The document, called "GenAI Guidance for AZ K-12 Schools: A Balanced Perspective," offers examples of how schools have used AI and looks at ethical considerations for educators using the technology for teaching and learning. It can be accessed for free online.
"We believe that responsible AI implementation can be a positive agent of change in schools and classrooms," said Chad Gestson, who is the institute director and a former superintendent of Phoenix Union High School District.
He added: "If we are wise with usage and implementation of AI, we can harness a new collective intelligence that combines human innovation with the efficiencies and generative power of AI. That intelligence could be smart enough to close achievement and opportunity gaps, address the educator workforce crisis, and ultimately create the educational system that our students and educators need and deserve."
Writers, reviewers and organizations across both the state and country worked on the guide for several months, according to the announcement, with the goal of "improving educational outcomes and encouraging the responsible use of emerging technologies."
They began by reviewing existing guidance from states and the U.S. Department of Education, meeting with leaders across the United States and sending a survey to Arizona educators. The team then used this information to create an initial guide, which was sent to teachers, parents, representatives of educational organizations, superintendents and technology experts for review.
"Arizona is home to incredible educators with ed tech expertise and vision around the use of generative artificial intelligence," said AIEE director of ed tech and innovation LeeAnn Lindsey. "We were proud to be able to leverage that talent to draft and publish Arizona's first statewide guidance for K-12 schools and school systems."
AIEE was founded last year to improve K-12 outcomes and Arizona prosperity through actionable solutions and policies like this guidance, NAU President Jose Luis Cruz Rivera said in the announcement.
"Unquestionably, artificial intelligence will continue to shape opportunity, mobility and impact in ways and speeds we have never experienced before," he said. "This document will assist educators in taking a balanced approach to the use of GenAI, leveraging its incredible potential while also staying responsible and responsive to the potential risks."
More information about the Arizona Institute for Education and the Economy, including how to access the new guidance, can be found at nau.edu/college-education/community-resources/arizona-institute-for-education-and-the-economy/.
©2024 The Arizona Daily Sun (Flagstaff, Ariz.). Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
