A publication of the Association of California School Administrators

Get your time back

Why artificial intelligence is a new superpower for administrators

By Christine McCormick | November | December 2024

I consider being called a nerd a compliment. Coupled with my desire for change and my love for new shiny things, when OpenAI came onto the tech scene, I was all in. I quickly signed up and immersed myself in reading the latest research, listening to podcasts and learning all I could about what I saw as a revolutionary tool. It never occurred to me to see it as a negative or concerning development. My “Pollyanna” perspective has led me to frame my thinking of AI as a tool to be used for the power of good. I hope to challenge you to see it that way, too.

As an administrator, I need to use my time well. If I want to truly impact students and create a learning culture where all students have the opportunity to learn, I believe I need to be, as Michael Fullan puts it, the Lead Learner. AI, from my perspective, is the tool that can give me back time and directly impact my ability to get out of my office and do the work with my staff, community and students. I am aware of the rhetoric surrounding OpenAI and the concerns about cheating. Well, I hate to burst anyone’s bubble, but cheating has been happening for years, and adding a new tech tool doesn’t change that. According to an April 25, 2024, article in Education Week, only about one out of 10 assignments had some evidence of AI use, and only three of 100 were generated mostly by AI. Don’t get me started on AI detectors; in my opinion, they are not a great use of funds.

Reframing and examining how we use AI is a much better way to spend valuable time and resources.

I would like to change the conversation to support how we can use AI to promote educational equity in our classrooms. Let’s move away from thinking that students will use it to cheat to a conversation about how educators can use AI to find ways to better support all learners (adult and student) in learning, communicating and feeling successful. Here are some thoughts on how we can make that happen.

Imagine if a teacher could upload a lesson plan and ask a chatbot to find areas to improve the lesson, and ensure the lesson is accessible to a broad range of learners and ability levels. Chris Nesi, in an episode of his House of #EdTech Podcast, discussed the advantage of using AI as our new classroom assistant.

Sarah Dillar from Kaleidoscope Education challenged teachers to augment the think-pair-share with AI. Students would think about the prompt, retrieve what they know from memory, and consider it. They would then discuss the prompt with a classmate and ask the AI assistant to help generate ideas for the pair to discuss, comparing the AI’s input with what they already knew. The AI assistant can add additional perspective and more information: “Think. Pair. AI. Pair. Share.” (Miller, 2023)

As powerful as AI can be in the classroom, I believe it is the new superpower for administrators. Using AI to analyze data, help write reports, provide non-violent communication tools to address aggressive emails, and prepare routine communications can be transformative. I do not support using AI as a standalone solution but as a tool to help automate tasks. You must add your voice to the AI-generated text, but use AI as your starting point. Understanding that the bot will continue to learn more about you and your writing style as you use it (Zapier.com). I believe one of the best ways to get out from behind my desk and into classrooms is to use technology as a tool to support my work. AI is just another tool in the toolbox.

Do we need to be cautious? Yes, we know that chatbots can be biased, there are privacy issues, and we need policies and processes to support all the “what ifs” that could arise with this new technology. My challenge to you is to not run scared but to experiment with how AI can be your superpower and the superpower for your staff.

Start small and spend time learning how to write effective prompts to the AI bot to help produce better results. I encourage you to explore and see if you can find a use for AI.

For example, try asking the bot to help you cook dinner by sharing what you have in your refrigerator and asking for five recipes that use those ingredients that you can prepare in 30 minutes or less.

AI, from my perspective, is the tool that can give me back time and directly impact my ability to get out of my office and do the work with my staff, community and students.

There are some great prompt tools that are easy to use to help you get started. One of my favorites is the SPARK protocol from Designingschools.org: S = Situation – Describe the current state or context in which you are operating. P = Problem – Identify the specific problem or challenge you are facing. A = Aspiration – Articulate your desired outcome or vision for success. R = Results – Define the specific, measurable results you hope to achieve. K = Kismet – Add an element of serendipity or surprise. Here is a sample prompt that I would use to have OpenAI help me write a letter to parents about student drop-off: “I am an elementary principal for kindergarten to grade 5 students with a busy parking lot drop-off area. I need parents to stay in their vehicles during drop-off to increase safety and maximize efficiency. A successful morning drop-off would have parents trust the process, listen to staff members, and let the staff support students exiting cars and getting into class on time. What five strategies can you give me for my problem?” I then asked OpenAI to help me draft an email to parents: “With this information, draft an email to parents.” I could continue to prompt the bot to refine the email, make further suggestions and beyond. Log in to your favorite OpenAI tool and give it a try. You can use the prompt I shared as a great starting point. By embracing AI, we can uncover its potential to enhance education and administration, fostering an environment where technology aids us and our students. It may help to remember that we were scared of calculators and the internet at one point in the past. Author’s note: ChatGPT 4.0 was used to refine my original text and help clarify content. This is the prompt I submitted. “Please review the text for clarity and flow. Examine the text for grammar and redundancy and make any suggestions of content that was not addressed that might be applicable.” Edits were made based on the author’s review of the suggestions. References https://www.edweek.org/technology/new-data-reveal-how-many-students-are-using-ai-to-cheat/2024/04

https://www.chrisnesi.com/ai-your-new-teaching-assistant-hoet233/ Miller, M. (2023). AI for educators: Learning strategies, teacher efficiencies, and a vision for an artificial intelligence future. Dave Burgess Consulting, Inc. https://zapier.com/blog/train-chatgpt-to-write-like-you/

https://designingschools.org/ Christine McCormick, Ed.D., is a self-proclaimed nerd, the current Associate Superintendent of Educational Services for the Nevada County Superintendent of Schools, and the President of ACSA Region 2.