Enabling new forms of interaction between educators and students, and more effectively personalizing learning are among the potential benefits of AI, the agency says in its new report, “Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Teaching and Learning: Insights and Recommendations.” But the risks include a range of safety and privacy concerns and algorithmic bias.

Educators and policymakers should collaborate on the following principles:

1. Emphasize humans-in-the-loop: Educators and students can remain firmly at the center of AI if users treat edtech like an electric bike rather than a robot vacuum. On an electric bike, humans are fully aware and fully in control, and their efforts are multiplied by technological enhancement. Robot vacuums complete their tasks with little human involvement or oversight beyond activating the device.
2. Align AI models to a shared vision for education: The educational needs of students should be at the forefront of AI policies. “We especially call upon leaders to avoid romancing the magic of AI or only focusing on promising applications or outcomes, but instead to interrogate with a critical eye how AI-enabled systems and tools function in the educational environment,” the Department of Education says.
3. Design AI using modern learning principles: The first wave of adaptive edtech incorporated important principles such as sequencing instruction and giving students feedback. However, these systems were often deficit-based, focusing on the student’s weakest areas. “We must harness AI’s ability to sense and build upon learner strengths,” the Department of Education asserts.
4. Prioritize strengthening trust: There are concerns that AI will replace—rather than assist—teachers. Educators, students and their families need to be supported as they build trust in edtech. Otherwise, lingering distrust of AI could distract from innovation in tech-enabled teaching and learning.
5. Inform and involve educators: Another concern is that AI will lead to a loss of respect for educators and their skills just as the nation is experiencing teacher shortages and declining interest in the profession. To convince teachers they are valued, they must be involved in designing, developing, testing, improving, adopting, and managing AI-enabled edtech.
6. Focus R&D on addressing context and enhancing trust and safety: Edtech developers should focus design efforts on “the long tail of learning variability” to ensure large populations of students will benefit from AI’s ability to customize learning.
7. Develop education-specific guidelines and guardrails: Data privacy laws such as the Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act (FERPA), the Children’s Internet Privacy Act (CIPA), and the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) should be reviewed and updated in the context of advancing educational technology. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) could also be reevaluated as new accessibility technologies emerge.

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Schools are getting creative in how they face and address these challenges through the use of emergency teaching licensures, partnerships with private entities, and tutoring toolkits. Many of the initiatives involve technology that districts and schools began using during the pandemic and have evolved to continue to turn complex challenges into opportunities.

Opportunity #1: Personalizing the path to intervention

Well before the pandemic, educators recognized the power of using technology to help meet the individual needs of students. But now, as students need support in one or more subjects, personalized learning is being seen as a non-negotiable by many educators. Now more than ever, teachers need better ways to pinpoint specific gaps to design individualized experiences and these interventions must have the flexibility to guide an individual student, a group of students or an entire class.

In Cumberland Valley School District in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, the district used a diagnostic assessment technology to identify gaps in math skills among fifth graders. While initially the assessments were provided in lieu of state tests that were canceled during the pandemic, educators quickly realized that the detailed student data they received was far more powerful than state testing alone—because it could inform real-time instructional decisions. Department leaders could see what skills students were missing and create individual plans for them to close those gaps, which led to accelerated progress that boosted student motivation.

Opportunity #2: Advancing equitable access and engagement

Over the past few years, the implementation of virtual and tech-enabled learning has soared. The increase in one-to-one device policies, as well as the use of educational apps and other technologies, is solidifying the reality of anytime, anywhere learning. Those investments are opening possibilities for districts and schools to provide more equitable access to students in a variety of environments and circumstances. From expanded course catalogs to flexible digital content, districts and schools are making more choices for where, when, and in which style students learn.

Rural schools are often leading the way in taking advantage of the benefit of virtual learning. In rural Wisconsin, Oconto Unified School District is using technology to expand what courses it offers students. School leaders in the district felt limited by geographic location—and educator capacity—to add more science, foreign language, and other elective classes. When the district partnered with an online education partner, it opened up a new set of options for students, helped the district maintain their enrollment, addressed family and community educational needs, and ensured Oconto Unified School District remained the school option of choice.

Opportunity #3: Supporting educator capacity

Teachers remain one of the most influential factors in student achievement. But educators across the country are feeling burnt out. In many areas, that stress is aggravated by teacher shortages that force educators to juggle increasing responsibilities.

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The right learning technology can help teachers focus on what they do best—teaching and connecting with their students. To find the right solutions, districts need to consider resources that increase teacher capacity, including supporting the daily work of educators through tools that blend in-person and tech-enabled learning experiences.

Digital curriculum that uses video can be a powerful tool to increase capacity. At Decatur City Schools in Alabama, teachers started using digital curricula to offer virtual and in-person learning options to students simultaneously. While that could feel like adding more to a teacher’s plate, it instead allowed teachers more freedom. Teachers were able to walk students through live instruction, and subsequently let students work independently using recorded videos. The flexibility gave students more choices in how they learned without overwhelming teachers with more work.

Opportunity #4: Investing in educator-focused innovation

As classrooms adopt more technology, the tools need to work together more. The technical term for this is interoperability. Too often, edtech is not built with teachers or the classroom in mind, forcing teachers to—on top of everything else they have to do—figure out how to connect information from one tool to another. Prioritizing the adoption of secure, easy-to-use tools that integrate to create a unified platform is essential for district and school leaders.

The educators at Mitchell Community Schools in Indiana understood the frustration of having too many platforms. Their educators used so many online learning tools that they found it difficult to gain expertise in one. It was also challenging for their educators to make decisions based on an overwhelming amount of data from numerous sources.

Educators pushed their leaders to find a simplified solution. Using simplification as a guiding principle, the district found a new online learning platform that could serve many roles. The switch made it easier for educators to see student progress and gaps and resulted in steady student academic growth.

The problems district and school leaders face today are complex. But with creative thinking and the right learning technology, they can find and seize the opportunities within those complex challenges.

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While some educators have been quick to embrace this change, many institutions have missed significant opportunities to utilize these tech tools—often due to a lack of training, funding, infrastructure, or resources.

Today, it’s essential for educators to embrace these recent technological advancements. When leveraged with effective pedagogy, they present a massive opportunity to transform and reimagine how students learn while increasing educational access and improving outcomes across the board.

Since teenage learners are just starting to explore career options and define their interests, technology can have an outsized impact on high schoolers. Here are a few ways this technology can benefit high school students.

High school technology is personalized and interactive

Online education platforms are on the rise, providing invaluable support for students to receive a personalized learning experience. They allow teachers to tailor lessons and assignments to each individual’s learning style, interests, and needs. In the online classroom, students can more easily have one-on-one interactions with teachers to assist them in areas where they need it most.

For example, Penn Foster students can enroll in individual high school courses online in subjects they’re struggling with. Teachers are still able to give students real-time feedback on their work, track their progress, and make adjustments as needed. Some students who may benefit from online learning include those struggling with mental health who feel uncomfortable in a physical classroom, or work better in a self-paced and student-led environment.

Using AI/ChatGPT to enhance education

Rather than banning new AI tools like ChatGPT, educators should embrace the many opportunities that it offers to inspire and engage their students.

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When utilized effectively, ChatGPT can build critical thinking skills, essential for success in academic and professional settings. Teachers can ask students to analyze and critique the responses that the AI platform provides, a practice that builds valuable critical thinking in the process. Teachers can also turn this process into an assignment by challenging students to produce a better product than what the platform offers.

ChatGPT also provides immediate, real-time feedback to support students’ writing skills when teachers may not be available. The tool can produce writing prompts to provide inspiration and jumpstart research and brainstorming to generate ideas. Ultimately, these burgeoning AI tools allow teachers to shift from rote instruction toward the development of these critical skills.

Access to resources

The growing array of high school technology tools can play a pivotal role in enabling ubiquitous access to learning. Online libraries, free apps, and interactive tutorials are just a few examples of the many resources now available.

Previously, only a select number of students across the country were able to find and afford private tutors. But with affordable online education platforms, students now have access to self-paced, accessible learning, regardless of their location or economic background.

By leveraging new technology in the classroom with effective pedagogy, we can transform the future of education and make the learning process more efficient, accessible, and engaging—preparing students for success in the 21st century.

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TeachAI was created by Code.org, ETS, ISTE, Khan Academy and the World Economic Forum to help schools develop a practical framework for teaching with and about AI while also protecting student safety and privacy, and rooting out bias and misinformation. The guidelines will cover curriculum, pedagogy, standards and assessments to meet the needs “of an increasingly AI-driven world,” the group says.

The globally focused project is bringing tech giants Amazon, Cisco, Microsoft and OpenAI together with education organizations such as AASA, The School Superintendents Association, the College Board, Council of Chief State School Officers, National Association of State Boards of Education and the National School Boards Association. Other partners include equity-focused groups such as Black in AI and the National Center for Women & Information Technology.

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“To prepare our children for the jobs of tomorrow, we need to teach them how to work with the newest technology so that they learn digital fluency and collaboration,” said Hadi Partovi, CEO and founder of Code.org. “Instead of banning AI in the classroom, we must introduce it thoughtfully, safely and inclusively.”

More than half of teachers report that they are already using ChatGPT, with 10% saying they use it every day. They’re using it to lesson plan, come up with creative ideas for classroom activities and obtain background knowledge for lessons, according to a recent Walton Family Foundation survey.

And younger students, particularly those in middle school, are more likely to have used ChatGPT—nearly half of students between 12 and 14 years old have used artificial intelligence, the survey found.

Can TeachAI tackle the big questions?

Leaders of TeachAI say the coalition intends to support educators by developing:

1. Policy and pedagogical recommendations for teaching with AI: Best practices for policymakers, education leaders, teachers, and companies on safely incorporating AI into K12 curriculum, assessments, and professional learning.
2. A global framework for computer science, including AI: The existing K-12 CS Framework guides educators in implementing computer science curricula. TeachAI will add tools for teaching about and using AI in computer science instruction.
3.  Public engagement opportunities for educators and administrators: TeachAI intends to engage the broader education community through webinars, blog posts, emails, and social media to collect input and share ideas.

Khan Academy is now piloting Khanmigo, an AI-powered tutor and teaching assistant. “We think AI has enormous potential to accelerate learning for students and serve as an assistant for teachers to save them time,” Sal Khan, founder of Khan Academy, said in a news release. “By introducing AI in the classroom with appropriate safeguards, we’re opening doors for students and teachers to have access to the power of AI technology and create a more innovative, inclusive and equitable learning experience.”

The post Can AI be used safely in education? Yes, but we need new guidelines appeared first on District Administration.

“The combined organization will harness the collective power of instruction and research-based insights to support educators in their efforts to drive better outcomes for students,” the companies said in a news release.

NWEA CEO Chris Minnich will join HMH’s executive leadership team as president of a new NWEA division, which will maintain its flagship assessment MAP Growth and other platform-agnostic assessment products. The deal will connect NWEA’s assessment insights with HMH’s curriculum products and districts should not experience any HMH or NWEA service disruptions, the companies explained.

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“We are deeply focused on the transformative power of education,” added Jack Lynch, CEO of HMH, which itself was acquired by Veritas Capital in April 2022. “We look forward to diving into our collective work in support of students and teachers.”

Proceeds from the acquisition will fund the creation of a new private foundation that will serve students and educators across the nation. The Oregon-based, yet-to-be-named organization will provide grants to schools, among other initiatives.

Today we celebrated the growth RVMS students made in their NWEA Math scores. Students who made growth were awarded their choice of a certificate for either a taco from Taco Bell or French fries from McDonalds!!WE ARE SO PROUD OF ALL OF YOU! pic.twitter.com/28ZTSgExgH

— River Valley Middle School (@RVMS_Panthers) May 1, 2023

NWEA has released several influential reports on learning loss during the COVID pandemic. Its fall 2022 assessment data—from nearly 7 million 3rd and 8th-grade students—found the education system rebounding from achievement lows reached in spring 2021. Though students were still testing below pre-pandemic norms, math and reading scores continued to improve last fall.

Third-graders, who were in kindergarten at the onset of the pandemic, showed the largest declines in reading and the smallest rebounds. Ultimately, NWEA’s researched warned full academic recovery will take several more years.

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“Through the years, the innovation of digital technologies has transformed entire industries. Now it’s time to put those technologies to use and apply that same mentality to transform our schools,” reads a new report from Digital Promise, a non-profit that seeks to expand opportunities for all students.

Schools have already made tremendous progress in the technical sense as many districts chose to add several edtech solutions to their toolbelt. However, the report suggests that there is still room for improvement to ensure that digital technologies are implemented skillfully and student learning becomes more personalized and effective.

Here are four reasons why teaching and learning need a digital transformation and how to achieve it:

1. Creating effective learner-centered frameworks

When schools continue to rely on outdated approaches to teaching and learning, students will ultimately suffer academically. However, educators have increased access to digital technologies that can help to create personalized learning experiences and growth for students.

“Fortunately, digital technologies now enable constructs for K12 education that learning sciences tell us are more effective: those that are more personalized and focused on the acquisition of sat time,” the report reads. “Furthermore, they allow us to pull records of student learning into new directions.”

Solution: Provide students with the tools to manage their lifelong learning data in Learning and Employment Records (LERs). This will help them to curate their own competency-based micro-credentials and certifications.

2. Addressing “historic” disparities in educational opportunity

Certain technological advancements like high-speed internet in schools alone aren’t enough to meet inequities in student learning. Instead, leaders must embrace the power of technology to support learners who have been “historically” and “systematically excluded.”

Solutions: Valuable tools like artificial intelligence can help educators in assessing and adjusting lessons in real time. Doing so would accelerate the learning process and close gaps among students.

3. Preparing for future disruptions

K12 schools quickly learned the importance of adapting to unexpected interruptions during the pandemic. The need to stay ahead of the technology curve is necessary to keep students on track and educators prepared.

Solution: Consider contracting with internet service providers through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to extend internet service to traditionally underserved communities.

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4. Pulling the educational system into new constructs

Teachers alone should not be held responsible for bringing digital transformation to their schools. They need the support of their district, policymakers, philanthropy, etc. Cooperation within districts can help elevate schools and create a new education ecosystem designed to support teaching and learning in the digital age.

Solution: Provide teachers with the digital learning coaches they need to implement and leverage technology effectively in the classroom.

“The nation’s learners can’t wait for many more tomorrows to come and go without a broad national commitment to breaking the outmoded framework for American education and replacing it with frameworks that are more learner-centered, personalized and effective,” the report reads. “Digital technologies applied skillfully to teaching and learning might deliver on that possibility at long last.”

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But ChatGPT represents just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to AI’s potential to transform education. With the controversy around ChatGPT threatening to skew public perception about educational AI—or overshadow it entirely—we have a responsibility to consider the bigger picture.

After all, AI is already radically transforming education for the better through countless applications beyond ChatGPT. Working with Merlyn Mind, the maker of the world’s first AI-powered digital assistant for teachers, we’ve witnessed firsthand the profound impact AI technology is making in schools nationwide. Here are three constructive ways to use AI in the classroom.

1. AI in the classroom streamlines the workflow

In most classrooms today, teachers are so busy with administrative tasks that they don’t always have the bandwidth to focus on student equity priorities. From setting up slideshows and retrieving video clips to posting student assignments, class time is filled with an infinite number of small tactical chores that exacerbate teacher burnout and turn educators’ attention away from students. These types of tasks often come with tools meant to help teachers, but they can disrupt the flow of a lesson, diverting attention away from a room full of students.

Teachers can benefit hugely from AI technology that can streamline this workflow. For example, instead of interrupting the flow of the class to pull up this or that video or document, teachers can simply ask an AI-powered voice assistant to pull it up.

It’s critical that an AI tool in this situation understands the classroom setting and can differentiate between key phrases used in a classroom context from general class noise. This way, teachers can stay engaged with their class without having to worry about a technical interruption scattering the classroom’s attention, which further benefits the workflow.

This is the vision of what deep learning technology can do in education: smooth gaps for teachers so that avoidable hassles are eliminated, so they can focus on the most critical elements of teaching.

2. Increasing equity in the classroom

Our recent U.S. State of Technology in Education Report revealed that 32% of educators ranked digital equity and tech access as their priority in 2022-23.

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Addressing education inequality in the classroom is a uniquely human pursuit. Teachers can recognize cultural complexities and individual circumstances such as immigration status, food and housing security, and neurodiversity, and then provide empathy, compassion, and nuanced support in ways machines cannot.

AI-powered classroom technology is poised to help schools make meaningful progress toward their equity goals by giving teachers the support they need. With the help of a voice-activated digital assistant, for instance, teachers can pull up materials and assignments with just a simple spoken request as they move about the classroom to meet each student where they are. This technology can also improve accessibility for those with disabilities, improving the learning experience for students who are vision-impaired or have mobility limitations.

By reducing the time they need to spend on administrative tasks, AI frees teachers up to focus on the cultural and equity dimensions of learning that only a human can address.

3. Creating student-centered, personalized learning environments

Students are more engaged when they are empowered to direct their own learning experience—and studies show that student engagement translates to academic success. One 2019 student poll revealed that student engagement is positively related to academic progress, and an even more recent 2022 study found a “significant relationship” between engagement and mathematical achievement.

In a student-centered classroom, teachers act as facilitators, consultants, and collaborators, rather than directors. AI facilitates this relationship by giving students more opportunities to sit in the driver’s seat. For example, AI-powered lesson delivery software allows students to navigate learning at their own pace, moving through materials in a self-directed manner with the teacher offering individual support as needed.

A student requiring additional support can turn to an AI tutor that can efficiently hone in on the specific lesson material the student is finding challenging and provide customized guidance matched to their needs. For students who move through lessons at a faster pace, AI can provide additional materials and assignments to ensure that each student is able to exercise their full academic potential.

Preparing our students for an AI-powered future

AI has already radically transformed our world and will play an increasingly influential role in shaping our future. Market research has shown that global AI adoption is growing steadily and most companies either plan to leverage AI or already use the technology. To equip students for the AI-powered world of tomorrow, we must embrace AI in the classroom today.

It’s not just about giving students experience with new technologies. As we continue to outsource tasks that AI can do exceptionally well, we’ll need to refocus education on skill building around what is uniquely human—the things humans can do that AI can’t—to best prepare students for life beyond school.

While the buzz around ChatGPT may have confused the larger role AI is poised to play in our schools, it has also led to important discussions around AI utility. We have a responsibility to students to best prepare them for the world they will inherit, which means giving due consideration to constructive uses of AI in the classroom, and expediting their adoption.

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On Monday, the educational support service provider Chegg announced CheggMate, a new GPT-4-powered study aide for students to be released for early access in May.

“It’s a tutor in your pocket,” CEO Dan Rosensweig told Reuters.

The software will combine GPT-4’s advanced AI systems with Chegg’s content library to adapt to exactly what students are learning. Users can also input a query in any format, whether it’s by written text, a photo, a diagram or a math problem. Students can then ask further questions and receive help on concepts they don’t understand in real-time.

“AI provides an incredible opportunity for students to be aided by a digital companion that supports and enhances their learning and helps to prepare them for the future,” said Nina Huntemann, chief academic officer of Chegg in a statement. “Chegg understands learners like no one else. We are building generative AI into our powerful and proprietary learning tools to support students’ active engagement in their learning process.”

Other edtech giants have recently joined the generative AI hype train. Brainly, a leading global learning platform, announced earlier this month beta access to its new GPT-4-powered AI functions: “Simplify” and “Expand” answers. According to the company’s announcement, these additions will help enhance student learning in a more dynamic and personalized way.

“The ‘Simplify’ function uses AI to modify answers to be shorter, straightforward and focused on the main facts. The ‘Expand’ function lets Learners access more in-depth AI-generated explanations for an existing answer,” a news release reads.

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Last month, Khan Academy released a small AI pilot for Khanmigo, another tutoring aide powered by GPT-4. Sal Khan, founder and CEO of Khan Academy, recently published a blog post describing his experience with GPT-4. Simply put, he thinks it has massive potential to close the digital divide among students.

Students using Khanmigo can ask the AI tool the same questions they would ask of a real in-person tutor and it will generate patient, human-like responses. For teachers, it’s a timesaver that will allow them to focus more on their students. But there’s still room for growth.

“AI makes mistakes,” Khan wrote. “Even the newest generation of AI can still make errors in math. AI can still ‘hallucinate,’ which is the term the industry uses for making stuff up. A lot of work needs to be done.”

Others, however, are trying to ensure that AI is used with integrity. In February, the well-known plagiarism catcher Turnitin announced its “state-of-the-art” AI writing detector, which went live this month. According to their announcement, it’s capable of identifying 98% of text written by ChatGPT with a less than 1% false positive rate.

However, the work is far from over.

“The technology is constantly evolving and just a few weeks ago, OpenAI announced the release of GPT-4 with broader access to the web and third-party sites,” according to a blog post by Turnitin. “We will continue to adapt and respond to the next iterations and innovations in AI writing, putting the safety of students and the needs of educators and institutions first.”

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“We are in the most advanced technological times of our species,” announces Dan Fitzpatrick, former educator and newly minted best-selling author of The AI Classroom, as he kicks off his session “The AI Classroom: Teaching and Learning in the ChatGPT Era” at Bett UK 2023 in London. “We’ve put a man on the moon, invented the internet—hundreds of things have changed our world. And we’ll be getting all that or more in just the next 10 years.”

While Fitzpatrick notes that most industries in the world are already being disrupted by its technology, it’s education that he’s here for.

“In the AI revolution, you will create new realities simply by using words,” he says. “We live in a world where you’ve got to have a specific skill set. People train for a long time to develop creative skills and lots of other skills. Now we have the technology that allows you to essentially be a world-class writer or artist simply by asking AI to do it.”

But that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to ChatGPT. While the idea that the technology can be used to compose a rap song, produce a carrot cake recipe in seconds or write an exam-passing essay is fascinating, there are plenty of practical uses for it that can help ease teacher burnout and stress.

Fitzpatrick, a former philosophy teacher who left the classroom a year and a half ago to work in digital strategy full-time, notes that when he was still in the classroom, Saturdays were his one day off a week—”my hobby day”—and Sunday was the day he’d essentially work from home. “I didn’t get paid for it, but that was the day I’d plan out my week. Once I’d settle down after dinner, the laptop would come out and I’d get started. We all do it, right? There was a study in 2019 that found teachers spend just as much time planning and creating content as they do in front of students. It cuts into our personal time. So the reason I call this technology a quick win is that today we can literally create what it used to take a full Sunday to do in about 15 minutes.

“The implications of that are huge. They’re massive. So where can we get some quick wins as educators and within education with AI? There are a lot.”

More from DA: Using generative AI in the classroom? Be wary of misinformation
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The start of a revolution

Fitzpatrick emphasizes that what we see today from ChatGPT is not what we will have next year or five years from now. “It’s the reason I use the word ‘revolutionary,’ and I don’t use it lightly,” he says. “Because we are at the start of a revolution. One of the co-creators of ChatGPT, said back in February, ‘A year from now, we’ll look back fondly at the AI that exists today as quaint and antiquated’—because he knows what’s coming.”

In the meantime, Fitzpatrick lists just a few of the benefits educators can enjoy by using ChatGPT.

It can be used to create a foundation. “We can personalize it. It allows us to do a full lesson, including a multiple choice question assessment to see where students’ understanding is; to create a list of questions that will get more progressive as it goes on. You can literally tell it what you want.

“In my book, I give the framework of how to do that. A lot of people ask the question to ChatGPT and don’t like the response. If the question is generic, the answer will be too. So I’ve got a framework, The Prep Model, which allows you to get really specific so you get a really specific answer.”

It can help with administrative tasks. “We spend too much time doing administrative tasks as teachers. This tool can be used as an assistant. You still want to check over it for accuracy and proofread it, but the intention is right—it’s the same as your intention—which is one of the quick wins teachers are discovering right now. A lot are still sacrificing their personal time on this when they could be using it as an assistant.”

It sparks curiosity and helps with PD. “Do we do PD every six months when new tech comes out? That’s unrealistic,” Fitzpatrick notes. “So we have to get to the core of how we learn. In order to use this technology, we need to start with curiosity. The main limitation of ChatGPT is ourselves. So we have to build curiosity and imagination. Form really good questions.

“That’s why when people say literacy is over, I think the absolute opposite is true. There’s a false dichotomy between literacy and AI. With AI, you’re only limited by your own literacy. This is a chatbot. You have to go back and forth with it. Critical thinking? It’s vitally important.”

AI, he points out, learns from itself. As a result, Fitzpatrick says, “I genuinely wonder, will we ever get to the maturity stage with AI? Not if it keeps growing and growing over decades and decades to come. It’s like the internet. There’s always more innovation on the internet, and there is always going to be more.

“It’s really important because a lot of people see ChatGPT as just another tool. But it’s like electricity—it’s the power you’re going to use to create ever better tools, more progressive tools. It’s not like an iPhone, for instance. Who queues for an Apple phone outside the store anymore? It doesn’t happen. I hate to break it to you but the innovation has slowed down and the new phones aren’t too dissimilar from the one you bought two years ago. It’s reached maturity now.” ChatGPT, on the other hand, continues to innovate and grow with no limitations in sight.

The time to embrace it, Fitzpatrick notes, is now, for both students and teachers. “If we go to these skills not just for students but also teachers, then when the new technology comes out we’re prepared to deal with it without having to be spoon-fed how to use it and what it means. It gives them agency to be innovative themselves.”

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After discussing digital citizenship with many leaders, I reflected on its importance from a district perspective. To prepare for my part in the #DigCitAcademy, I recognized that digital citizenship is an essential skill for students in today’s increasingly digital world. It involves understanding how to behave responsibly and ethically online and how to use technology safely and effectively.

One of the main reasons that digital citizenship is essential in schools is that it helps to prepare students for the real world. In today’s society, technology is an integral part of daily life, and using it responsibly and effectively is a critical skill. By teaching students about digital citizenship, schools can ensure that they are equipped with the knowledge and skills they need to navigate the online world safely and successfully.

Digital citizenship improves school climate

Another reason digital citizenship is essential in schools is that it can help promote a positive and safe online environment. By teaching students about appropriate online behavior, schools can help reduce cyberbullying, harassment, and other harmful online activities. This can create a more inclusive and supportive learning environment for all students.

Furthermore, digital citizenship can promote critical thinking and media literacy among students. By teaching students how to evaluate the information they find online and how to use technology responsibly, schools can help develop their critical thinking skills and prepare them to be savvy and responsible digital citizens.

Overall, digital citizenship is a crucial concept for students to understand in today’s digital world. By promoting responsible and ethical online behavior, fostering a positive and safe online environment, and promoting critical thinking and media literacy, schools can prepare students for the challenges and opportunities of the digital age.

So how can schools and district leadership begin talking to students about digital citizenship? There are several ways:

1. Start by incorporating digital citizenship lessons into the curriculum. This can be done through dedicated lessons on topics such as online safety, responsible social media use, and cyberbullying prevention. These lessons can be incorporated into existing classes, such as media literacy or computer science, or can be offered as standalone classes or workshops.
2. Make use of digital citizenship resources. There are many resources available to schools that can help to facilitate discussions about digital citizenship. These can include lesson plans, activities, videos and other materials.
3. Involve students in the conversation. Encourage students to share their experiences and perspectives on digital citizenship and create a space where they can discuss the issues and challenges they face online. This can foster a sense of community and support among students and provide valuable insights for teachers and school administrators.
4. Develop and implement a comprehensive digital citizenship program. A comprehensive program can ensure that students receive consistent and comprehensive instruction on the importance of responsible and ethical online behavior.
5. Set a positive example for students. School leaders can be role models for digital citizenship by modeling responsible and ethical online behavior. This can involve practicing good online safety habits, such as using strong passwords and avoiding sharing personal information online, and promoting technology in a responsible and respectful manner.
6. Promote a positive and safe online environment. School leaders can help create a positive and safe online environment by establishing clear policies and guidelines for appropriate online behavior and providing support and resources for students who experience cyberbullying or other harmful online activities.

Connecting with the community

Leaders also have to promote digital citizenship in the community. School leaders can support digital citizenship by involving parents and the wider community in the conversation. This can involve hosting events and workshops for parents, collaborating with community organizations to promote digital citizenship, and sharing information and resources with the wider community.

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By hosting community events and workshops, sharing information and resources, partnering with community organizations, and engaging with local media outlets, school districts can help to promote understanding and engagement with this important topic.

Because digital citizenship refers to the responsible use of technology and the internet leaders too often focus on just the dangers, but the true drive to emphasize digital citizenship is also to highlight the positive aspects of digital citizenship, such as:

• Access to information: The internet has made it easier than ever before to access a vast amount of information on virtually any topic. This can help people learn new things, discover new ideas, and expand their knowledge and understanding of the world.
• Connectivity: The internet has also allowed people to connect with others worldwide. This can help foster a sense of community and belonging and provide support and collaboration opportunities.
• Convenience: Technology and the internet have made many everyday tasks and activities more convenient. For example, people can now shop, bank, and communicate with others from their homes.
• Creativity and expression: The internet has also provided a platform for people to express themselves and share their creative work with others. This can include writing, art, music, and video, among other things.
• Opportunities for learning and growth: The internet has also opened up new opportunities for learning and personal growth. For example, people can now take online courses, watch educational videos, and access a wide variety of learning resources.

Overall, digital citizenship can provide many benefits and opportunities for individuals, communities, and society as a whole. By developing and implementing comprehensive digital citizenship, school leaders can help to ensure that students have the knowledge and skills they need to be responsible and successful digital citizens.

The post Why is digital citizenship essential? Here are 6 ways to start the conversation appeared first on District Administration.