K–12 Experts Share How to Best Embrace AI in Schools

EDTECH: How are you seeing K–12 districts responding to AI?

LEAH AUSTIN: There’s some fear, and there’s also excitement. Educators are hoping these tools will help unload some of their administrative burden so they can focus more on teaching and learning, which is what they signed up for. However, the technology is emerging so quickly that people are experiencing whiplash as they try to decipher what is “good” AI and what is “harmful” AI.

AMOS FODCHUK: Artificial intelligence has come on the horizon very quickly, and there are so many solutions now flooding the K-12 market. Many people started from a place of fear, but over time, we’re seeing an evolution toward a more nuanced understanding.

EDTECH: What are some key problems that AI can help schools solve?

AUSTIN: There are opportunities for teachers to use these tools in lesson planning and unit planning. I also think there are opportunities for educators to use AI for their own research. AI can be like the research assistant you could never afford, if used properly.

TOM RYAN: Some districts think they’re going to use AI to reduce teaching costs. That’s the wrong way to go about this. We should be looking at how to increase efficiency with AI so we have more money to pay and train teachers.

NYREE CLARK: Custom-created AI tools in the classroom can act like teammates that collaborate with students in a variety of tasks so that we can achieve more. This isn’t just limited to the classroom. Imagine a chatbot that parents can tap into when they come home at 9 p.m. and have some questions about busing. We also have principals who want to use AI tools to help them write better school plans. With education being an industry where people feel overwhelmed, this extra support from digital employees can free people’s time to focus on what matters most.

DIVE DEEPER: Microsoft’s Copilot can transform workflows in K–12.

EDTECH: How can AI help schools with back-end operations, such as IT and finance?

FODCHUK: We’re seeing a lot of creative ideas around school scheduling, bus scheduling and clerical tasks. There’s a really powerful opportunity for HR teams to build AI into job descriptions. One way to magnify talent is to identify redundant and low-level tasks and enable employees to engage with the technology in a way that allows them to amplify their impact.

CLARK: We have used AI to code more than 700 student empathy surveys. In 2023, it took us hours to manually code those surveys to find common themes. This year, we did it in minutes, and then we were off and running.

EDTECH: How should districts address student data privacy concerns with AI vendors?

RYAN: You need to embed cybersecurity metrics into your procurement. Vendors need to show that they’ve had penetration tests, and that they’ve done all the things they can do to prevent a breach. Any data that isn’t necessary for the system to operate shouldn’t be shared with the vendor, and any legacy data should be removed from their system.

FODCHUK: It’s the Wild West right now. A lot of companies that are here now will not be here later. Many contracts say that data can be resold to acquiring parties or that it can be repurposed upon the dissolution of the company. We’re not at the point where I would feel comfortable with all district data being processed in a large language model.

RELATED: What schools need to know about third-party risks.

EDTECH: How important is it for schools to institute an AI policy, and what should it cover?

AUSTIN: Districts are managing more than 2,500 separate ed tech tools on average, overwhelming the capacity of technology directors to vet and manage them all. Without a comprehensive set of policies, schools must respond to the introduction of AI tools on an ad hoc basis, without the guidance and time to assess what is best for their students.

RYAN: It is critical for schools to institute an AI policy accompanied by a strategic plan. Operating without such policies and plans significantly increases the likelihood of encountering risks, such as breaches of student privacy, biased algorithms and data security threats, while missing opportunities for improvement in teaching, operations and efficiency. An effective AI policy should address ethical use, data privacy, equity, staff training and continuous monitoring to maximize benefits and minimize risks.

FODCHUK: Our experience working with over 175 school systems to implement AI tells us to resist the urge to start with policy. The capacity of various LLMs is evolving quickly. Policy that is instituted too specifically or in the absence of principles, guidelines, frameworks and systems-level plans will require unsustainable resources to reinforce.

Instead, align existing policies wherever possible to aspects of AI procurement, implementation and usage.

DISCOVER: How to enact an AI policy in your school.

EDTECH: There’s been some talk about AI causing another digital divide among students. What should educators watch out for?

FODCHUK: There is already a massive digital divide, and it will be exacerbated by AI tools. We’re going to see massive variations between school systems that can teach kids how to think with AI, versus AI that outsources thinking for kids.

AUSTIN: There are two main ways that AI can expand the digital divide. First, it will exclude those who don’t have access to this or other emerging technologies. Second, it will shape the experiences of those who have access to the technology. The algorithm may end up defining what students are experiencing. Biased AI tools can also lead to student tracking. People think these tools eliminate human error, but the human error is in how the technology is built.

EDTECH: How can schools use AI for personalized and differentiated instruction?

CLARK: In the past, differentiation has been very time-consuming. With AI, teachers can tailor their lessons to the needs of their kids with the books they want to teach.

RYAN: One-on-one tutoring is the fastest, best way to educate a child, but we can’t afford to have one-on-one teachers. I think there are a ton of opportunities for districts to build out AI resources and make decisions about providing students with activities that are relevant to them and at their level.

DISCOVER: Schools explore using generative artificial intelligence for tutoring.

EDTECH: How important is professional development to successful AI implementation?

FODCHUK: The most important component of this phase is AI literacy for adults. The technology is evolving so rapidly. The best thing you can do in the short term is educate your stakeholders.

RYAN: Training is an enormous key to being successful. People are not looking at bias in the system, they’re not looking at hallucinations. Those are critical problems. The technology part of this needs to be embedded into the pedagogical practice and content. The training shouldn’t be about AI itself. It should be about how to use the technology to support teaching and learning.

EDTECH: How do you see AI changing K-12 education in the coming years, and what can educators do to prepare for that change?

AUSTIN:  AI is moving much faster than some previous technologies and with a different intent. We have to demand that it work for us, not control us. Educators should be vocal about how they see AI helping and harming their students. Don’t just assume because an ed tech vendor says their app will differentiate instruction for your students more quickly and efficiently that it's true. Ask questions. Speak out.

CLARK: We all need to find ways that we can start tapping into AI. We need to find our first use case, and we also need to give parents opportunities to see what it looks like in action, because this can be scary for them. Change is coming. This isn’t a genie that you’re going to be able to put back into the bottle.