Lighting the AI Lantern: Boston’s Collaborative Model for Tech & Teaching

Outline

Introduction and Welcoming Activity (3 minutes)

Grounding our Work: AI Literacy (8 minutes)
-Defining AI, GenAI, and AI literacy
-Reviewing benefits and considerations of using AI

Overview of AI in BPS (8 minutes)
-Narrative of our journey - initiatives we participated in, resources we created, and people involved

AI Guidelines Review - Small Groups (8 minutes)
-Explore a section of the BPS AI Guidelines website. What resonates with you? What questions do you have?

AI Fellows Case Study Small Group Activity (20 minutes)
-Learn about BPS's AI Fellows model and select an educator from a list and review their problem of practice.
-Watch a video, review slides, and explore short tutorials on the tool they used and their proposed solution to their problem of practice.
-Reflect on the case study and share with your table.

Closing and Collaborative Board Reflection (5 minutes)
-What is one thing you are thinking?
-What is one thing you are feeling?
-What is one new thing you are excited about implementing/trying out?

Outcomes

Participants will be able to:

1. Define AI literacy and examples of how to scale it across the district.

2. Identify strategies for developing AI guidelines and securing district-wide buy-in through foundational professional development.

3. Analyze examples of educator-led research sprints and how they informed classroom practice.

4. Reflect on how a thoughtful selection of AI tools can support educators with designing high quality instructional materials and learning experiences.

Supporting research

AI and Ethics: What School Leaders Need to Know: https://ascd.org/el/articles/ai-and-ethics-what-school-leaders-need-to-know

AIxCoherence Framework: https://www.education-first.com/strategies/accelerate-academic-success/ai-x-coherence/

Beat Bias? Personalization, Bias, and Generative AI: https://melissa-warr.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/proceeding_224163.pdf

BPS AI Hub: https://sites.google.com/bostonpublicschools.org/bps-ai-hub/home?authuser=0

Common Sense Media: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/sites/default/files/featured-content/files/csm-ai-risk-assessment-ai-teacher-assistants-final.pdf

Enhancing MTSS with AI: https://www.panoramaed.com/blog/boston-public-schools-solara

TeachAI: https://www.teachai.org/ailiteracy