Welcome to AWSP's AI Resources Hub, your guide to leveraging AI in school leadership. Here, you'll find essential tools, frameworks, and prompts to help you integrate AI effectively, from enhancing daily operations to fostering innovative learning environments. Dive in to explore how AI can support strong schools and successful students, equipping you and your team to navigate the future of education with confidence.
Principals can use AI to streamline tasks like scheduling, attendance tracking, and data analysis, saving time and providing actionable insights. AI also supports personalized learning, communication, and proactive interventions, allowing principals to focus more on leadership and student success.
AWSP has curated a collection of prompts to best meet your needs as a school leader. Arranged by category, prompts are each to find and practical to implement right away.
AI offers exciting possibilities for education, but its implementation requires thoughtful oversight to ensure it aligns with ethical standards and supports all students equitably. School leaders should prioritize transparency, equity, and privacy when integrating AI into classrooms. By addressing potential biases and ensuring responsible data use, principals can maximize benefits while minimizing risks.
The Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) has developed comprehensive guidance on integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into schools, emphasizing ethical, equitable, and human-centered approaches. Their resources provide school leaders with valuable insights into leveraging AI for education while addressing privacy, bias, and the responsible use of technology.
Here’s my observation data for [teacher’s name]. Can you help draft concise feedback based on [Danielson, CEL 5D, or Marzano]?
I’ve uploaded student performance data. Can you identify key trends, achievement gaps, and suggest actionable insights for improvement?
I need to write an email about [topic]. Here are the main points I’d like to convey: [insert points]. Can you draft a message for review?
I want to focus on [PD topic or goal] for an upcoming session. Based on this goal, can you help design an agenda with engaging activities?
I’ve uploaded our scheduling constraints, teacher availability, and class requirements. Can you help draft a master schedule?
Here are the metrics I want to track: [insert metrics]. Can you help me set up a dashboard to monitor these effectively?
Our school goals are [list goals]. Could you create a step-by-step action plan with timelines, resources, and accountability points?
I need a template for classroom observations and feedback based on [evaluation framework]. Can you design one that’s easy to use?"
Here’s a list of upcoming events and announcements. Could you create a calendar and draft communication templates for each?
I have data highlights and key achievements from this year. Can you help draft a report that summarizes our progress and successes?
These are the topics I need to cover at the next staff meeting: [insert topics]. Can you help create clear and engaging slides?
I need a crisis communication plan. Here’s our basic protocol. Could you create a set of pre-drafted messages for different scenarios?
Here’s the behavior data or incident details. Could you help draft a report that documents interventions, outcomes, and next steps?
These are our budget categories and funding needs. Can you help organize them into a clear budget plan with justifications for each area?
I want insights on [area, e.g., engagement, safety]. Could you draft a survey to gather meaningful student feedback?
I need to observe [number] classrooms or programs. Can you help schedule these and provide a checklist for observations?
Here are our goals and current metrics. Can you create a tracker to visualize progress and help us stay on target?
For our family engagement event on [topic], can you draft an agenda that includes talking points, activities, and follow-up actions?
I need to present on [topic] to our board/district. Can you help create a presentation outline with organized talking points?
Here are the updates and celebrations I’d like to share this week. Can you draft a newsletter to keep families and staff informed?
This protocol reinforces the principle that AI serves as a support tool, not a decision-maker. By maintaining human oversight at both the beginning and end of every interaction, schools can uphold ethical standards, ensure equity, and foster trust in the responsible use of AI. This process protects against potential biases, inaccuracies, and unintended consequences, keeping students and educators at the heart of all AI applications.
After a crazy few years of leadership through a pandemic and its immediate recovery, the vibe we're getting this back to school season is simply "normal." That was the report at least from almost all of our members of the AWSP Board Executive Committee when we met earlier this week. What's not normal is the way AI has infiltrated so much of our lives, especially for those of us in education. I've got a few things to share with you to help navigate through these undiscovered waters.
From Zain Kahn's Superhuman Newsletter:
Schools and educators are making a big U-turn on ChatGPT and AI tools in the classroom. After banning ChatGPT earlier in the year, many school districts are revoking the ban and adapting to the reality that AI is here to stay.
Over 70% of teachers believe that it is at least somewhat important to teach students how to use AI tools, according to a recent EdWeek survey.
Capitalizing on the trend of increasing academic acceptance, OpenAI released a Teaching with AI guide for teachers last week. In the guide, OpenAI says that teachers are using ChatGPT for:
- Role playing challenging conversations
- Building quizzes, tests, and lesson plans from curriculum materials
- Reducing friction for non-English speakers
- Teaching students about critical thinking
The guide also includes prompts to help teachers with lesson planning, helping students, creating an AI tutor, and more.
You can see the full list of prompts here.
If you’re a parent or a student looking to get started with AI, here’s a handy guide to help you get up and running.
Learn more about Zain and the Superhuman Newsletter.
If you're looking for some policy examples and district-level statements, the Peninsula School District has a great page about their principles and beliefs. The whole thing is worth reading, but here's a great excerpt.
In our class, I encourage you to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools such as ChatGPT, Google Bard, Claude, Canva, Midjourney, and others. Some of our activities and projects will even require these tools. Understanding and using AI is a new and essential skill, and I will provide lessons and help using these tools.Some of our activities and projects will even require these tools. However, you must understand a few things about using AI, particularly generative tools like ChatGPT:
- Effort matters. If you don't take the time to think through and carefully write your prompts to the AI, you may not get excellent results. It will require practice and patience to get better results.
- Don't blindly trust the AI's responses if the AI gives you a fact or a number. Remember, you will be responsible for the accuracy of the information you use in your work, even if it comes from the AI.
- Always remember to acknowledge when you've used AI in your work. At the end of any project or assignment where you've used AI, include a short explanation about how and why you used it and what prompts you used. Not doing this could be considered as not being honest about your work.
- Lastly, use AI thoughtfully. It can be a great tool, but it's not always the right tool for the job. Consider whether it's the best choice for the task at hand.
Peninsula SD is also mentioned in a recent Time Magazine article on AI.
As technology continues to reshape the educational landscape, this session delves into the transformative impact of AI within school environments, exploring its potential benefits, challenges, and the crucial task of developing comprehensive policies to ensure responsible and equitable AI integration. Discover how AI is revolutionizing teaching methods, personalizing learning experiences, streamlining administrative tasks, and shaping the future of education. Whether you're an educator, administrator, policymaker, or simply curious about the future of education, this webinar offers a unique opportunity to explore the dynamic synergy between AI and schools. Prepare to gain a deeper understanding of AI's potential to enhance education and equip the next generation for success in an increasingly interconnected world.
And if all of that wasn't enough, check out the last issue of Washington Principal magazine where we covered ChatGPT in our Appy Hour segment. I also shared my thoughts in my column (Say Hi to AI: Time to Get Real About Artificial Intelligence) on just how transformational it's already become and shared a few of the ways it's already changed education and business.
Do you have a great example of AI being used in your school or district? Maybe a resource you think other school leaders need to know about? Have questions about getting started with AI? Please send me an email.
Like it or not, we're in a new frontier. We're all in this together now.
 | David Morrill |
Communications & Technology Director |
