AI in Education: Finding the Balance Between Innovation and Responsible Use

As a techno-optimist, I'm genuinely giddy about the potential of AI. Meanwhile, others in the tech sphere are concerned about what AI will do to our ability to focus and communicate.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is everywhere these days. Educators are, understandably, concerned about the possibilities for plagiarism. Can a teacher truly have learned the craft of lesson planning if they just typed a phrase into a portal? Yet other educators are excited by the prospect of AI. They envision projects enhanced with automatic feedback, personalized recommendations, and an overhaul of tedious data entry.

As a techno-optimist, I'm genuinely giddy about the potential of AI. Meanwhile, others in the tech sphere are concerned about what AI will do to our ability to focus and communicate.

AI in Education: Plague or Panacea?

The reality for most school systems is going to be somewhere in the middle. The concerns about AI (plagiarism, uncritical thinking, overreliance) are indeed quite real. It's not responsible to use AI for everything without any human touch or editing. Students should not turn in AI-generated papers, nor should teachers rely solely on AI-created lesson plans.

That isn't to say AI isn't useful; it's going to be tremendously valuable! But think of it more like a musical instrument: it needs skills and training to be at its best. A skilled pianist playing a piano creates an amazing sound, far superior to an amateur. AI used uncritically will be just as painful as listening to the first week of a middle school band practice.

Developing AI Literacy in Schools: A Strategic Approach

One resource for using AI in schools you haven’t heard about yet is Daisy Christodoulou’s substack on AI and feedback called “No More Marking” where she regularly tackles the tough topics. I highly recommend her podcast episode with Russ Roberts exploring AI for feedback tools and what are the truly human skills we must cultivate. How do you support your team and students to use AI skillfully? Consider these proven strategies from her and other AI experts:

Model Responsible Use

Show responsible uses of AI frequently, so that your team has clear examples to follow. Don't just tell them about AI: demonstrate its proper application in educational contexts.

Provide Explicit Training

Train your staff on prompt engineering and show them exactly how AI can be used in your specific context. Help them understand both the capabilities and limitations of these tools.

Maintain Transparency

Always tell your team when something was created in partnership with AI. Transparency builds trust and models ethical behavior.

Emphasize Human Review

Never accept anything back from AI without reviewing and editing it extensively. The human touch remains essential in education.

Practical AI Integration with Instructional Data Solutions

A great way to teach responsible AI use is with Instructional Data Solutions' Cohort Achievement Tracker AI Insight for RTI (Response to Intervention). The AI Insights feature securely analyzes student data, such as DIBELS subscores, to deliver actionable recommendations.

By leveraging your Cohort Achievement Tracker, AI can enhance your intervention strategies in several ways:

• Generate recommended intervention groups based on specific needs (e.g., Phonological Awareness deficits identified in DIBELS)

• Provide clear rationales for why particular students were grouped together

• Suggest evidence-based intervention strategies tailored to each group's needs

• Include direct hyperlinks to publicly available interventions aligned to the Science of Reading

• Propose detailed implementation plans (frequency, duration, and specific activities/resources)

AI can serve as a powerful assistant in educational decision-making while keeping educators firmly in control of the process. ​​Check out a video of the Cohort Achievement Tracker or view a sample copy of it online here.

Finding the Right Balance

The future of education isn't about choosing between human expertise and artificial intelligence. It's about finding the best way to create a partnership between them. When used thoughtfully, AI tools can free educators from time-consuming data analysis, allowing them to focus on what matters most: meaningful interactions with students.

Final Thoughts and How to Take Action

Have you utilized AI in your school or organization? Share with us what’s working well for you and you may be featured in our social media! And if you are ready to transform how your school uses AI to support student learning, we invite you to grab time with us to talk more!

About Instructional Data Solutions: Our mission is to remove barriers to enable education organizations to focus on what matters most. We assist school systems and education organizations of all sizes by collecting, analyzing, and clearly communicating data. We are committed to empowering educators through comprehensive data analytics and tailored support. Additionally, we provide dedicated support for operational needs, process improvement, and special projects, offering customized solutions to enhance effectiveness and success. Our solutions bridge the gap between data collection and instructional improvement in PK-12 settings.