Implementing AI Strategies within Career Advancement Workshops

Implementing AI Strategies within Career Advancement Workshops

In a groundbreaking move, Callie Salaymeh, an Instructional Technology Coach and Biology teacher at Lyons Township High School, was recognised with the Best Example of Professional Development at a Tech & Learning Regional Leadership Summit, receiving an Innovative Leader Award. As the Head of Community for Enlightened AI, Salaymeh brings a unique blend of educational and technological expertise to her role.

Salaymeh's tech toolbox is impressive, including the likes of ChatGPT, MagicSchool, Brisk, EnlightenAI, and several other unspecified tools. However, it's her approach to integrating AI in the school's professional development plan that truly sets her apart.

Salaymeh's approach highlights several best practices that can help schools effectively and responsibly implement AI:

1. Collaborative Development A diverse team of educators, administrators, and technology experts work together to co-create AI guidelines, ensuring practicality, comprehensiveness, and consideration of various perspectives within the school community.
2. Clear Alignment with Educational Goals AI guidelines should support the school’s overall mission and learning objectives, enhancing student learning, creativity, and critical thinking rather than just serving as technology add-ons.
3. Focus on Ethical Use and Digital Citizenship Ethical considerations, privacy, and responsible AI use are emphasized. Professional development includes discussions about bias in AI, data privacy, and fostering students’ critical understanding of AI.
4. Practical Training and Hands-on Experience Offering educators opportunities to explore AI tools through workshops, demos, and collaborative projects helps teachers feel confident and competent in using AI in their curriculum.
5. Ongoing Support and Resources Continuous support, including access to resources, follow-up coaching, and forums for sharing best practices, is essential for the evolving process of AI integration.
6. Clear Policy and Usage Guidelines Guidelines around when and how AI tools should be used by students and teachers are developed, including guidance on academic integrity, appropriateness of use, and accessibility.
7. Feedback and Iterative Improvement Feedback from educators and students is collected to refine AI guidelines regularly, ensuring they remain relevant as AI technologies and educational needs evolve.

Salaymeh recommends focusing on how AI can make teachers more efficient and improve their work-life balance as a starting point for implementing AI in schools. She learned more about AI and collaborated with her team of tech coaches through a Slack community to develop a comprehensive PD session on AI.

In August 2024, Salaymeh proposed and started a task force for AI, using resources from TeachAI and AI for Education, and introduced the stop light guidelines. These guidelines are used to determine whether AI can be utilized in assignments, with green light assignments allowing full use, yellow light assignments allowing limited use at the teacher's discretion, and red light assignments barring AI use.

AI literacy is crucial for the effective use of AI in schools. This includes understanding how AI is used in jobs, separating myth from fact, and learning to trust and use AI appropriately. The technology coaches in Salaymeh's district are involved in professional development, technology education, and support for staff.

Salaymeh's district has successfully implemented a professional development plan that integrates AI guidelines, setting a precedent for other schools to follow. Her dedication and innovative approach to AI integration in education are truly inspiring.

1. Callie Salaymeh, the Instructional Technology Coach and Biology teacher at Lyons Township High School, emphasizes the importance of learning AI in education as a means to improve teacher efficiency and work-life balance, focusing on this aspect as a starting point for integrating AI in schools.
2. Salaymeh's professional development plan, implemented in her district, sets a precedent for education institutions to follow, as it integrates AI guidelines effectively and responsibly, resonating with other schools' education-and-self-development and online-education initiatives.
3. To develop professional expertise in AI, Salaymeh and her team of tech coaches collaborate via Slack communities, immersing themselves in technology education and support for staff, making them well-equipped to guide their peers in AI literacy.
4. In August 2024, Salaymeh introduced a task force for AI using resources from TeachAI and AI for Education, outlining stop light guidelines for determining AI's utility in assignments, ensuring that the appropriate balance between traditional learning and AI is preserved in the school's curriculum.
5. Ethical considerations, digital citizenship, and best practices in AI implementation are core components of Callie Salaymeh's approach, featuring collaborative development, clear alignment with educational goals, practical training, ongoing support, well-defined usage guidelines, and iterative improvement as essential elements in transforming AI from a technology add-on to an integral part of the school's education and self-development and online-education plans.
6. Recognizing the value of clear alignment and appropriate integration of AI in the school's professional development plan, Callie Salaymeh was honored with the Best Example of Professional Development award at a Tech & Learning Regional Leadership Summit, validating her innovative leadership in AI and technology-based education.

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