🤖 How one district formed an AI task force

🧠 An intelligent co-teacher in your class

What if there was a way to elevate instruction with AI while keeping great teaching front and center? What if teachers had an effortless way to lead engaging lessons and push students to think deeper?

Now there is. Let me introduce myself. I’m M2: the intelligent co-teacher. 

I can help your school enhance learning without gluing students to screens. I sit on the sideline, following along silently. Then, when needed, I can be called in with a tap and a voice command. 

How do I help?

• 💡 Live Teaching Tips: I provide instant AI suggestions tailored to any objective—no coach, no time-consuming video reviews. No gotchas.

• 🧑‍🏫 Real-Time Classroom Support: Ask me (“ask M2”) for help anytime during class. You can ask me to “Explain that,” “Translate that”, “Ask me a question,” “Tell me a joke” and more to keep learners engaged.

• 💬 Personalized Feedback: At the end of each session, I’ll give you insights on your engagement, questioning, and pacing—along with pre-built MirrorTalk reflections to talk out the feedback! 

Get a free annual subscription with your first purchase of M2 with this referral code: M2DT2025

📚 New AI resources this week

1️⃣ What Trump’s Draft Executive Order on AI Could Mean for Schools (via EdWeek): A draft executive order aims to integrate AI across K-12 education, emphasizing teacher training and student instruction.

2️⃣ More Teachers Say They’re Using AI in Their Lessons. Here’s How (via EdWeek): Insights into how teachers are incorporating AI into their classrooms and the impact on instruction.

3️⃣ Teacher AI training remains uneven despite uptick (via K-12 Dive): Disparities in artificial intelligence implementation continue to emerge between low- and high-poverty school districts.

📢 Your voice: Sustainable decisions

Last week’s poll: How can we make our school/district AI decisions sustainable?

🟨🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ Commit money to the budget long-term (7)
🟨🟨🟨🟨⬜️⬜️ Gather feedback from all parties (13)
🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ Do pilot programs (3)
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Align with mission and goals (20)
🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ Other ... (3)

Gather feedback from all parties: Having been a classroom teacher and current Tech Integrator, I see so many different perspectives when it comes to evaluating a tool. How does this work for our middle schoolers? What about our kindergarteners? Does this website pass our IT vetting process? What do teachers and principals think about this tool? It really takes a village, but our goal should be the same: What's the best for our students? — Sam S.

Align with mission and goals: With so many products out there competing for attention in the education sphere, it is important be to be selective with the platforms, apps, and products we choose. For that reason, it is imperative that the products we learn, implement, and refine are aligned to our school, or even classroom, goals. — I. McDougall

Gather feedback from all parties: It can't be a top-down decision where an admin says, "Okay, go do this" and then never checks in. They have to see what PD is needed, where teachers and students are succeeding and experiencing challenges, and how the community feels. Checking in over time will help staff, students, and the community understand that this isn't a flash-in-the-pan toy, it's something the district is serious pursuing.

Align with mission and goals: Anytime I am in the position of planning for on boarding something new, I always ask questions that help to establish a goal or mission. AI tools are no exception - in fact, this has been even more true than ever! — C. Blais

Other: Educate on AI - predictive and generative. Explain how it is already in their spaces daily and help them with foundational knowledge to ensure that they can make informed decisions. — J. O’Hara

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🗳 Poll: Getting started with AI

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. (I’ll try to pull names from email addresses. If you don’t want me to do that, please say so.)

⛰️ Navigating the AI Frontier: A Guide for School Districts

The burst of AI, and AI on education, presents a pivotal moment for educators.

From personalized learning experiences to streamlined administrative tasks, the potential benefits are tremendous and the possible hazards can be concerning. However, navigating this frontier requires careful planning, thoughtful implementation, and a proactive approach to address potential challenges.

Building essential AI literacy skills for educators and students absolutely is extremely important and should be considered as part of an implementation. Whether that is among the first steps or the first step, we need to develop AI skills and knowledge in our people.

For school districts eager to responsibly and effectively implement AI, a strategic framework built upon forming an AI task force, developing a school district policy, and creating a robust AI tool vetting system is also important.

Consider how one rural school district, Winterset Community School District (CSD), in central Iowa navigated this journey that began in April of 2023.

Laying the Foundation: Forming Your AI Task Force

The journey into the age of AI began with assembling a dedicated team to guide the way. Just as a train engineer needs a crew to ensure a smooth and safe trip, your district needs an AI task force to steer its AI implementation. The Winterset CSD embarked on this journey in April of 2023, recognizing the significance of the evolving AI landscape following the release of ChatGPT.

The primary purpose of an AI task force is to lead the district in understanding, evaluating, and strategically implementing AI technologies and the use of it among educators and students. This involves fostering conversations, exploring potential uses, and developing guidelines for responsible and ethical adoption.

Who should be on your AI Task Force? Winterset CSD started by seeking teacher volunteers, recognizing the crucial need for educator voices. We were pleasantly surprised by the enthusiastic response, with 15 educators stepping forward, including the district’s Technology Integrationist, whose expertise proved invaluable.

However, looking back, Winterset CSD recommends a broader representation of stakeholders. Consider including:

• Teachers: They are on the front lines and are charged with the practical implications of AI in the classroom.

• Administrators: Their leadership and support are crucial for policy implementation and resource allocation.

• Students: Their perspectives on AI use and its impact on their learning are vital.

• Parents/Guardians: Engaging parents fosters transparency and addresses concerns about AI.

• Instructional Coaches: Their expertise in curriculum and pedagogy can help align AI with learning goals and effective classroom use.

• Community Members: Bringing in community perspectives can enrich the conversation and build support.

• IT Professionals: Their knowledge of infrastructure, data security, and technical feasibility is essential.

The more diverse the voices on your team, the better equipped your district will be to navigate the complexities. Don't shy away from including individuals who may be skeptical of AI; their perspectives can provide valuable balance and ensure thorough discussions. You may not get someone from each group, but get as many as you can outside of teachers and administrators.

Establishing a shared vision and collaborative culture within the task force is vital. This requires intentionality, planning, and a commitment to hearing all stakeholders. Initial meetings should focus on foundational questions such as "What is AI?", "How will teaching and learning change?", and "What does responsible AI use look like?". Defining a clear purpose and scope for the task force will also help avoid overreach and ensure focused efforts.

Charting the Course: Developing Your School District AI Policy

With your AI task force in place, begin developing a comprehensive and ethical AI policy. This policy serves as a roadmap, outlining expectations, guidelines, and boundaries for faculty, staff, and students. Winterset CSD emphasizes that an AI policy should be considered a "living document," subject to regular review and updates given the rapid evolution of AI technology.

A district-level AI policy should be broad, flexible, and inclusive, aligning with the district's mission, vision, goals, and strategic direction. Key considerations include:

• Guidelines for appropriate use of AI tools: Clearly articulate what constitutes acceptable and unacceptable use.

• Academic integrity and AI use: Define plagiarism in the context of AI-generated content and establish clear expectations for attribution. The Winterset policy states, "Plagiarism occurs when AI-generated text or other content is passed off as original work without disclosing that an AI system was used. Presenting AI-generated content as fully original is considered academically dishonest without proper attribution. Proper attribution is required when presenting AI-generated content".

• Boundaries between appropriate assistance and academic dishonesty: Provide clarity on when and how AI can be used for learning without compromising academic integrity.

• Student assessment guidelines: Consider how AI can be used responsibly in assessments.

• Protocols for identifying and addressing AI misuse: Establish clear consequences for policy violations or outline the progression of consequences, if you choose that route.

• Data privacy and security standards: This is paramount. Your policy must adhere to all applicable data protection and privacy laws in your respective state and country. Clearly outline what personally identifiable information should never be entered into AI tools.

• Ethical use of AI: Emphasize fairness, transparency, and non-discrimination in AI tool usage. Highlight that AI should not replace human decision-making.

• Policy review process: Establish a schedule for annual or more frequent reviews to ensure the policy remains relevant.

While a district-level policy provides the overarching framework, individual teachers or departments may want to create classroom-level rules for AI use. Encourage this, but ensure these rules align with and do not contradict the district policy.

Developing security and privacy standards within your AI policy is critical. Consider:

• Data protection fundamentals: Clear rules on data collection and storage, and regular security testing.

• Vendor requirements: Strict security standards for AI vendors and clear data ownership agreements.

• Compliance standards: Full alignment with relevant privacy laws and regular compliance checks.

Involve your IT department in developing these standards. Once drafted, have your district's legal counsel review the policy.

Ensuring Responsible Adoption: Creating Your AI Tool Vetting System

With a solid AI policy in place, seek to establish a rigorous AI tool vetting system. This system ensures that the AI tools adopted by your district are educationally sound, ethically responsible, and, most importantly, safe for student data.

The purpose of vetting AI tools is multifaceted:

• Educational Alignment: To ensure tools align with the curriculum, learning goals, and support critical thinking.

• Data Privacy and Security: To protect sensitive student information by verifying compliance with data protection laws and school policies. Data privacy and security is often the dealbreaker when vetting AI tools.

• Consistency and Reliability: To provide teachers with a trusted set of AI options.

Winterset CSD developed an AI Resource Vetting Rubric to evaluate potential AI tools. Our rubric focuses on several key areas:

• Educational Alignment: Does the tool align with curriculum and support deeper learning?.

• Content Quality: Is the content accurate, relevant, and suitable for educational purposes? Be aware that AI accuracy can vary.

• Privacy/Data Security: Does the tool comply with data protection laws and school policy? Is there an age restriction?

• User Experience: Is the interface intuitive for teachers and students? Are accessibility features available? Does it offer shared resources?

• Feedback/Reviews: What are the experiences of other educators with this tool?

• Tech Support/Updates: Is technical support easily accessible?

Establishing an AI Tool Vetting Team composed of representatives from across the district or members of the AI task force. This team will be responsible for evaluating AI tools using the established rubric. The use of Google Forms can streamline the vetting process and facilitate data tracking.

When vetting tools, pay close attention to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, typically found on the tool's website. Look for clear data retention and deletion policies, and verify if data is shared with third parties. Be wary of contradictory claims or "weasel words" in the policy.

Once tools are vetted and approved, communication and transparency with staff are essential. Utilize various channels such as websites, professional development, videos, and even printed flyers to share information about approved tools, their features, and how to use them responsibly.

Remember that AI tool vetting is an ongoing process. Regularly review and re-vet tools based on policy changes, teacher feedback, and software updates.

By prioritizing the formation of a well-rounded AI task force, the development of a comprehensive and adaptable AI policy, and the implementation of a rigorous AI tool vetting system, school districts can confidently embark on their AI journey, ensuring a safe, ethical, and educationally enriching experience for all. The key is to be proactive, collaborative, and always keep the best interests of students at the heart of your decisions.