JANUARY 2024 ■ VOLUME 26 ■ NUMBER 1
Technology in Schools
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Technology in Schools JANUARY 2024 ■ VOLUME 26 ■ NUMBER 1
The Indiana Association of School Principals leads in the advocacy and support of all principals in their commitment to every child.
President’s Letter - Technology. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 IDOE - Technology in Schools. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 From the AP Lens: Navigating the AI Landscape with ChatGPT for Enhanced Efficiency and Innovation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 TECHNOLOGY IN SCHOOLS
The Revenge of Ken Jennings: AI in Education. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 STEM Triumphs: New Tech’s Tech Odyssey. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 What School Principals Should Know About Working with Artificial Intelligence (AI) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
IPLI Updates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 SERVICE
Riley Kids Caring & Sharing Update. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 LEGAL REVIEW
KGR Law Briefing: Fourth Amendment & Cellphone Searches. . . . . . . . . . . . 20
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EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS Tiffany Barrett Kert Boedicker Kelli Brotherton Keith Burke Sarah Gore April Holder Rick Hunt Wendy Ivey Nicholas Mitchaner Dan Peo Jessica Poe Kelly Storms 11025 East 25th Street Indianapolis, IN 46229 1-800-285-2188 or 317-891-9900 www.iasp.org tbarrett@iasp.org © 2023 Indiana Association of School Principals All rights reserved. Any duplication without prior written permission is strictly prohibited.
PRESIDENT’S LETTER
Technology I remember many years ago sitting in a computer lab at Indiana University learning computer programming using a floppy disk. Computers were much bigger, much louder, and much slower. I cannot remember using email back then and mobile phones – the really big ones - were just becoming a thing. Who knew that what we saw as kids on the cartoon The Jetsons would one day become our reality. We have come a long way in 30+ years. As building leaders, we are often on the front lines in determining ‘best practice’ for technology usage. I have had to make decisions about computer programs, software, and devices. I have learned that if you do not keep up with the latest trends in technology, you will get left behind. We are inundated with innovative technologies from school management systems, instructional platforms, and presentation programs from Zoom to Canvas to Skyward to PowerSchool to Schoology to Microsoft Teams to Google classrooms and to Apple TV. When it comes to instructional support, we have used Read 180, Scholastic 44, Khan Academy, ALEKS, IXL, Quizziz, NEWSELA, and Kahoot! (to name a few). Each year we are presented with another “new” technology that is going to transform teaching and learning. I wish I could say that I am enthusiastic about the latest trends in technology: but I am not. However, I am cautiously optimistic. Technology is a blessing and a curse for school leaders. Technology used correctly can be transformational. But we also must also take the good with the bad. A few issues driving school leaders crazy are cell phones, the videotaping of fights, Tik Tok dances and challenges, and now ChatGPT. Discussions about banning cellphones in schools are happening at the legislative level as they are a huge distraction in the learning environment. Studies have shown the outrageous number of notifications students receive during a single school day. No wonder the attention span of our students is so short, and many are struggling with mental health issues. Some students are so addicted to their phones that they are willing to fight teachers if they are taken away. And no matter how many times students are told to not post inappropriate pictures online, they do it anyway. Do you remember the “devious lick” challenge circulating on Tik Tok? We replaced several bathroom soap and paper towel dispensers that year. ChatGPT began circulating last year and created another headache. Artificial intelligence is everywhere. I just learned about AI Bots that can take notes on Zoom calls so that you don’t have to be present. Do we ban it? Do we support it? How do we teach with it? How do we consequence for it? Should I use it? I wish I had the answers. What I do know is that the purpose of technology is to enhance curriculum and instruction, and not replace human interaction. I know that it is important to learn as much as you can about innovative technologies and not to run from it. When new technologies emerge, ask yourself how this can benefit your school. Identify your technology experts and have them present to the staff and educate them on how to effectively use it. Focus on the positive uses of technology. It isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Remember, it is our job to learn how to use it effectively and appropriately and help our teachers and students do the same. Dr. Crystal Murff Thorpe IASP President
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FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
IASP Executive Committee Dr. Crystal Murff Thorpe President Dr. Holly Arnold President-Elect It would be easy to write volumes on the use of technology in our schools, or to even have ChatGPT write it for me! What I will write is that I marvel with each technological advance, school leaders have integrated this into their learning environment and found creative ways for students to apply the learning in the content areas. We have also understood the challenges that technology brings to the classroom and to the home environment and worked to limit the negative impact for our students. I have enough experience now (that means I started teaching in the 80s…) to remember and be a part of the discussions of how each new piece of technology would transform the classroom and how it would be the way all students would learn. This applied to the TV, Whiteboards (before we had Smartboards), computers, various Apple products, and now Artificial Intelligence. I also agree with our President, Dr. Crystal Murff Thorpe in her column as she states, “What I do know is that the purpose of technology is to enhance curriculum and instruction, and not replace human interaction.” In March of 2020 we were all forced to apply instruction through technology as remote learning became our classrooms. The suddenness of this certainly created numerous challenges, as did students not appearing on camera, Zoom fatigue, the blurring of work/home, and the enormous loss of personal connections with our students. Indiana educators were phenomenal throughout this time and have proven that innovative technology is a great tool. Numerous times we told our state leaders and legislators that we learned a great deal throughout our remote learning time and that applying this to our traditional school setting would be beneficial. This has helped us think about the time students need to spend in the classroom and the potential to have students exhibit mastery via demonstrated skills. One lesson I took away was that a Zoom session I am running will not always go perfectly, that this is ok, and to remember to unmute myself !
Jennifer Matasovsky Vice President Matt Shockley Past President Amy Niemeier NAESP State Representative Dave Strouse NASSP State Coordinator Steve Baker Liaison to the DOE Dr. Daniel Peo Assistant Principal Liaison
Artificial Intelligence, of course, is our latest challenge/opportunity and is an area I need to better understand and to better utilize. Clearly, we know it can write articles and essays for us, and clearly some will misapply this or fail to edit the AI generated text. This type of error has been present in all those other tech innovations over the years (we have seen some interesting stuff on Zoom) and our role as educators is to help teach the right application in the right setting. There will always be value in learning the writing process, otherwise we won’t know what or how to edit. I do know, however, that some newsletter articles and parent letters are now an easier process and a time saver for school leaders. I always prided myself on being able to rework a bell schedule due to fog or other interruptions, now a better way can be to apply AI while I am speaking with our kids and staff so they understand how we will proceed. I invite you to continue to learn and grow in all our current and future technologies, and to be present for our kids as they make mistakes so we help them develop. For my final lesson of the day, and a non-tech lesson, is that the best tool is still the ability to talk and observe and interact with our students and staff. This lesson, applied across all technologies, helps bring forth all the positives and diminishes those negatives that will arise. Education is still the best profession to be in, as education is our way to help change lives. Dr. Todd D. Bess IASP Executive Director
Future Indianagram themes February: Be Kind! March: March Mayhem April: Safety May: End of Year Reflection, Growth, & Celebration! June: The BEST of 2023-2024 Share your thoughts on the Indianagram: https://forms.gle/sCmLHwnh4aYcTJdr8
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UPCOMING EVENTS IASP hosts events throughout the year to support the growth and development of Indiana school administrators and students. Each event is intentionally designed to encourage and engage all participants in the pursuit of learning! Find A Full List Of Events at www.iasp.org/Events
Special thanks to our Platinum Corporate Sponsor
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Technology in Schools Dr. Katie Jenner Indiana Secretary of Education A note from Dr. Katie Jenner, Indiana Secretary of Education: For this article, I’ve asked Diana Smith, IDOE’s Director of Digital Learning, Bradley Hagg, Director of Educational Technology, and Dana Calfee, STEM & Computer Science Specialist, to write about navigating the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the classroom. There are a lot of ways we could look at AI, and while there will certainly be some challenging impacts that we’ll have to work through, I think our question also must be, “How might we leverage AI to improve education for our students?” By embracing technology and continuing to innovate, we can ensure our work in K-12 education is best aligned with the needs of our state…and that our students are equipped to reach their full potential in an ever-evolving world. AI systems like ChatGPT have been a frequent topic of conversation for over a year now. Many of these systems were not created with K-12 education in mind, but it didn’t take long for educators to get excited about their potential. While ChatGPT isn’t synonymous with artificial intelligence (AI), it is the platform driving the conversations about AI and its use by learners. In education, AI refers to how computers mimic human perception and decision making to complete tasks and generate new ideas. AI has been in existence for many years with things like spell check and suggestive text. Bixby, Alexa, and Siri are just three of the AI tools that many of us have with us at all times. These examples were once perceived as truly cutting edge; yet, today they are part of our daily routines. In a few short years,
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the same will likely be true for what are today considered emerging technologies. So how can we embrace this new technology and maximize its impact for students and educators? As educators, we must first increase our own AI literacy, understanding both how to use AI and how AI works. With this knowledge, we’ll be better equipped to evaluate the different AI tools at our disposal and make informed decisions about which of those tools can best benefit our students. A good place to start is viewing the four-part Artificial Intelligence Workshop Series in the Indiana Learning Lab. One benefit of teaching students to use AI tools is the potential to level the playing field for students, providing individualized support in real-time. Imagine all students having an expert tutor at their fingertips, both during and outside of the school day, to reteach a challenging concept or provide a different instructional approach. Imagine that same tool also supporting teachers in developing lessons, sharing important data about student performance in real time, and even assisting with grading. For some schools in Indiana, this is already a reality. Indiana is on the leading edge of helping schools to embrace AI in a strategic and responsible manner. Right now, 45,000 students and 2,500 teachers in school buildings across the state are part of an IDOE-led initiative to pilot AI-powered tools. Participating corporations were not only eager to use AI, but were also very thoughtful and intentional
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in identifying a specific purpose they aimed to achieve and thus, the right AI-powered tools to meet their unique, local needs. As part of the pilot, schools are using AI to support students in math skills, promote critical thinking in the writing process, and explore how such tools can promote early literacy. Each of the tools funded through this pilot were also designed specifically for K-12 environments, which means they prioritize data privacy, an important consideration in our classrooms. The conversation about AI in K-12 education exists perfectly at the intersection of innovation, computer science, and ethics and safety. As we work to support our schools, educators, students, and families in adapting to new technologies, we look forward to continuing to share ideas and generate best practices that allow us to create future-focused learning opportunities for all Indiana students. Our team will continue sharing resources and guidance in both the Indiana Learning Lab and Dr. Jenner’s Weekly Update. While we may not have all of the answers today, AI is certainly here to stay. We have an opportunity to continue working together to build some common understanding and collective efficacy in this space. Thank you for partnering with us as we prepare students to fully engage in an everevolving society.
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ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL CONNECTION
From the AP Lens: Navigating the AI Landscape with ChatGPT for Enhanced Efficiency and Innovation Dr. Dan Peo Assistant Principal Avon High School IASP Assistant Principal Liaison Liz Garden Principal Henry P. Clough Elementary Past President - MA School Admin. Assoc. Wayne Dyer, author and motivational speaker, is quoted as saying, “If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” For many educators, hearing about AI and platforms like ChatGPT causes heartburn as we worry that students will be academically dishonest with these tools in their hands. On the other hand, if we look at these platforms differently, is it possible for us as leaders to leverage these tools to make our lives a bit easier? That is the question this month! I am so excited to introduce Mrs. Liz Garden, the Principal at Henry P. Clough Elementary in Mendon, Massachusetts. Mrs. Garden recently co-authored a piece with Amber Teamann, executive director of technology and innovation for Crandall Independent School District in Crandall, Texas. The piece is entitled “To ChatGPT or Not to ChatGPT, That is the Question,” for the National Association of Elementary School Principals. After reading this article, I asked if Liz would co-author with me to share some tips on how she leverages ChatGPT to her advantage as a busy school leader. Take it away, Liz – and thanks! Besides being a busy school leader, I am also a collector of quotes. Socrates said it best when he said, “The secret of change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old, but building the new.” Not sure if Socrates could have predicted anything related to artificial intelligence, but it is certainly the new that is having an impact on the educational world right now. The simplest definition of Artificial Intelligence, or AI, is the science of making machines that think like humans. And that concept can be scary for people, especially educators. Our main goal is to teach humans to think. Now there are apps, programs, and machines that have the ability to think like humans?! It is more important than ever for us as educational leaders to focus our energy on figuring out how to keep building within this new AI-filled world. One of the AI-powered tools that educators are nervous about is called ChatGPT. This new tool has caused some worry from educators. Will students become too reliant on ChatGPT? Will it ruin students’ writing? Will they be able to learn from their mistakes if ChatGPT is always there to give them the correct answer? As school leaders, we need to be able to help educators navigate this new world of Artificial Intelligence. We need to be familiar with the capabilities and limitations of tools 8
like ChatGPT. It’s a tool that is not going away, so we should certainly make every effort to maximize its power for good. Just as the world is changing with ever-evolving technology and innovation, so are our roles as school leaders. The job has changed so much, especially after we have led our schools through a pandemic. Just as our jobs have changed, so have the tools available to help us do our jobs. We all know that our todo lists are long and often feel never-ending. ChatGPT is a tool that can help us be efficient and possibly even gain some time back. And once we become comfortable with using ChatGPT, we can also help educators use AI tools in their classrooms. My suggestion for any school leader who is new to ChatGPT is to simply begin playing around with it. ChatGPT interacts primarily through text-based conversations. It analyzes your message input and generates appropriate responses accordingly. Its memory is limited and can only process conversations one at a time. Let me share with you some examples of how you can use ChatGPT on the job. ■ Help with the interview process - We all have to spend time focused on the hiring process. Let ChatGPT help you by asking it to develop a set of interview questions that are specific to a certain role and include questions related to culture, growth mindset, content-specific knowledge, etc. You could also have ChatGPT create an interview assignment like a writing prompt that will test a candidate’s abilities. You can even ask it to create a rubric that will help you score the prompt. ■ Communication is key - Communication with our staff and families is important and a necessary part of our job if we want to be effective leaders. Let ChatGPT help you generate your weekly newsletters to families. You can be specific about the content in the newsletter, as well as the style that you want it written in. For example, you can tell ChatGPT that you want to write a newsletter that discusses an upcoming open house event and you want the language used to be inviting to parents and guardians. Then you can ask ChatGPT to translate it into any language for you! ■ So many books and not enough time to read - There are always education-related books being published, but with our jobs, we don’t always have time to read them. Let ChatGPT help you by asking it to summarize a specific book. You can have it generate a list of insights from the book. You can also do the same thing with articles to help you learn more about research related to teaching and learning. Or maybe you are preparing to lead professional development and you need information to support your topic? Quickly get summaries of recent research and then you can even ask ChatGPT for ideas of activities to try when working with teachers around the research. ■ Decisions, decisions, decisions - I read somewhere that school leaders make something like 300 decisions a day. That hurt my brain just to write that! Let ChatGPT help you make some of those decisions. You can say what you are
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ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL CONNECTION
trying to decide, and then ask ChatGPT to give you a list of pros and cons that will help you decide. ■ Make your writing even stronger - Now that I have been a school leader for over 15 years, I have lots of text I have generated over the years. Often, I can recycle letters, forms, templates that I have used. ChatGPT has allowed me to continually make my writing even better. I can paste a piece of writing into ChatGPT and explain that I want the writing edited and I want suggestions for improving the clarity. ChatGPT is a quick and easy proofreader! I have a feeling that once you start experimenting with ChatGPT, you will not only see how powerful AI tools can be, but you will also realize that these new, innovative tools can push us to up our game and become even better school leaders. We are required to “do it all” as school leaders. While that can
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be a daunting expectation, ChatGPT can help us to lighten the workload and be efficient, effective school leaders. I have shared just a few ideas to get you started with ChatGPT. I know leaders who have used ChatGPT to come up with creative bulletin board messages, write personalized stories about their school for kids to read, help come up with themes or ideas for back to school meetings with staff, generate jokes to be used on announcements, or help with developing specific feedback for observations to name a few. The list is truly endless. I imagine that while reading this article, you have already started to think of some items on your to-do list that ChatGPT can help you with. What are you waiting for? I challenge you all to head over to chat.openai.com and get started today! Mrs. Garden can be reached via email at lgarden@mursd.org.
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TECHNOLOGY IN SCHOOLS
The Revenge of Ken Jennings: AI in Education Chris Young Strategic Learning Coordinator Southern Hancock Schools The 3 Most Important Dates in Education in the 21st Century: ■ December 15, 2005 ■ March 12, 2020 ■ November 30, 2022 Actually, we don’t like to talk about that second one anymore, so what’s significant about the other two dates? Do you know? December 15, 2005, was the launch date of YouTube. Since that time, YouTube has had a massive impact on education and learning. The platform has influenced every school and district in the state of Indiana. It’s hard to imagine what schools, or even life, would be like without it, although there was such a time. While YouTube is likely accessible for most teachers and students now, it took as long as a decade before some schools allowed accessju. With any new technology and ideas in education, we want to ensure we understand it, that it is effective, and most importantly, that it is safe for students and staff. That leads us to the next significant date. November 30, 2022, was when ChatGPT was launched. The day before this launch, the concept of AI was synonymous with a gigantic, supercomputer named Watson that could dominate Ken Jennings on Jeopardy. Suddenly, a powerful AI tool became just as accessible as Google. (Take that, Ken Jennings!) By December 1st, there was major panic in classrooms. A writing prompt could be given and with the click of a button, a student could produce an essay capable of winning awards. Not only that, but with an additional prompt, AI could tailor the writing to match the style and ability of the student, making it undetectable. A new, great cheating revolution was underway. Educators were frightened, and school would never be the same. Like YouTube, schools were quick to block it, and it likely remains restricted to this day. However, it’s only a matter of time before AI becomes so prevalent and powerful that it too, will be a regular part of our day-to-day activities. As we begin the journey to understand AI and its effectiveness, AI is truly ready to revolutionize your school and classrooms NOW, and I’m going to share my two favorite tools and how to partner with them to be a better leader in your building!
quotes of the day, and EVEN suggestions on how to modify assignments to make them more AI-resistant? It can do all that and so much more. It’s simple. It’s powerful. If you’ve ever wished you could hire a personal assistant, Magic School is the closest thing to that, and you should be using it right now. Seriously. Go! ChatGPT 4.0: I hesitate to share something that costs money, but 4.0 is the premium version of ChatGPT. ChatGPT 4.0 has the ability to interact with and create images, which the basic version does not have. With simple prompts, you can create incredible logos of which you have full copyright control and ownership. We’ve used them to create logos for clubs and various things in our school buildings, and the final product is amazing. You’ll look like a genius. However, the biggest revelation for me though is that it can read graphs and interpret data! We know how important data is to our school’s success, and now you have a supercomputer to extrapolate and find trends and correlations using advanced statistics and vast knowledge. It will save time for educators and allow us to focus more on the students themselves. While I’ll be the first to admit, the future of AI and where it goes is truly unknown. However, I do know that it is not going anywhere, and it’s only a matter of time before it starts impacting our everyday lives in almost every facet. We have long said that students are more than a test score, and with the help of AI, we can put that into action. AI in schools should enable educators to invest more in the attributes that computers will never be able to surpass us in, and that is being a relatable human who makes meaningful connections with students. Relationships. That, my friends, is how we help Ken Jennings get his revenge on the almighty computer!
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Magic School: If you haven’t experienced this site, you are missing out. Go there now. Share it with your teachers. You’ll be a hero. It has so many useful tools that I guarantee will save time and improve outcomes. Need help generating an email reply to a tough situation? It can do that! Need text leveled for different Lexile levels? It can do that too. Need DOK levels, choice boards for any standard, jokes on any topic, review games, social stories, real-world connections, 10
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TECHNOLOGY IN SCHOOLS
STEM Triumphs: New Tech’s Tech Odyssey Chris Gibson Principal EVSC New Tech Institute HS New Tech Institute High School in Evansville began in 2010 as an innovative model high school in the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation, and our primary areas of focus are Project-Based Learning and STEM. In 2016 we earned STEM certification from the Indiana Department of Education, and we earned re-certification in 2021. One of the ways we emphasize Science and Engineering is through our Science Fair; we require all students in grades 9-11 to complete a Science/Engineering Fair project. We also require all freshmen to take Project Lead The Way Introduction to Engineering Design. We highlight Math through extensive work with the Math Professional Learning Community (PLC). Often the ‘T’ in STEM doesn’t get the airtime it deserves, but we have a few initiatives that are bringing attention to Technology. In the Fall of 2023, New Tech offered Introduction to Computer Science for the first time, and we had enough interest to justify two sections of the course. As we investigated the technology we needed to support the course, we realized our students could benefit from buying used phones to practice coding – which proved to be a decently expensive proposition. We decided to leverage funding from a local philanthropic organization, the West Side Nut Club, to fund the purchase of phones. As a result, our students have the technology that supports their relevant and authentic opportunity to learn coding. Another outlet for Technology in our school is our FIRST Robotics Team. We founded our FIRST Robotics Team (7657, the Thunderbots) in 2018, and the team has grown to include nearly twenty percent of our school’s population with a diverse representation of students. From their website: “Founded in 1989 by inventor Dean Kamen, FIRST® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is a global nonprofit (501(c)(3)) organization that prepares young people for the future through a suite of inclusive, team-based robotics programs for ages 4-18 (PreK-12)” (https://www. firstinspires.org/about). Many Indiana schools have FIRST teams in either FIRST Lego League (grades PK-8), FIRST Tech Challenge (grades 7-12), and FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC: grades 9-12). In FIRST Robotics, teams learn a new challenge each January and compete throughout March and April. The 2023 game challenge was “Charged Up” and involved teams moving cones and inflatable cubes across the game field, with a 15-second autonomous period and a 30-second period to balance three robots on a platform. New Tech has found success with our FRC team, as we were part of the winning alliance at the 2020 Bloomington District Competition and we were part of the alliance (along with Team 5010 Tiger Dynasty from Fishers High School and Team 7617 Roboblazers from University High School in Carmel) that won the 2023 Indiana FIRST Robotics State Championship.
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The win at State qualified all three teams to compete at the 2023 World Competition in Houston, Texas. FIRST Robotics affords our students many opportunities to interface with Technology in an authentic, relevant, real-world environment; students learn use coding, electrical wiring, welding, manufacturing, design, and many other skills to build the robot from scratch. We named our 2023 robot “Betty” after our 91-year-old custodian, Betty, who always took an ardent interest in our robot during the late nights our students would spend working on the bot. In addition to strengthening our students’ Technology capabilities, FIRST Robotics provides a perfect outlet to share STEM with our community. We took Betty to all fourteen EVSC Summer School sites in 2023, where more than 500 students in grades 4-8 had the opportunity to watch and drive the robot. We also brought Betty to the WNIN Kids Fest and the EV for EVV (Electric Vehicles for Evansville) events in the community where we shared STEM with more than 1000 members of the community. We also continued our tradition of having our robot at our annual STEM Fest, where more than 1000 students in grades 6-8 and an additional 1000 community members had the chance to witness and operate the robot. Finally, our Robotics Team members served as coaches and mentors for six FIRST Lego League teams at Lodge, Harper, Hebron, Tekoppel, and Perry Heights schools in Evansville, as well as the CenterPoint YMCA. Through the efforts of our team members, we facilitated STEM outreach for more than 30 students for the entire semester – complete with the opportunity for three teams to advance to the FIRST Lego League semi-state competition. We have also endeavored to explore Technology frontiers with our teachers. Artificial Intelligence is at the forefront of many aspects of society - including education. We have devoted professional development to exploring AI. One of our teachers explored “project ideas for World War 2,” and while some of the ideas were tenable - some of them were not at all appropriate for students. We have also heard of using a chat platform to write letters of recommendation for students. While this practice may provide some interesting and relevant ideas, we have to be careful not to provide any personalized student information since chat platforms learn from the input users provide. As educators, we acknowledge that we can embrace AI platforms as a tool to provide information, but we have to use discretion and best judgment before we simply adopt the information without adaptation and sound educational discernment. As we continue to strengthen STEM education opportunities for our students and educators, we will strive to build on all tenets of STEM – Technology included!
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TECHNOLOGY IN SCHOOLS
What School Principals Should Know About Working with Artificial Intelligence (AI) Dr. Michelle Grewe Education Consultant Connect the Dots, LLC Dr. Sarah Hickle Executive Director Elkhart County Special Education Cooperative Dr. Nick Elam Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership Ball State University AI is here to stay (whether we like it or not!). In education, just as in many other fields, those who embrace working with AI are better positioned to thrive than those who cling to working against AI. A popular (maybe comforting, maybe not) slogan related to AI has already emerged: No, your job isn’t going to be taken by AI…but it might be taken by a human who has learned to work with AI. In this article, we scratch the surface about the benefits and challenges of AI in education, and how educators can develop their knowledge in working with AI. School principals should be well-versed in the benefits that AI brings to education, as these advancements can impact teaching and learning outcomes. A fundamental advantage lies in the potential for personalized learning experiences. Additionally, AI streamlines administrative tasks, enabling educators and school administrators to allocate more time to instructional activities. The report “The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Education” by The World Economic Forum emphasizes the efficiency gains through task automation, freeing educators from routine administrative burdens (World Economic Forum, 2018). By automating tasks like grading, scheduling, and data management, AI contributes to a more resource-efficient educational system, allowing educators to focus on high-impact activities that directly benefit student learning. Furthermore, AI can enhance student engagement and motivation. Adaptive 12
learning platforms powered by AI can identify areas where students may struggle and provide targeted support, fostering a more inclusive educational environment (Baker & Inventado, 2014). “Artificial Intelligence in Education: A Critical Review of Applications and Challenges” by Baker and Inventado (2014) highlights the potential benefits of AI in addressing individual learning needs, leading to increased student engagement and improved learning outcomes (Baker & Inventado, 2014). Principals should recognize these advantages as they consider the integration of AI in their schools, understanding how these technologies can contribute to a more personalized, efficient, and engaging educational experience for students. On the other hand, artificial Intelligence brings about several ethical challenges school leaders must navigate. AI algorithms can perpetuate biases. Principals must be vigilant in addressing biases to ensure fair and equitable treatment for all students (Diakopoulos, 2016). AI in education has the potential to either bridge or widen the existing educational gaps. Principals need to ensure that AI applications promote inclusivity and address the diverse needs of students. This includes access to technology and the potential for creating or reinforcing disparities among student populations (Selwyn, 2019). The introduction of AI in classrooms may impact the roles of teachers and students. Ethical considerations involve balancing the benefits of AI-assisted learning with Return to Table of Contents
the preservation of teacher-student relationships and the autonomy of educators in making pedagogical decisions (Bulger & Davison, 2018). By proactively addressing these ethical considerations, educators and school leaders can harness the potential of AI in education while upholding the principles of fairness, transparency, and respect for privacy. Regarding legal and privacy issues, principals should pay special attention to issues related to compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), such as informed consent for data collection, the right to access and correct personal information, and the need for clear communication with students, parents, and educators about the data practices associated with AI technologies. By proactively addressing these legal and privacy considerations, principals can foster a secure and ethically sound environment for integrating AI in education, promoting responsible and beneficial use of these technologies. Additionally, principals need to consider how AI applications may intersect with disability laws, ensuring that the implementation of AI accommodates students with diverse needs in accordance with laws such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). School principals will be at the forefront in leading schools’ approaches to working with AI. Embarking on the implementation of AI in education necessitates a well-defined roadmap to ensure successful integration. Blikstein www.iasp.org
TECHNOLOGY IN SCHOOLS
and Wilensky’s (2019) framework for integrating AI in education underscores the need for strategic planning, recognizing the dynamic nature of AI technologies, and advocates for thoughtful execution. Collaboration among educators, IT professionals, and stakeholders is essential to align AI applications with educational objectives. The framework encourages a monitoring and evaluation process, allowing for adjustments based on feedback, ensuring a successful and sustainable integration of AI in educational settings. Common recommendations include prioritizing ethical considerations such as fairness and transparency, offering comprehensive training for educators, fostering collaboration between stakeholders, establishing clear guidelines and policies, monitoring and evaluating the impact of AI applications, promoting inclusivity, staying informed about regulations, and encouraging responsible data practices.
Professional development initiatives should be designed to keep educators abreast of emerging trends, innovative AI applications, and evolving pedagogical approaches. Platforms like EdSurge, which offer dedicated sections on AI in education, provide educators with a continuous stream of resources and updates, enabling them to engage in ongoing learning. The “Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Education” ( JAIED) also serves as a valuable resource for educators and school leaders interested in staying abreast of the latest research and developments in the field. Through peer-reviewed articles and reviews, JAIED offers a platform for understanding the evolving landscape of AI applications in education. A commitment to professional development ensures that educators remain at the forefront of educational technology, allowing them to harness the full potential of AI in service of improved teaching and learning outcomes.
References Baker, R.S.; Inventado, P.S. (2014). Educational data mining and learning analytics. In Learning Analytics; Springer: New York, NY, USA, 61–75. Blikstein, P., & Wilensky, U. (2019). Integrating STEM and computing in PK-12: Operationalizing computational thinking for STEM learning and assessment. Bulger, M., & Davison, P. (2018). The promises, challenges, and futures of media literacy. Data Society Research Institute. Retrieved from https:// datasociety.net/pubs/ia/DataAndSociety_Media_ Literacy_2018.pdf Diakopoulos, N. (2016). Accountability in Algorithmic Decision Making. Communications of the ACM, 59(2), 56-62. Selwyn, N. (2019). Should robots replace teachers? AI and the future of education. Harvard Educational Review, 89(3), 346-357. World Economic Forum. (2018). The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Education.
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LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
IPLI Updates Dr. Kelly Andrews Director Indiana Principal Leadership Institute IPLI is a premier professional development opportunity for the practicing principals of Indiana. We support you, encourage you, and provide growth in your leadership as we learn together, lead together, and connect. IPLI is well underway with a great year of learning leaders in Cohorts 10 and 11. After the IASP Conference/IPLI Seminar Day in November, principals are now launching action research as they collect data for their projects to improve leadership and schools throughout Indiana. The energy is palpable as principals and mentors grow their support networks and assist each other from north to south and east to west. Leadership can be lonely, but not in IPLI! We are there for each other! IPLI REGISTRATION FOR COHORT 12 IPLI is thrilled to announce that the Indiana Principal Leadership Institute Cohort 12 applications are officially open! This is your opportunity to embark on a transformative two-year professional development and leadership growth journey. IPLI empowers principals across Indiana with the knowledge, skills, and network necessary to excel in their roles. Go to www.indianapli.org and click on the Cohort 12 Application tab. You will find the link at the bottom of the page. If you have any difficulty, please reach out to Dr. Kelly Andrews at Kelly.Andrews@indstate.edu, and she will send the link directly. Ensure you submit all required materials by May 1, 2024. Cohort 12 begins in July 2024. Don’t miss the chance to be part of a dynamic community of educational leaders committed to excellence. Join IPLI Cohort 12 and take the next step in your professional journey. For inquiries, please contact Dr. Kelly Andrews @ kelly.andrews@indstate.edu. ISU COURSEWORK THROUGH IPLI Did you know that ISU offers four courses to principals during their 2-year cohort with IPLI that connect directly to their work in IPLI? Tuition is half the cost for these courses if they sign up during their cohort years. In addition, these courses may lead to entering the ISU Ed.S. program or transferring the credits to another Indiana institution. In Fall 2023, over 26 principals are enrolled in coursework through IPLI at ISU toward their next degree! The goal is to support our principals who may seek higher education while participating in research-based inquiry work. This is just another perk of participating in IPLI. As Director of IPLI, I am excited for the future of schools in Indiana as the aligned system for principal professional development has never been more significant. INALI, IPLI, and IPLI Extended Learning Opportunity meet the need. IPLI is grateful for your ongoing support, trust, and dedication to education and educators during these challenging times, showing Indiana’s commitment to growing our schools and students.
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LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
IPLI Extended Learning Opportunity #5 IPLI Extended Learning Opportunity is an intensive professional development program for IPLI graduates in its 5th year. ELO allows IPLI Elite Graduates to dig deeper into topics covered during the IPLI experience. Three-day-long seminars are available to let you dig deeper into leadership topics that will support you throughout the year. Choose one or attend all three seminars…. whatever works in your busy schedule. However, you deserve a day of learning and connecting. Themes vary yearly so that graduates can enroll in ELO multiple times. IPLI ELO participants are encouraged to bring teacherleaders to the seminars when appropriate. This year’s theme will be “Leaders in Action,” featuring the following speakers: Dr. Rhonda Roos and Dave Weber. The Winter Seminar is scheduled for Thursday, February 1, 2024, at the IASP Office, 11025 E. 25th Street, Indianapolis, IN. Dr. Rhonda Roos will lead the day, “Capturing Time and Leaning Positive.” The afternoon will feature a fireside chat with legislators sharing news of the session with information that involves principals in Indiana schools. If you are an IPLI graduate, please be encouraged to take this day of professional development to recharge yourself for your outstanding work in y our community. Your work during your 2-year journey was the beginning of increasing your leadership and school capacity. We hope you will take advantage to continue your professional learning journey with IPLI. Registration for IPLI Extended Learning Opportunity #5 is Open http//indianapli.org/ipli-extended www.iasp.org
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SERVICE
Riley Kids Caring & Sharing Update Susan Miles Officer, Kids Caring & Sharing TM Riley Children’s Foundation Introducing your 2024 Riley Champions presented by Kroger! It’s time once again to introduce the incredible Riley patients and families from across the state who were selected as this year’s Riley ambassadors for demonstrating courage and commitment to helping others while navigating medical obstacles. Barker Middle School eighth-grader Amir Agemy is passionate about science and technology. Amir was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age five and needed immediate medical attention. He has learned to manage the disease through regular appointments at the Riley Children’s Health outpatient clinic in South Bend close to his Michigan City home. Amir also has hearing loss and plans to become an audiologist to help other children like him. Amir started his official 2024 Riley ambassadorship early when he was invited to join the mayor in the local holiday parade and tree lighting ceremony in late November. Michigan City Area Schools are creating online giving pages as part of https://give.rileykids.org/TeamAgemy with sights set on becoming a 2023-2024 Red Wagon Corporation with every one of the corporation’s 11 schools hosting activities to raise $1 per student in Amir’s honor. Chloe Brady loves horseback riding and spending time with her animals. She began having absence seizures at age 4 and was referred to Riley Children’s Health, where specialists diagnosed her with epilepsy and put a treatment plan in place. Today, the Boonville Middle School eighth-grader is seizure free and enjoys sharing her story at Riley Dance Marathons. Hamilton Heights Little Huskies Learning Center preschooler Beckett Culp loves playing outside. He was just a baby when he was diagnosed with a protein deficiency that affected his liver. By age three, he needed a liver transplant. Beckett underwent surgery at Riley Children’s Health to receive his new liver just three months later. Beckett recently collected Hot Wheels toys to donate to the Child Life department at Riley in honor of his organ donor proving you are never too young to become an active philanthropist! Fort Wayne Carroll High School sophomore Hayden Dietz enjoys golf, video games, riding his bike, and hanging out with friends. When he was just a few months old, Hayden was diagnosed with a heart condition called mitral valve regurgitation. He has undergone three open-heart surgeries at Riley Children’s Health. Today, Hayden has regular followup appointments and joins his family at fundraising and advocacy events for Riley. Hayden’s uncle is an active Dance
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Marathon alumnus and his grandparents participate in the Riley Children’s Foundation’s Northeast Indiana Philanthropy Advisory Council. Oliver Gilkison is a thriving William Henry Harrison High School freshman. At two months old, Oliver came to Riley Children’s Health in respiratory distress and needed time on a ventilator. Since then, Oliver has also received treatment from Riley Children’s specialists for a neuromuscular disorder, autism, and ADHD. This Lafayette area Champion is honored to share his story to help inspire others. Londyn Hoffman loves dance parties, unicorns, and watching football. She first came to Riley Children’s Health as a baby for an undiagnosed genetic condition. Since then, this Monon Trail Elementary first- grader has also beaten cancer twice with the support of many Riley Children’s specialists. Londyn’s family is passionate about sharing their story and raising awareness for rare medical conditions. A champion powerlifter who holds seven state records and one world record, Josh Jennings has come a long way since he was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia at age six. The Terre Haute South Vigo High School sophomore went through three years of chemotherapy at Riley Children’s Health, and today is cancer free. He is looking forward to sharing his Riley story and providing hope for others. Active on the golf team and in show choir, Columbus East High School junior Grace LaSell was diagnosed with endstage renal disease at age 12. After a few years of regular dialysis appointments, Grace received a kidney transplant at Riley Children’s Health in March 2021. She is now back on dialysis, but remains in good spirits and shares her story at Indiana University Dance Marathon. You may remember meeting then kindergartener Riley Osmon and his family a few years back at the Fall Professionals Conference. Riley developed acute lymphoblastic leukemia when he was just one year old. After relapsing twice, Riley needed access to a new treatment called CAR-T. His older sister organized a school fundraiser to help bring CAR-T therapy to Riley Children’s Health for her brother. Today, Riley receives ongoing care from multiple specialists at Riley Children’s. The Springville Community Academy sixth-grader loves drawing, video games, LEGO, and 4-H. Riley and his Bedford area family continue to advocate for the importance of research. For more detailed information about the CART-T immunotherapy program now available to patients at Riley Hospital visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAwT391guGk
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SERVICE
Ashae Villafana loves baking, making slime, and creating videos for her YouTube channel. She was diagnosed with sickle cell disease shortly after birth. When her family moved to Indianapolis four years ago, they knew Riley Children’s Health was the best place for her care. A Paramount Brookside Middle school seventh-grader, Ashae attends Camp Riley and wants other kids with chronic diseases to know they can do and be anything they want - even the face of the 2023 Riley Holiday campaign encouraging end-of-year donations to support Riley kids like herself ! 2024 Riley Champions will be celebrated in their communities this spring with special banner presentations at their schools. To view the winter RileyKids magazine with more information about the Riley Champions visit https://drive.google.com/file/ d/1HUsPRhnDWiFNEp-9iGuorGmx5_Zj22O3/view?usp=drive_link. ----------------------Currently, Indiana ranks 48th in the U.S. in availability of child psychiatrists. At the Fall Professionals Conference Dr. Bill Kronenberger mentioned The Indiana Behavioral Health Access Program for Youth or Be Happy as an initial resource for school administrators and school nurses. Be Happy gives local primary care providers guidance from psychiatric specialists to improve Hoosier families’ access to pediatric behavioral health. This program is available to all health care professionals (including physicians, nurse practitioners, psychologists, nurses, social workers, etc.) in the state of Indiana who work with youth and families. Board-certified child and adolescent psychiatrists consult with community based providers to help with assessment, diagnostic clarification, medication management, treatment planning and other pediatric mental health questions. Please visit https://medicine.iu.edu/psychiatry/clinical-care/integrated/behavioral-health for a helpful video about the program and how to access Riley Children’s Health Behavioral Health specialists.
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LEGAL REVIEW
KGR Law Briefing: Fourth Amendment & Cellphone Searches Séamus Boyce Attorney Kroger Gardis & Regas, LLP
invaded no more than is necessary to achieve the legitimate end of preserving order in the schools.” Id. at 343.
Keith Butler Summer Intern Education Law & Policy Kroger Gardis & Regas, LLP
While most of the electronic devices today’s students bring to school were not invented when T.L.O. was decided in 1985, the T.L.O. test and analysis still apply when deciding on the reasonableness of searches by educators of student personal electronic devices at public school. In the federal court case of G.C. v. Owensboro Pub. Sch., 711 F.3d 623 (6th Cir. 2013), a student used a cellphone in class in violation of school rules. A teacher saw a student texting in class and took the student’s cellphone and brought the phone to an assistant principal who read the text messages. The court decided that the school did not meet the T.L.O. reasonableness standard because once the phone was confiscated there was no suspicion of ongoing law breaking or school code of conduct violations. According to the court, the school’s search of the phone was unnecessary to prove whether the student was using the phone during class time. While this case is in a different federal court jurisdiction than the one that applies to Indiana (the Seventh Circuit), we think the analysis is sound.
The Supreme Court famously explained that “First Amendment rights, applied in light of the special characteristics of the school environment, are available to teachers and students. It can hardly be argued that either students or teachers shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate.” Tinker v. Des Moines Indep. Cmty. Sch. Dist., 393 U.S. 503 (1969). In other words, students in public school still have constitutional rights at school but they are often applied differently than in other contexts to account for the unique circumstances present in school. This is true about the Fourth Amendment’s prohibition against unreasonable searches and seizures. In New Jersey v. T.L.O., 469 U.S. 325 (1985), the Supreme Court addressed the Fourth Amendment rights of a student whose purse was searched by a principal on suspicion of smoking. The Court created a two-part test based on reasonable suspicion. “First, one must consider whether the action was justified at its inception, second, one must determine whether the search as actually conducted was reasonably related in scope to the circumstances which justified the interference in the first place.” Id. at 341-342 (Internal Citations Omitted). The Court went on to explain the balance they were trying to achieve in this test. “By focusing attention on the question of reasonableness, the standard will spare teachers and school administrators the necessity of schooling themselves in the niceties of probable cause and permit them to regulate their conduct according to the dictates of reason and common sense. At the same time, the reasonableness standard should ensure that the interests of students will be 20
In a federal district court case in Illinois (which is also a part of the Seventh Circuit), a school district searched a student’s phone while investigating whether the student was bullying another student. Simpson, Next Friend of J.S. v. Tri-Valley Cmty. Unit Sch. Dist. No. 3, 470 F. Supp. 3d 863 (C.D. Ill. 2020) . The allegation included making a meme of the targeted student holding a gun with the words “Don’t come to school tomorrow”. The principal interviewed several students and got testimony that the student who was allegedly targeted, W.J., had taken a photograph of himself on Snapchat. Another student took a screenshot of that photograph and sent the screenshot to the alleged perpetrator, J.S. The student said that J.S. had a history of making memes making Return to Table of Contents
fun of other students (including W.J.) during school hours. The principal interviewed J.S. and searched the photos on his phone. While the investigation determined that J.S. did not make the “gun meme” at issue, the school did discipline J.S. for the other memes found on the phone during the investigation. J.S.’s parent sued arguing that the basis of the discipline for the “other” memes was obtained through an unconstitutional search of the phone. The court, however, sided with the school and determined that their search of the phone and reasonable and specifically that the search of the photos was reasonable in scope. What is the legal lesson from this brief ? The analysis in T.L.O. applies to any student personal item brought to public school, including electronic devices. But any search of an electronic device must be both reasonable at inception and in scope. Investigation of violating a rule on possession of a device is rarely if ever going to require searching the contents of the device. Even if you have reasonable suspicion to search the contents of the phone, that search needs to be targeted to finding evidence of the violation of law or rule. Once that evidence is obtained then the school should stop searching the device. Plan out the search and familiarize yourself with the software. Contemporaneous documentation is critical to establish the justification for the search and whether it was justified in scope. Waiting to document until the search is challenged days, weeks or even months down the road will significantly reduce the credibility of the documentation. Finally, we strongly recommend that you stay out of searching for any evidence of serious and criminal misconduct. Instead, allow law enforcement ample opportunity to conduct their investigation and access the content. We at the KGR Legal Help Desk are here to address these education and any non-personal employment legal issues for IASP members. Until the next KGR Law Brief, don’t get sued! www.iasp.org
LEGAL REVIEW
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We may be new to you, but educators are not new to us. Horace Mann is a long-time IASP corporate supporter, and we’re dedicated to supporting you and your educators with: • auto and home insurance that comes with special benefits and discounts for educators; • life insurance with preferred rates for educators; and • retirement solutions to help you plan for what life looks like outside of the classroom one day. And if your employees struggle with things like student loan debt, finding classroom funding or becoming more financially secure, we have programs and workshops to help with that, too. Sound like something worth exploring? Our knowledgeable, friendly representatives are standing by ready to answer your questions. To learn more or get a quote, visit horacemann.com. Horace Mann Insurance Company and its affiliates underwrite Horace Mann auto and home insurance. Not all discounts and benefits available in all states. Horace Mann Life Insurance Company underwrites Horace Mann life insurance products. Horace Mann Service Corporation and certain of its affiliates (Horace Mann) enter into agreements with educational associations where Horace Mann pays the association to familiarize association members with the Horace Mann brand, products or services. Contact association.relations@horacemann.com for more information. AM-C04767 (Oct. 23)