LM March 2024

in case you missed it...

This presentation featured superintendents in AASA’s Advanc ing Rural Education cohort discussing how they are building industry credentials and enhancing pathways for rural youth in their states. Learn how they are connecting work-based learn ing and higher education and promoting meaningful careers and viability of local economic development. Panelists : Todd Dugan, Superintendent of Bunker Hill CUSD #8; Bret Miles, Colorado Association of School Exec utives; Jeff Dillon, Superintendent of Wilder School District 133; Jill Louters., Superintendent of New Rockford-Shey enne School District. 1 Personalized Learning: Since 2016, the Wilder School District in Idaho has offered students a personalized learning model, where there are no grade levels in the district, only mastery levels. In the beginning there was hesitancy by parents but having one-on-one conversa tions with parents and asking them if it would be alright for the district to personalize a learning experience for their child helped alleviate pushback 2 Portrait of a Graduate: School districts can develop their own Portrait of a Graduate framework that outlines the goals of what it looks like to be a successful grad uate in their community. Requiring community service can be part of a student’s graduation plan. 3 Rural Students Population: There are more rural areas in the United States than most people realize. According to AASA, 72 percent of the country’s landmass is rural. Similarly, the majority (53 percent) of school districts throughout the country are rural. More than one in four of America’s public schools (27.7 percent) are rural. Game-Changing Opportunities for Rural Youth 5 Save Money: School districts don’t need to spend money on hiring “experts” to assist in the implementation of AI in schools. Many of the AI platforms are free and can be learned by having teachers and instructional leaders experiment with it.

Leveraging AI to Increase Productivity and Efficiency

ChatGPT and other advanced AI technologies have present ed some news and unique challenges to our instructional programs. AI has also created great opportunities to improve the productivity and efficiency of both our instructional programs and the overall operations of school administrative functions. Dr. Bill Daggett shared innovative instructional practices and operational methods from the nation’s most successful districts that have embraced the capabilities of AI. He also described how modern technology has reduced the amount of time that staff spend on tasks, reduced stress levels and produced cost savings. Panelist : Dr. Bill Daggett, founder of Successful Practices Network 1 AI Tools: The three new AI platforms educators should be aware of that are replacing ChatGPT are: “Claude AI”, “PI: Your Personal AI Assistant” and “Gamma.” 2 Creating Schedules: Within the next two years, school districts across the country will be using AI to create bus schedules and master schedules, significantly cutting down the time it takes to develop. Gamma can be used to help create schedules. 3 Writing Prompts: The ability to write an AI prompt is a critical skill for students to learn because it is highly valued by employers. Prompts need to be detailed and clearly articulate what you want AI to generate. In some cases, a prompt could be three to four pages long. Schools should consider embedding AI prompt writing into the language arts curriculum. 4 Time Saver: When talking about AI use with teachers, frame the conversation around getting your nights and weekends back. AI, for example, can be used to assist with writing IEP plans for students, creating instructional materials personalized to student interests and even grading assessments (Claude AI). AI programs will even learn over time how to write in your style.

23 LM March 2024 continued...