Welcome to AI @ Westside

This page is your comprehensive guide to Artificial Intelligence (AI) within the Westside Community Schools. We'll provide essential guidance on its responsible and effective integration, along with best practices, recommended tools, and valuable resources to support our educators and students. Our aim is to foster a learning environment where AI can enhance educational outcomes, streamline administrative tasks, and prepare students for a future shaped by advanced technology.

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Principles and Beliefs

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is becoming an integral part of education. To ensure its responsible use, Westside will implement a structured AI policy to build literacy, enhance safety and security, train staff, improve efficiency, and raise awareness.

District AI Goals

1. Building Artificial Intelligence Literacy

2. Ensuring Safety & Security

3. Enhancing Staff Artificial Intelligence Literacy to Improve Efficiency

4. Enhancing Teaching & Learning with Artificial Intelligence

5. Transparency & Community Engagement: Raising Awareness of Artificial Intelligence’s Impact

Ethical Use of AI in the Classroom

The ethical integration of AI in education calls for a thoughtful approach. Teachers and administrators must engage with AI as a tool for support, always ensuring that their expertise remains central to decision-making. When used responsibly, AI can enrich lesson planning, refine feedback, and streamline administrative tasks, but its role should never overshadow the professional discernment of educators.

Transparency is foundational.

Whether AI is employed to generate instructional materials, assist with grading, or analyze school data, its use must be clear. Misconceptions about AI’s capabilities—particularly its tendency to generate plausible but incorrect information—make it essential for educators to critically assess its outputs. If an AI tool suggests an improvement to a student’s essay, the teacher must evaluate its validity rather than accepting it at face value.

For students, AI presents both opportunities and risks.

A chatbot might help a struggling writer brainstorm ideas, but without guidance, it could also encourage superficial engagement with the creative process. Encouraging students to use AI as a thinking partner—rather than a shortcut—fosters critical engagement. However, outright bans on AI-generated work, particularly when enforced through unreliable detection tools, risk punitive measures that disproportionately impact certain students. Instead, educators should establish clear, adaptable guidelines that help students navigate AI’s role in academic integrity while recognizing that its presence in education is evolving.

Examples of positive uses of AI by teachers:

Keeping in mind the importance of the ethical use of AI in the classroom, teachers can utilize AI to help improve their teaching. Examples include: Lesson planning and creating instructional materials, providing feedback to students and generating formative assessments, providing student tutoring and support and using AI for research and writing assistance.

Sample Syllabus Statement for Secondary Teachers

At Westside Community Schools, we believe that Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be a valuable tool to support your learning journey, enhance critical thinking, and foster responsible digital citizenship. Our primary goal is for you to develop and demonstrate your own understanding and skills. Therefore, AI should serve as an assistive tool, not a replacement for your own thinking and creation.

When using AI in [insert course name], be sure to:

Be transparent – Be open and honest with how you use AI.
Use it responsibly – Follow the directions for the assignment, cite your AI use where appropriate, and make sure the final work reflects your own thinking. If you are ever unsure if you can use AI for an assignment, ask your teacher.
Do the learning – AI is a tool, not a replacement for your thinking or your work.

[Specific statements determined by the department and/or PLC. Example would be OK to use on formative or NOT OK to use on summative (if needed and approved by building administration): ]

Tools and Tutorials

We're committed to empowering our students and staff with cutting-edge tools that enhance learning, productivity, and creativity.

While these generative AI tools, which excel at creating text, images, and other content, are a key focus, it's important to remember that AI encompasses a much broader spectrum. Artificial intelligence is already integrated into many other aspects of our educational environment, from adaptive learning platforms and intelligent tutoring systems to data analysis and personalized feedback tools. We believe in exploring the full potential of AI to enrich the educational experience in diverse and innovative ways.

Google Gemini is available for Staff and students 7-12.

Apple Intelligence is available for Staff and Students 7-12

Students 13 and up, and Staff can access ChatGPT through Apple Intelligence in a privacy protecting way

Want to learn more about how to use these tools? Check out our resource hub below.

Learn More

Resources

Navigate the World of AI: Essential Resources for All

What is AI?

In this short video, Dr. Lindgren and Dr. Lee walk you through what AI is and its impact on education.

View the video

Generative AI through an Educator's Lense

Explore resources put together by teachers for teachers on ChatGPT and other generative AI tools. Great for parents, teachers and administrators.

ISTE: ChatGPT for Educators

As you’ve no doubt heard, since this artificial intelligence program became freely available to the public, ChatGPT has made educators nervous, excited and curious about the impact it will have on our field.

Common Sence Education on AI

Free Resources to Explore and use ChatGPT and AI

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Artificial Intelligence - Questions and Answers

AI is rapidly transforming various industries, and education is no exception. As artificial intelligence tools become more integrated into learning environments, questions naturally arise. This FAQ aims to address common questions from educators, students, and parents about leveraging AI to enhance the educational experience, foster innovation, and prepare learners for the future.

What is Artificial Intelligence

How does AI 'learn'?

AI learns through a process called "machine learning." Imagine showing a computer thousands of pictures of cats and dogs. Over time, the computer learns to identify the patterns that distinguish a cat from a dog. The more data it processes, the better it gets at recognizing things, making predictions, or generating new content. This learning happens through algorithms – a set of rules or instructions that tell the machine what to do with the data.

What is "Generative AI" and why is everyone talking about it?

Generative AI is a type of AI that can create new content, such as text, images, music, or even code. Popular examples you might have heard of include ChatGPT or Google Gemini. Unlike traditional AI that might just analyze existing data, generative AI can produce novel responses based on the massive amounts of information it has been trained on. This is why it's so exciting and, at times, a bit concerning, as it can create original essays, stories, or artwork.

Where do we already encounter AI in our lives?

AI is all around us, often working in the background!

Virtual assistants: Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant use AI to understand your voice commands.
Recommendations: When Netflix suggests a movie or Amazon recommends a product, that's AI at work, analyzing your past preferences.
Navigation apps: Google Maps or Waze use AI to find the fastest route.
Spam filters: Your email uses AI to identify and filter out unwanted messages.

Will AI replace teachers?

No, we do not believe AI will not replace teachers. Teachers are essential for fostering critical thinking, creativity, emotional intelligence, and social skills – qualities AI cannot replicate. Instead, AI can be a valuable tool to support teachers by:

Automating administrative tasks: AI can help with lesson planning, creating quizzes, or generating initial drafts of rubrics, freeing up teacher time.
Personalizing learning: AI-powered platforms can adapt to individual student needs, providing tailored content and feedback.
Identifying learning gaps: AI can analyze student performance data to help teachers identify areas where students need more support.

How can teachers integrate AI?

Integrating AI effectively requires thoughtful planning:

Model responsible use: Demonstrate to students how to use AI tools ethically and productively.
Teach AI literacy: Help students understand how AI works, its capabilities, and its limitations.
Focus on critical thinking: Design assignments that encourage students to analyze, evaluate, and synthesize information, rather than just relying on AI for answers.
Utilize AI for differentiation: Use AI to create customized learning materials or provide additional support for students with diverse needs.
Stay informed: Keep up-to-date with new AI developments and educational tools.

What are the risks with using AI?

Generally, AI tools can be safe and beneficial for children when used with appropriate supervision and guidance. However, it's crucial to be aware of potential risks:

Accuracy: AI can sometimes produce inaccurate, nonsensical, or fabricated information (often called "hallucinations"). Teach your child to question information and verify it from reliable sources.
Bias: AI systems are trained on data, and if that data contains biases (e.g., societal stereotypes), the AI might reflect those biases in its responses.
Privacy: Be cautious about the personal information your child shares with AI tools. Do not use your child's name, school, or any other identifying details.
Over-reliance: Encourage your child to use AI as a tool to support their learning, not to replace critical thinking and effort.

How do I talk with my student about AI?

Open and honest conversations are key!

Explain what it is: Use simple terms to describe how AI works and what it can do.
Discuss its limitations: Emphasize that AI isn't always right and can make mistakes.
Foster critical thinking: Encourage them to evaluate information from AI and compare it with other sources.
Set boundaries: Discuss appropriate uses of AI for schoolwork and personal use, just as you would with any other technology.
Emphasize human skills: Remind them of the importance of creativity, problem-solving, and original thought – skills AI can enhance but not replace.

How will AI impact students in the future?

AI is rapidly transforming many industries, and basic AI literacy will become increasingly important.

Enhanced learning: AI can offer personalized learning experiences, tailoring content and pacing to your child's individual needs.
New skills: Students will need to learn how to effectively and ethically use AI tools as part of their academic and professional lives.
Job market evolution: While AI may automate some tasks, it will also create new jobs and demand skills that involve working with AI.

What are some positive ways AI can be used by students?

AI can be a powerful learning assistant if used wisely:

Personalized tutoring: Some AI tools can provide step-by-step guidance on problems or explain complex concepts in different ways.
Research assistance: AI can help you brainstorm ideas, summarize information, or find relevant resources (always verify!).
Writing support: AI can assist with grammar checks, rephrasing sentences, or overcoming writer's block (but it's crucial to do your own thinking and writing!).

How can students know if the information AI generated is accurate?

Just like with any information you find online, it's important to be a critical consumer:

Cross-reference: Check the information from the AI against other reliable sources like textbooks, reputable websites, or library resources.
Look for citations: If the AI provides sources, check if those sources are real and support the information.
Sense check: Does the information make sense? Does it align with what you already know or what your teacher has taught?
Ask your teacher: If you're unsure, ask your teacher for guidance.

Have more questions?

AI is a powerful tool with the potential to transform education for the better. By understanding its basics, addressing concerns, and embracing responsible use, we can empower students to thrive in an increasingly AI-driven world. If you have more questions about AI and how Westide is utilizing this tool, please get in touch with us!

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