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Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence

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Principles and Beliefs

The promise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the Peninsula School District is substantial. AI enhances and streamlines the efforts of human instructors rather than substituting them. AI is seen as a supportive guide, akin to a GPS, providing direction while leaving ultimate control to educators and students. This perspective aligns with broader societal conversations about responsible, human-centered AI use that advocates for augmented intelligence that enhances human capabilities rather than replacing them.

Our commitment to Universal Design for Learning (UDL) shapes our belief that AI should align with UDL's three core principles: diversified ways of representation, action/expression, and engagement. AI can facilitate presenting information in diverse formats tailored to individual learners' needs. It offers students various means of showcasing their knowledge and participating in learning activities. Additionally, AI can provide new and varied ways to keep learners engaged, ensuring a dynamic learning environment receptive to their interests and motivations. 

We advocate for AI to expand and facilitate meaningful, learner-centric personalization, celebrating individual differences and nurturing student independence. By utilizing AI, we aim to grant learners of all backgrounds equal access to educational opportunities and reduce barriers to learning, which is consistent with the goals of UDL. Ensuring equitable access to AI tools and designing inclusive AI systems that cater to diverse learning needs reinforces our commitment to fostering an inclusive and equitable educational environment. We must also address the ethical considerations associated with AI, such as bias awareness and data privacy, ensuring that our AI tools are equitable and inclusive.

We view AI as a tool that can intensify the human element in education. By performing routine tasks, AI frees teachers to invest more time in direct, interpersonal student interactions. AI's potential for improving assessments, providing immediate, personalized student feedback, and delivering valuable, actionable data to teachers to enhance instructional effectiveness is encouraging. However, it is crucial to maintain a balance between AI and human educators, ensuring that AI supports, rather than replaces, the nuanced understanding and empathy that human teachers bring to the classroom.

Our commitment to inclusivity extends to AI. AI-powered resources should be thoughtfully designed to support all students, including those with disabilities and multilingual learners. We are committed to nurturing appropriate trust in AI systems by supporting teachers, students, and their families/caregivers. Specific strategies include developing AI tools that cater to diverse learning needs, incorporating cultural relevance, and ensuring equitable access to AI resources. We encourage educators to use professional judgment, even if it means questioning or overriding an AI tool's decisions, maintaining the critical human element in educational decision-making.

While we acknowledge AI's benefits in education, we recognize our collective role as educators in avoiding potential pitfalls and challenges associated with AI, such as algorithmic bias. We are committed to ensuring equity and fairness in our use of AI and scrutinizing AI tools to guarantee they reflect these values. We will implement strategies to identify and mitigate biases, ensuring our AI models use equitable and inclusive algorithms. This includes ongoing evaluation of AI tools and maintaining humans at the center of all AI usage to ensure fairness and inclusivity.

We are mindful of the limitations of certain AI applications, notably AI detection tools. Given current technology, these tools exhibit varying levels of accuracy and reliability and should not be relied upon for making critical decisions or evaluations about student performance or behavior. AI applications are a valuable tool for assisting teachers in providing student feedback in determining areas of strength or growth.  However, it is crucial to ensure these tools do not replace the nuanced understanding and empathy of human educators, who possess a broader contextual understanding. At the same time, AI can assist us, but it cannot wholly understand the complexity of individual learners and the human element that shapes the learning experience. We also emphasize the necessity of transparency and ongoing evaluation of AI tools to ensure their reliability and effectiveness.

Data privacy and security are fundamental aspects of ethical AI use. All staff in the Peninsula School District must be diligent custodians of student data, safeguarding the privacy and security of our learners. This includes implementing robust data governance policies, ensuring compliance with data protection regulations, and adopting best practices for data security. Regular training and awareness programs for staff on data privacy and security measures are essential to maintaining the highest data protection standards.

Transparency in AI systems is essential to us. We must ensure that the AI models we use are understandable, open to scrutiny, and can be overridden when necessary. Mechanisms for ensuring transparency include clear documentation of decision-making processes, regular audits, and open communication about AI usage and its implications. We champion the 'humans in the loop' concept, underscoring human oversight's critical, irreplaceable role in instruction and decision-making. This approach ensures that AI supports, rather than dictates, educational outcomes.

As AI advances and computer interactions become more human-like, we are dedicated to equipping students and teachers with the knowledge to navigate this evolving landscape safely and effectively. Specific initiatives include integrating AI literacy into the curriculum, offering professional development for educators, and fostering partnerships with universities and tech companies to stay abreast of the latest AI advancements. The focus remains on amplifying human capabilities rather than replacing them, ensuring that our educational community is well-prepared for the future of AI.

In conclusion, AI is a potent tool that can dramatically improve education by offering personalized, inclusive, and compelling learning experiences when used responsibly and ethically. Our commitment to continuous improvement, ethical considerations, and equitable access ensures that AI integration aligns with our core educational values. However, the essential value of human wisdom, judgment, and connection remains at the heart of our educational philosophy. By embracing these principles, we can harness the full potential of AI to enhance learning outcomes and support the diverse needs of our students.

Versions

Initial Release: July 15, 2023
Updated: August 9, 2024

A computer screen displays a stylized image of a brain, surrounded by bookshelves filled with books.

 

Resources

  • “Why All Our Classes Suddenly Became AI Classes.” Harvard Business School, 2022 – Article Link
  • “Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Teaching and Learning” US Department of Education, 2023 – Article Link
  • “Artificial Intelligence (AI) In K-12 - Spring 2023” Consortium of School Networks / Microsoft, 2023 – Article Link
  • “Cosn/CGCS K-12 Gen AI Maturity Tool - Final” Consortium of School Networks, 2024 – Article Link
  • “Human-Centered AI Guidance for K–12 Public Schools”, WA Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, 2024 – Article Link
  • Mollick, Ethan. Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with Ai. Portfolio/Penguin, 2024
  • Shelton, Ken, and Dee Lanier. The Promises and Perils of AI in Education: Ethics and Equity Have Entered the Chat. Lanier Learning, 7 June 2024.

Citations

  • “AI in K12 Education” ChatGPT, 24 May version, OpenAI, 26 May 2023 – Article Link
  • “Copy Edit Request” ChatGPT, 24 May version, OpenAI, 26 May 2023 – Article Link
  • “AI Guidelines for K12” ChatGPT, 24 May version, OpenAI, 26 May 2023 – Article Link
  • “AI Reliability Concerns” ChatGPT, 24 May version, OpenAI, 26 May 2023 – Article Link
  • “AI Principles Update Analysis” ChatGPT, OpenAI, 2 Aug 2024 – Article Link

Sample Syllabus Language for Teachers

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Use in the Classroom: Guidelines and Responsibilities

In alignment with the Peninsula School District's commitment to Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and ethical AI use, this classroom embraces AI technologies to enhance educational experiences and support diverse learning needs. AI tools, such as ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Claude, Canva, MagicSchool, and Midjourney, are incorporated to assist in personalizing learning and offering various ways for students to express their knowledge and engagement. Students are encouraged to explore and utilize AI tools while maintaining a strong ethical compass, ensuring that their use of these technologies aligns with academic integrity and promotes responsible digital citizenship.

Expectations for Students:

  • Thoughtful Interaction: Engage with AI tools thoughtfully and deliberately, understanding their capabilities and limitations. Recognize when AI is appropriate for authentic learning and when it is not.
  • Responsible Use: Use AI responsibly, ensuring it aligns with the assignment goals and contributes positively to learning outcomes. Credit or cite AI resources when used rather than claiming the output as entirely human-generated. Consider the ethical implications of AI use, such as potential biases in AI-generated content.
  • Open Dialogue: Maintain an open dialogue about AI use, seeking guidance to enhance learning while addressing concerns about technology application. Transparency and collaboration are key to effective AI integration.
  • Accountability: Remember that you are ultimately responsible for any work submitted using AI tools. This includes the accuracy of information, implied meanings, and proper attribution of sources used in the process. Always verify AI's outputs and ensure they meet academic standards.

We aim to foster a dynamic, inclusive, and forward-thinking educational environment by integrating AI tools into our curriculum. Our goal is to prepare students to navigate and shape the evolving landscape of technology and society while balancing the human element and AI assistance.

Key Points to Remember:

  • Effort Matters: AI usage is a skill.  Practice and patience are required to improve your results.
  • Verify Information: Do not blindly trust AI responses. Always verify facts or numbers provided by AI tools.
  • Acknowledge AI Use: At the end of any project or assignment where you've used AI, explain how and why you used it and what prompts you used. This transparency is essential for academic honesty.
  • Ethical Considerations: Be mindful of the ethical implications of using AI, including bias and data privacy.

Using AI tools in class can be a fun and exciting way to learn. By embracing these guidelines, we can ensure that AI enhances our educational experience while upholding the values of integrity, inclusivity, and responsible technology use.

Artificial Intelligence - Resources and FAQS

These FAQs were developed by the teachers who took part in the 2023 AI Action Research project in the Peninsula School District. If you are a teacher in PSD and need more assistance around AI, we encourage you to reach out to your Digital Innovation Leads or the AI Action Research project team members.

  • Artificial intelligence is the simulation of human intelligence processes by machines, especially computer systems. Specific applications of AI include expert systems, natural language processing, speech recognition and machine vision (TechTarget).  Artificial intelligence received quite a boost in public notoriety with the open access to ChatGPT, however the field is significantly larger than simply ChatGPT.

  • Slide Deck: Guide to Co-Creating AI Behavior Expectations

    The theory behind co-creating classroom norms with students is that behavior norms are a community agreement that all members of the community (students and teacher) need to adhere to in order to create a safe and productive learning space. 

    In an MTSS guided system, there should be some set of boundaries or character traits to start with. These character traits can then become the basis for behavior norms (i.e. what does it look like to be kind in this classroom space?)

    The hope for this kind of work is that students will better understand how to meet behavior norms because they spent time considering what behaviors will help the learning environment and how they can enact those behaviors to be successful and supportive of the community. 

    So, what does this look like with AI norms? 

    Create Your Classroom With Students for a Powerful Start to the School Year

  • Generative language models are algorithms that gather information about how language functions in various situations to generate unique responses to questions based on patterns of language and information. 

    According to ChatGPT: “Imagine you're trying to teach a computer to understand and generate human language, just like how you learn to read, write, and have conversations. Large language models are like super-smart virtual assistants that have been trained on huge amounts of text from the internet, books, and other sources.

    To train these models, experts feed them with millions or even billions of sentences and paragraphs, allowing them to learn patterns, grammar, and even some of the nuances of language. Just like you learn by reading many books, these models learn by analyzing vast amounts of text.”

  • How does ChatGPT work?

    ChatGPT is not sentient.  It does not think for itself.  Rather it is a large language model that predicts common responses based on the information it’s been fed.  For this reason, it can create incorrect answers, especially when providing quotes.

  • ChatGPT allows users to share links from a conversation, showing their process, and the prompts that they are using to generate the responses they’re looking for.

    An example of this can be seen on the PSD Artificial Intelligence Principles and Beliefs page.

  • Artificial intelligence tools can be used to reduce learning gaps, especially when students are taught how to autonomously use AI to meet their learning needs.  For example, a multilingual learner can use ChatGPT to create sentence stems for a prompt, or to translate content into the target language to increase comprehension.  Likewise, a student reading below grade level can use AI to summarize a reading, pull out pertinent vocabulary, and even adjust lexile level.  These examples have been in use with tremendous success within the Peninsula School District.  Check out this document for more information.

  • We know that AI will have a high impact on the field of education.  As the field continues to develop, the US Department of Education is rolling out more information.

  • The Peninsula School District has a philosophy outlining the district’s stance on artificial intelligence tools.  Key to this philosophy is the belief that AI can intensify the human element in education, and that learning is a collaborative process.  In order to support students' fair and ethical use of AI tools, it is vital that educators initiate clear conversations on use and expectations in the classroom.  These conversations should be collaborative; facilitated by the teacher, and co-created by the classroom community.

    • Build a day trip plan using ChatGPT or Bard
    • Create a card for a grandparent using Canva
    • Have a story writing contest using ChatGPT
    • Here’s a list of additional ideas from ChatGPT.

  • Beyond the sample policy we provide for teachers in our Principles and Beliefs Page, here are others from outside groups:

  • Edsurge: Getting started with AI in the classroom
    ISTE secondary classroom instructional guide
    Common Sense Media: AI Lesson guide
    MIT Daily Middle School Curriculum
    If you’d like more examples of how this is being used in PSD classrooms, please contact your building’s Digital Innovation Lead, or any member of the AI Action Research team.

  • Artificial intelligence tools are being used widely in many sectors.  A few examples can be found below:

    • Copilot X for Coding
    • Adobe Generative Fill/Firefly for digital art/photography
    • Runway.ml for video editing and generation
    • https://beta.elevenlabs.io/speech-synthesis for Text to Voice Synthesis
    • Dall-e 2, Midjourney, Stable Diffusion, for Text to Image Generation
    • Careers in AI video series

  • This field is rapidly growing, and it’s important to note that relevant information can become outdated very quickly.  Here are a few leaders in the field who provide insights on artificial intelligence in education:

  • We recommend lessons focused on topics such as digital media literacy, understanding what machine learning is, and recognizing bias for students in the elementary grade band.  In middle school, as students are transitioning to the secondary level, we recommend an emphasis on the importance of process over product, where students show their workflow and corresponding learning.  Finally, at the high school level, students need to demonstrate their capabilities using the tools, as well as the depth of their ability to discern the ethical use of AI in their processes and projects.

  • Assessments that lead students to intentionally or unintentionally replace their own thinking with the information generated by AI are ineffective. Assessments that are solely based on the final product, especially if it is a written product, have become difficult to accurately assess with the evolution of AI products. Therefore, assessments that are based on final products in conjunction or verified through process-related tasks and assessments may be more effective. 

    • Turn-It-In AI Detector Inaccuracy 
    • Turn-It-In's Guidance on False Positives
      • Know before you go—make sure you consider the possibility of a false positive upfront and have a plan for what your process and approach will be for determining the outcome. Even better, communicate that to students so that you have a shared set of expectations. 
      • Assume positive intent—in this space of so much that is new and unknown, give students the strong benefit of the doubt. If the evidence is unclear, assume students will act with integrity. 
      • Be open and honest—it is important to acknowledge that there may be false positives upfront, so both the instructor and the student should be prepared to have an open and honest dialogue. If you don’t acknowledge that a false positive may occur, it will lead to a far more defensive and confrontational interaction that could ultimately damage relationships with students.

  • Absolutely.  Perplexity AI provides the sources searched for when a student uses AI within the tool.  Class Companion is a Social Studies specific AI tool, built to provide feedback on the use of AI in Social Studies.

    • Check your resources, especially the process that the student has turned in.  As a rule of thumb, AI detection tools (such as turnitin.com), have all been proven to be highly ineffective.  While they can be one point of reference, AI detection tools should NEVER be the ONLY source of information when a teacher believes AI has been used in an unfair or unethical manner.
    • Have a conversation with the student.  Our goal is to co-create classroom expectations and norms, which means that these conversations need to take place to ensure students understand expectations.