The PLaybook: AI Blueprint for School Leaders

This month’s PLaybook is designed to support how you lead your school through this era of AI. We have curated resources to offer you and your team a chance to engage in reflection and collaboration; we encourage you to engage with these materials individually and in community.

• AI and Caution-Tape: What are your personal convictions and caution-tapes around AI? In What Can We Refuse in AI?, Maha Bali models how to reflect on and identify her own parameters when it comes to AI. (Read, 4 mins)

• AI and Vision: In Looking Ahead with A.I., Part 3: Leaders, Eric Hudson encourages leaders to prioritize clarity in school vision before decision-making, noting: “We can’t control AI use in schools; instead, we should provide our community with the tools to make good decisions themselves. A vision can be a lens people use to clarify how they see AI and how they want to use it.”

• AI and Student Use: Who wants clear permission slips and rationales for student use of AI? In A Decision Tree to Guide Student AI Use, Jen Stauffer and Jonathan Gold offer a framework to support students to “make better choices about using AI tools and give teachers more confidence in supporting student use.” A win-win. Bonus: Check out The Downtown School’s “Should I use AI?” framework for students, as well.

What helpful advice or support has your school leadership provided regarding AI?

"ISB admin carved out a session during our PD day for a focus group, composed of a cross section of K-12 teachers. The group underscored the need for intentional AI integration, clear policies, and thoughtful balance between leveraging AI tools and preserving student autonomy and academic integrity." Ram Mahadevan, International School of Bangkok and GOA Faculty

How are you approaching AI as a teacher?

"As a teacher, I do recommend leveraging AI as a powerful tool to support students and enhance their educational experience inside their classes. By integrating AI, we can provide personalized learning opportunities to our students and empower students to take control of their learning journey. And I believe in what Oren Etzioni said: 'AI is a tool. The choice about how it gets deployed is ours.'" Rania Al Natsheh, Kings Academy and GOA Faculty

You are leading a lot. If you do just one thing this month, let it be human-centered. Gather your team and work through a few prompts from the spotlight resource. Enjoy the conversation, lean into curiosity, and prioritize learning.

Recognizing each school's unique challenges and opportunities, The PLaybook is crafted for instructional coaches, directors of professional development, academic deans, and teacher leaders. This resource for GOA member schools delivers curated playlists, design sprints, and slide decks right to your inbox, along with additional resources and special events to bolster your educational strategies, lead meaningful change, and support your unique teaching approach.

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