The La Cañada Unified School District has been laying the foundation for the arrival of artificial intelligence, both in policy and practice.
The technology could be disruptive, and that warrants discussion among district staff and students, according to officials.
Associate superintendent of technology services Jamie Lewsadder and district technology integrationist Lindsay Staley has spearheaded an effort to assist teachers as they learn about the ins and outs of AI, and how to properly use the technology.
To understand AI through the lens of “The La Cañada Difference,” Lewsadder has convened an Emerging Tech Council, composed of students, teachers, administrators, and members of our LCF community who are experts in technology fields. Her work has centered around defining and educating our community about safety, security, and privacy when using AI tools, and her team will identify opportunities and make recommendations for future training sessions and district policies.
Staley has been working with teachers to explain how AI works and describe what may be coming, discussing how it may change the way classrooms operate and defining what constitutes plagiarism when using AI. At the same time, she has worked with the student leaders on the LCHS 9-12 Tech Council to lead the charge in educating their peers and their teachers.
Lewsadder and Staley, with the approval of LCHS administration, shared with teachers’ language for their class syllabi addressing the use of AI, with the understanding that the policies will change as the technology — and our use of it — changes over time.
For now, district officials will encourage students to responsibly try out the technology and use it for positive purposes. Administrators said they see it as a tool for greater personalization of learning for students. For example, students will learn to compose prompts for the AI, or train it to accomplish certain tasks. Others may employ AI image creation tools to help visualize complex topics. Teachers may use these tools to generate rubrics or alternative assessment to allow students to show mastery in new ways. Whatever the future holds, the district said it is committed to learning about this technology to teach students how to use it responsibly now and into college and their future careers.
First published in the January 4 print issue of the Outlook Valley Sun.
