NRSD has developed guidelines and protocols for the responsible and effective integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) within the district. AI offers significant potential for teaching and learning at NRSD, but also requires careful consideration of ethical implications, academic integrity, and data privacy. Our AI plan aims to empower our educators and enhance student learning by developing AI literacy, ensuring both staff and students gain a shared, foundational understanding of what AI is, its applications, and its limitations. Our AI approach is about using artificial intelligence as a tool to support, not replace, the essential human skills of critical thinking, creativity, and communication.
This is a phased approach, starting with the development of our AI Literacy Framework this summer, built for our collective learning community to understand, use, and evaluate AI technologies effectively and ethically. Our framework:
Empowers our educators to use AI to enhance their professional practice, including using it for lesson planning, creating resources, and personalizing instruction.
Teaches students how to use AI responsibly for things like brainstorming, research, and refining their work to deepen their understanding, not as a shortcut.
Promotes responsible use to ensure that both staff and students understand what AI can do, its limitations, and how to use it safely and ethically. This focus includes teaching about academic integrity, data privacy, and evaluating AI-generated content for accuracy and bias.
To support this plan, we've developed resources to provide clear guidance for our entire community. First, the NRSD AI Handbook is a comprehensive guide that outlines our protocols for responsible AI use, academic integrity, and integration strategies like lesson planning, creating resources, and personalizing instruction.
To start the year, we launched the NRSD AI Classroom Guide as a district-wide adoption to provide a consistent approach to AI for grades 6-12. This guide offers practical strategies for integrating AI into the classroom and provides clear guidelines for students on when AI use is permitted and when it is not. It includes a "stoplight" system to make it easy for students, staff, and caregivers to understand the rules. The goal is to promote deeper learning and help students understand the ethical considerations and importance of academic integrity when using these new technologies.
We will also be developing a team of “AI Lead” teachers to strengthen understanding and effective teaching and learning with and about artificial intelligence at Nashoba. Throughout the year, these AI Leads will collaborate to identify successful integration strategies and develop professional learning opportunities for their colleagues to advance AI literacy and integration in a format designed by educators for educators.