Schools are still currently working out their approach to AI. Many have chosen to mostly ban learners’ use of the technology until there is clear guidance and teachers and senior leaders become more familiar with the technology.
However, from this point on it is likely that the capabilities and develop of AI will increase, meaning that being ‘familiar’ with the cutting-edge of AI and its applications in education will be difficult for busy teachers, and the tech savvy learners will doubtless become adept at using AI before many teachers catch up.
AI isn’t going away, and schools need to understand it implications, its risks, and its many rewards for learners and education.
To this end, I have drafted a template for a school policy for AI (download below). Some schools may wish to add elements of this to their existing Online Safety and safeguarding policies, but a stand-alone policy has some advantages. Firstly, as a rapidly developing field, updating the policy regular will be necessary. Furthermore, the scope of AI is set you grow, and will likely develop quickly into spaces beyond just a few areas of policy, and will soon encroach upon the curriculum, hiring and HR decisions, SEND provision, even data analysis of attendance, behaviour management and policies on field trips. AI will likely become an integral part of schools in ways that we cannot yet imagine. Best to keep your policy options open in these very early days.
I would welcome your suggestions/comments for improvement to the final draft.
ICTmagic 