Sam's AI Roadmap THE GOod, the bad, and the ugly

���Over the next school year, teachers and students will be making use of GenAI to a greater or lesser extent. Currently, school leaders are trying to work out how to coherently introduce AI into their schools, recognizing the potential that this technology offers, but at the same time being acutely aware of the risks that it may bring to teaching and learning processes". Van Quaquebeke and Gerpott (2023, 272):

The question is not anymore whether AI will play a role in leadership, the question is whether we will still play a role. And if so, what role that might be. It is high time to start that debate. “

Getting Started:

Begin your AI journey by exploring popular apps that now incorporate AI tools. Here are two of my favorites, which I use in all my classes (graduate and undergraduate):

1. Adobe Express (ensure you use new ‘free’ version): Experiment with its generative ai features, then explore and then explore Adobe Firefly (recently released). If you already familiar with Canva, you can use that instead - just be sure to utilize the Create with Canva AI feature.

2. Padlet (also free): Explore its newly generative AI enhancements !

If you've explored these apps or prefer to start with a more structured approach, consider the following: Review the comprehensive introduction provided by Harvard's AI Pedagogy Project. This resource includes:

  • Practical Exercises
  • Numerous resources and activities
  • Materials suitable for both colleagues and students
Harvard AI Guide
LLM Tutorial

3. Start the conversation with colleagues, parents and students about AI in education. To help frame this discussion, consider using this sample parent letter shared by @HollyClark) as a starting point.

4. New teacher guide(Oct 2024) ~ excellent overview with practical exercises

The key is to begin with your current knowledge and continue to explore and experiment. Consider:

  • What are the advantages and disadvantages of AI in education?
  • What are the short-term and long-term implications for education and society?

To deepen your understanding, start reading reports on AI in general and its potential impact on education. Some suggested resources include:

  1. Review C21-CIO-Alliance-on-the-Future-of-AI-in-K12-Education to gain insight and strategies across provinces.
  2. Expore Measuring Trends in AI by Standford University. Read the entire report for a comprehensive overview ; or focus on Chapter 6, which specifically addresses AI in education.
  3. Explores the OpenAI for Education Resource Page
  4. Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Teaching and Learning US Office of Educational Technology (report)

Remember that AI should be discussed within a broader educational context. To frame these discussions, consider Michael Fullan's concepts, which are particularly relevant from a leadership perspective:

  • Integrating factors for system change
  • 'Systemness'
  • 'Leading from the middle'

A Little History (Explore - Explain)

Don't get overwhelmed by the vast amount of information available. The links below provide more than enough background knowledge to help you and you team move forward:

  • Watch the The Turing Lectures: What is the generative AI by Mirella Lapata. Explore the world of generative AI, exploring its history, development, and potential future. It provides one of the best general introductions on generative AI. If you truly want to understand how it works, this talk is highly recommended.
One of the best descriptors of AI & Generative AI
  • After watching the video, explore the ISTE's "Artificial Intelligence in Education" resources. You'll find updated free PDF guides on engaging students with AI creation. Scroll to the guide section for materials tailored to school leaders and various subject areas.
On the ISTE site use the pulldown menu to download the free guides

Book Resources (pick 1 or 2 or 3 ?)

Last 2 links are open source and free

The book list below includes resources for teaching AI at all levels, from kindergarten through university. Click the links to learn more about each book.:

Generative AI Platforms: Hands-on Exploration

Now that you have a general understanding of generative AI, choose one of the following platforms to learn how to write basic and creative prompts:

To help you master the art and science of prompting, consider these two guides:

  1. ChatGPT text prompting guide (can be used by all GPT language models)
  2. DALL-e image prompting guide

*** EXPRESS Roadmap to Generative AI ****

If you’re not ready to explore AI-enhanced apps or dive into the books just yet, consider visiting curated websites that can simplify your life as a teacher. These resources are a great starting point and can help you reduce your teaching prep time. I recommend beginning with Magic School (my favourite at the moment) and/or School AI and/or AI for Education.

You can also enrol in Amanda's excellent free online introductory course on ChatGPT. I would use ClaudeAI instead of ChatGPT, as there are more built-in guardrails:

Just for Fun (Optional Programming Challenge):

Consider teaching yourself some coding by exploring the MIT Introduction to Deep Learning course. I recommend the 2024 version, but be warned—it's not for the faint-hearted. The course offers a wealth of free resources, including the book, lectures, notes, videos, and labs. To get you started, here are the first two lectures from the January 2024 class to whet your appetite:

My personal goal is to complete the first 4 or 5 lectures before I start teaching at McGill and Bishop's this fall. Feel free to use any of the resources I've shared in this roadmap. If you have suggestions for improvements or new resources, please email me at sam.bruzzese@mcgill.ca, message me on Twitter (@sam_bruzzese), or connect with me on LinkedIn.

Thanks for visiting and exploring this site. Best regards, Sam