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👋 Hello!

Last week we started the strategic process of how to approach non-linear innovation (Box three). Click here to check out the previous editions. 

In this edition I want to backtrack slightly to the guidance I published on how educational organisations can implement short-term steps to set the foundations of AI innovation. I will explain these seven steps and sign-post to resources and/or give practical tips. 

In this edition you will also find:

• My summary and thoughts on the new Russell Group Principles on The Use of GenAI
• A video tutorial on how to generate AI images with your face in them (see my pic below)!
• The latest AI tools for educators at aieducator.tools

This week I'm looking forward to speaking about AI at:

• The BLC Summer Conference in Worcester, UK (Sold Out)
• Global STEM Leadership Alliance Summit in Orlando, Florida

🪜 7 Steps for the New Academic Year

Here are 7 strategic steps any educational organisation can begin to impement in the new academic year.

These steps are designed to be put in place over the next 12 months to build a foundation for non-linear innovation with AI in the years to come.

I have included some resources and/or tips to guide you in the right direction.

1. AI Literacy for Learners

Using AI as a tool in the classroom will give students an advantage in the modern world.

By teaching students how AI works, its limitations, and its potential applications, they can be better prepared for the jobs of the future. This will also help students understand the ethical and societal implications of AI, which is a crucial aspect of digital literacy in the 21st century.

Where do we get an AI curriculum from?

I have some exciting news. In September StudyHall.ai, a phenomenal AI platform for education, is releasing an AI curriculum that infuses AI in the learning process.

2. Staff Professional Development

Professional development in Artificial Intelligence (AI) is critical for teachers.

Generative AI has the ability to very quickly save teachers time, optimise their workload and help them be more efficient. This new technology is also being used by students, so knowledge of how it works is vital for educators. It is also likely that this technology will disrupt traditional schooling and therefore the teaching profession.

Educators must understand how to ethically leverage AI's capabilities.

There are many ways that teachers and educational leaders can raise their awareness and upskill. My own introduction course is very popular with teachers around the world and I spend a lot of my time doing in-person and virtual PD in schools, colleges and universities.

The AI Classroom bestselling book is designed for teachers and leaders to get started with AI and start to strategise in their organisation for the future of education.

3. EdTech Relationships

Every educational organisation purchases digital products and services.

In The AI Classroom I wrote a chapter on the values of a leader in the AI Revolution. The key value is collaboration. Isolated we have limited resources but together we can command a purposeful direction for AI in education.

One of the ways we can collaborate is with the edtech companies who provide our services. Here’s some ideas:

• Ask them how they are implementing AI into their products
• Offer them advice on how it would work best for you
• Research other edtech companies who are pushing the boundaries.
  

4. IT Services Professional Development

Your IT services team need to be clued up on this. They have a responsibility for cyber security and for helping educators be safe when innovating.

Here are some articles and courses that can help them start to build their knowledge, if they don’t already have it:

Generative AI and Cybersecurity

MIT Cybersecurity in the Era of Generative AI

Google Introduction to Generative AI

Further courses

5. Data Protection Capability

Is the person or team who oversees your data privacy clued on on generative AI and the platforms like ChatGPT that offer these services?

It’s not the role of these colleagues to simply say ‘yes’ or ‘no’, but to educate our staff and guide them on their use of these technologies in a safe way.

The pursuit is innovation, but we need guidance on how to do this safely. We don’t need closed doors, but our hands held in this process.

Here are two articles to help you get started:

How Companies Can Use Generative AI And Maintain Data Privacy

5 steps to make sure generative AI is secure AI

6. Teaching and Learning Adaptations

Major change in this area will take time and rely on our Box Three endeavors (Learn more about Box Three), however there are some immediate demands on us.

We can’t afford to ignore this before the new academic year begins. You’re going to want to communicate this to students quickly, if you haven’t already.

I heart these kind of concerns every day:

“How do we stop students using ChatGPT in their homework?”

“How do we identify when students have used ChatGPT in their work?”

We have two main options: Only assess work that students have done in the classroom, without technology, when being supervised or we shift to a more dynamic way to assess our students progress.

The former, although necessary in some circumstances, will not prepare our students for the AI world or be relevant to their lives now and in the future.

Check out my rubric for creating dynamic assessments

Also this great guide for teachers on trying out new generative AI tools

7. Box Three Incubator

The last and most important step in building the foundations for non-linear innovation is your Box Three Incubator group.

This is a working group that you must set up. Even better if it’s a collaborative group with representatives from business, other education sectors and colleagues from other schools, colleges or universities. The job of this group is to ‘listen for weak signals’; research what’s coming down the line (or already here in some cases) that will potentially change and disrupt how we are currently doing things.

Find out more about their work in last week’s edition. Their job will be to ideate, incubate and scale solutions that will help your organisation remain relevant in a fast changing world.

😱 Generate AI images with your face in them

Click the video below to watch the tutorial. Please note you will need to have a Midjourney account (well worth it) to do this.

🎓 Russell Group Principles on The Use of GenAI

The Russell Group is a collective of 24 leading UK universities. They have published a guidance document to their universities on generative AI. Here is my quick summary and my thoughts:

1. AI Literacy
   There is a focus on not merely teaching students about AI; but crafting a new language of comprehension. They want students to utilise the tools, but also understand their limitations and ethical implications.
   
   
2. Staff Empowerment
   They see their educators as guides on this journey. They want to arm them with the knowledge and resources to help students harness the power of AI in their learning.
   
   
3. Adaptive Teaching
   They don't just want to incorporate AI into their teaching; they want to evolve their teaching to meet AI. This isn't a one-time adaptation, but a continuous process of growth and change.
   
   
4. Academic Rigour and Integrity
   They see AI as a tool, not a shortcut. They are still committed to maintaining the highest standards of academic integrity in this new era. They want to show students how to use it responsibly.
   
   
5. Collaborative Evolution
   They want to work together, across universities, sectors, and disciplines, to navigate the ever-changing landscape of AI. Not just adapting to the future, but shaping it together.

It's refreshing to see guidance that has such a positive outlook and doesn't just put risks at the heart of the message. I really like this approach. However, the document is very vague on how their ambitions will be achieved. 

The main point that everyone will be keen to read about is their approach to assessment and academic integrity. They explain that AI should be used but that's about it. No real guidance on how to do this and still be academically rigorous. 

My Dynamic Assessment rubric for educators might help with this.