LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — Some teachers in Michigan have a new guide to help them navigate the world of artificial intelligence.
6 News spoke with the creators of that roadmap, and they gave us a closer look for this week’s edition of Tech Tuesday.
Michigan Virtual employees are now looking to show educators AI doesn’t replace work, it makes work more efficient.
And they are doing this by releasing what they call the first of its kind, a comprehensive planning guide for AI and framework for school districts.
“Increasingly, school leaders were reaching out to us and saying, ‘We really need some help on how we tackle and kind of start this journey with implementing artificial Intelligence, or AI,’” said Walt Sutterlin, director of strategic communications at Michigan Virtual.
So, his team got to work this summer and in about six weeks, they developed this roadmap. It covers topics like policy, training for educators, privacy and security protocols and integration.
“And in each of those domains, we identified points where school districts will probably start investigating AI. And then, once they’ve kind of explored the awareness piece, they move into implementing AI and try to get their hands dirty with it. And then ultimately, get to the point where they believe there are going to be opportunities for some real neat innovations,” Sutterlin said.
Sutterlin and Michigan Virtual are looking at this integration in a positive way and looking at the future benefits. But they also understand there are some concerns.
“That’s why we think it’s so important for school districts to engage in planning. We need to educate students on the ethical use of AI, so that it’s used for the right reasons,” Sutterlin said.
And they are looking to make things more efficient for teachers constantly creating lesson plans.
“It’s something you can do to get that blank sheet of paper going and turn it into some ideas, but it is always going to require that human element — especially as teachers,” Sutterlin said. “[Teachers ask themselves] Who are my students? How do I personalize this to make it effective and impactful learning for the students?”
Michigan Virtual is currently working with school districts across Michigan to implement these guidelines to fit their needs with implementing AI. This includes workshops and a professional learning course.
“We’re continuing to build these resources as things change, and I guarantee by next week, there will be new information,” Sutterlin said.
