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Merced Union High School District

A Relevant Education For All

Emerging Technology Toolkit

AI Integration in MUHSD

Integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into educational practices holds immense promise for enhancing student learning outcomes and preparing them for the challenges of the future workforce. MUHSD remains committed to being at the forefront of educational innovation.

In this Toolkit:

  • AI Overview (what is it? how does it work?)
  • Guiding Principles for Use in MUHSD
  • Relevant Board Policies, State, and Federal Laws
  • Citing Generative AI, Addressing Plagiarism, and Academic Integrity
  • How to Join the Conversation in MUHSD
  • Tools and Resources

AI: An Overview

What is it?

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a broad term for technologies that use algorithms and massive amounts of data to mimic human intelligence and perform certain tasks automatically

 

How does it work?

AI is like a smart computer that learns from information it gets. It uses rules and math to understand big amounts of data.

It starts by gathering lots of information, like pictures or text, and it learns from this data by finding patterns and connections. It follows sets of rules called algorithms to process the data and make decisions.  It gives results based on what is learned from the data, and It can get better over time as it gets more data and learns more.

Guiding Principles

Purpose: Use AI to help all students and staff to achieve goals in teaching and learning

Human: Maintain educator guidance and decision-making when using AI. Toggle away from technology and engage in dialogue and reflection.

Balance: Leverage the benefits of AI (egagement in novel challenges). Mitigate risks (overreliance, inaccuracies/bias, plagiarism, and data privacy).

Skills: Advance academic integrity, integrate 4Cs, foster students’ productive struggle (grit/resilience), academic honesty, and AI literacy.

Compliance: Adhere to board policies and applicable state and federal laws.

Evaluation: Respond to research-based evidence as it emerges to regulaly asses the critical impacts on students

Board Policies, State & Federal Laws

Current Regulations Relevant to the Use of AI in Education

There is significant excitement regarding how ChatGPT and other AI programs may be able to improve teaching and learning. Of course, AI has also sparked concerns, particularly in relation to academic integrity.

Therefore, understanding current regulations relevant to AI in education and the extent to which AI impacts the education system will be imperative for how students and staff use AI in the context of their learning and work.

 

FERPA - AI systems must protect the privacy of student education records and comply with parental consent requirements. Data must remain within the direct control of the educational institution.

COPPA - AI chatbots, personalized learning platforms, and other technologies collecting personal information and user data on children under 13 must require parental consent.

IDEA - AI must not be implemented in a way that denies disabled students equal access to education opportunities.

CIPA - Schools must ensure AI content filters align with CIPA protections against harmful content.

Section 504 - This section of the Rehabilitation Act applies to both physical and digital environments. Schools must ensure that their digital content and technologies are accessible to students with disabilities.

Citing Generative AI & Adressing Plagiarism

A few words of caution about using generative AI tools:

While it can be valuable to try out these tools to better understand how they work, they do raise issues of privacy and intellectual property.

  • Material submitted may become part of the program’s database, as using the software also contributes to its development.
  • The systems have different policies and methods to let users remove material, so be sure to look for those instructions and to review the Terms of Service.
  • Be sure not to submit students’ work directly into any of these tools (which could theoretically help in understanding a bot’s capabilities more fully), as this violates their intellectual property and could be a FERPA violation, disclosing student PII.

 

Strategies to Avoid Plagiarism:

  • Rethink assignments and clarify what standards/skills are being addressed
  • Create more opportunities for students to problem solve, analyze, synthesize, and share their thinking in classroom settings.
  • Embed formative assessment throughout in order to get a deeper sense of students’ writing over time.

 

Academic Integrity

Level of AI Use: Be Clear!

Permissive: “You may use AI tools as you see fit to enhance your assignment and demonstrate your understanding of the topic.”

Moderate: “You can employ AI tools for initial research and data analysis, but the main content, arguments, and conclusions should be your own.”

Restrictive: “Do not use AI tools for this assignment. All content must be original, and any use of AI will be treated as plagiarism.”

 

Considerations for Fostering Academic Integrity

Educate students: Teachers can teach students how to use AI responsibly and cite sources properly. 

 

Create a culture of integrity: Set clear expectations for ethical behavior. 

 

AI detectors aren't reliable enough to be used as proof, and they can be intrusive. 

 

Review policies regularly: Update policies and expectations to adapt to new AI tools and technologies. 

 

Design assessments that foster learning: Focus on assessing progress and learning, not just outcomes. 

 

Tools and Resources

 

Brisk Teaching:

AI-powered Chrome extension for teachers

Create curriculum, provide student feedback, differentiate, and more!

Install Brisk AI Extension

InnovatEd

AI Applications Tier 2 Course. Enroll in this Tier 2 course and learn how to:

  • Evaluate the practical and ethical implications of AI in education. 
  • Use AI to free up teacher-time and increase productivity.
  • Employ strategies to enhance and improve student learning through the application/ integration of AI in teacher-planning processes. 

Register for the AI Applications Tier 2 Course

 

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