whenever I send this newsletter, I know any interaction with subscribers is going to include Chad Sussex.

(Well, most of the time anyway!)

Chad is in the thick of it in leadership with his school district’s AI implementation.

And he’s willing to share his story.

We chatted the other day about the whole process, including:

• Initial teacher resistance to AI (and the stigma behind the term “AI”)

• Making decisions about AI-related professional development

• Developing policy (guiding without overreaching)

• Piloting AI tools with teachers

• … and more.

📺 WATCH: See Chad’s whole story in an interview with me here ...

… or you can read about it below.

Here’s a quick AI-assisted summary of our conversation about Winterset Community School District's AI implementation strategy:

• Establish a District-Wide AI Task Force: The district formed a task force with representation from various grade levels and roles, including teachers, administrators, and technology integration specialists. This ensured diverse perspectives and facilitated buy-in from different stakeholders.

• Develop a Forward-Thinking AI Policy: Recognizing the evolving nature of AI, the task force prioritized creating a policy that would be adaptable and address ethical concerns for teachers and students. This policy outlined acceptable use guidelines, data privacy considerations, and academic integrity expectations, ensuring responsible AI implementation.

• Prioritize Teacher Training and Support: Acknowledging potential apprehension and resistance from teachers, especially those less familiar with technology, the district implemented a multi-faceted approach to professional development. They offered:

  • Breakout sessions and workshops: These sessions introduced various AI tools, such as MagicSchool, Khanmigo, and video creation platforms.

  • Prompt Engineering Training: Recognizing the importance of effective prompting, the district used the 5S Framework to train both teachers and students in writing strong prompts to get the desired results from AI tools.

  • Guidance on Appropriate Use: Training addressed ethical considerations, focusing on the "spectrum of cheating" and outlining when AI use was acceptable and when it wasn't, particularly for student assignments.

• Pilot AI Tools with Teacher Input: The district strategically piloted AI tools to gauge teacher interest and gather feedback. This involved:

  • Starting with Early Adopters: The initial pilot of MagicSchool focused on 7-12 teachers and the AI task force, who were generally more receptive to AI.

  • Expanding Based on Teacher Interest: After witnessing the success of MagicSchool, interest from K-6 teachers grew, leading to the district expanding access to this tool.

  • Exploring New Tools: The district actively investigated and piloted new tools like Khanmigo, spurred by recommendations from the superintendent and interest from specific teachers.

• Focus on Practical Applications and Benefits: Rather than solely emphasizing the technology itself, the district focused on showcasing the practical benefits of AI tools for teachers and students. They highlighted how these tools could:

  • Enhance student engagement and personalize learning experiences.

  • Support teachers in lesson planning, grading, and providing feedback.

  • Streamline administrative tasks and save teachers time.

• Collaborate with an Outside Consultant: The district brought in an external consultant to provide additional support to the task force and teachers. The consultant's expertise was valuable in:

  • Researching and vetting AI tools.

  • Organizing and delivering professional development sessions.

  • Navigating complex issues like data privacy agreements.

• Promote Open Dialogue and Continuous Improvement: The district fostered a culture of open communication and feedback regarding AI implementation. They encouraged teachers to share their experiences, concerns, and suggestions to refine the process and ensure it met the needs of the school community.

The Winterset School District's strategy for implementing AI tools demonstrates a thoughtful, phased approach that prioritizes teacher support, ethical considerations, and practical applications. They emphasize collaboration, ongoing professional development, and a willingness to adapt based on teacher feedback and the evolving landscape of AI in education.

🛠 Download: our AI Teacher Toolkit

We just recently shared our new AI Teacher Toolkit on social media and with readers of our Ditch That Textbook newsletter.

I thought you might like it, too!

It includes:

• Links to 40 AI tools

• Ready to use lessons and units

• Simple and efficient “by the way lessons”

• Ready to edit prompt templates

• AI tips for parents

FYI: We’d love it if you shared this with your teachers!

Bonus: If they get the toolkit, they’ll be subscribed to the Ditch That Textbook newsletter with tons of practical teaching ideas for class tomorrow. (It’s kind of like getting a steady stream of free PD from me in your inbox.)

How to share with your teachers

1. With a link: Just send them to ditch.link/toolkit. Super easy.

2. Copy this text (into an email / message): I just found this free AI teacher toolkit. It has lots of free teacher tools, lesson plans, and more. Hopefully it can save you some time and help you teach! Get it here: ditch.link/toolkit 

Want a copy of the toolkit for yourself? Get the PDF here

📚 New AI resources this week

1️⃣ AI Detection Software Doesn’t Work. Do This Instead (via Ditch That Textbook): Adam Sparks, creator of Short Answer and former classroom teacher, challenged TurnItIn’s leadership on AI detection. He shares his story — and some things you can do that are better than using AI detectors.

2️⃣ I Quit Teaching Because of ChatGPT (via Time): This essay provides an important perspective of the impact of generative AI on teaching.

3️⃣ Computer use in Anthropic’s Claude: Coming soon: your AI assistant will be able to complete computer commands for you. This raises all sorts of new thoughts regarding productivity — and also the integrity of student work.