We Have an AI Policy in Place: Now What?

 If you attended any of the AI professional development sessions I led, you heard me say at each session, "Don't use any AI tools with students until we have a policy in place!"

Well, as of the February 2024 school board meeting, we have a policy in place! Now what?

First, let me offer some relevant highlights from the policy -- these are the tidbits that the classroom teacher will want to to know:

• The AI policy applies to all staff, students, visitors, and volunteers (think of subs and coaches who may not be CSD 17 employees).
• The policy will be updated on an as needed basis (because AI is going to change a lot and quickly).
• There are AI Ethics and Safety Officers who will help oversee all the AI happenings as well as keep abreast of current issues. AI questions can be directed to them. For teachers, the easiest person to reach out to is going to be the Instructional Technology Resource Teacher (ITRT) -- that's me for now :-)
• AI should be used by students responsibly only for education-related purposes, and the activities that involve student use of AI must be thoughtfully planned and well-managed by the teacher for the students.
• Teachers must provide guidance and support to students to help them use AI technology responsibly and safely.
• Staff and students should never input any personally identifiable information about themselves or others into any AI tools. This includes but is not limited to names, email addresses, birthdates, school information, or any other sensitive information.
• Any AI technologies used must be age appropriate and compliant with SOPPA.
• If a teacher learns of a data breach with an AI tool used by students, the teacher must notify admin immediately.
• Accidental or deliberate exposure to inappropriate material or unethical use of AI by students must be reported immediately to admin.

Not the most effective way
to keep kids from seeing
inappropriate material online!

Okay, now you've got the gist of it. This may all sound a bit scary, but really, isn't this what any responsible teacher would do when asking students to use any kind of inline tool? We never just turn kids loose on a website without thoughtful planning, preparation, and guidance for them. This is no different.

So how do you start using AI technology with students? Let me offer these general guidelines first:

• Get familiar with AI yourself first. You can't expect kids to use a tool if you don't understand it.
• Try out any tool you may ask your students to use BEFORE they use it. This will help you know if it will be appropriate and easy enough to use for your kids.
• Verify age requirements and SOPPA compliance if it will require students to log in to use it. There is a link in my email signature for you to easily see what we have SOPPA agreements for, or a simple email to me (or the ITRT) will get the job done.
• Give clear guidelines and expectations to students on what they are using the AI tool for and what they are NOT using it for.
• Supervise the kids while using the AI tools. They will need your guidance.

In the next few blog posts, I will go into more depth and detail about how to prepare to have students use AI safely and responsibly in your classroom. In the meantime, please reach out with questions! This is a topic that you can't feel shy about asking questions! Plus, I love learning new things and sharing them!