Greetings, Dragon Nation!

Once again, it is a pleasure to have the opportunity to share a few thoughts with you as we begin the second marking period and work our way toward the fall and winter holidays.

I would like to start with a quick word of thanks to all of those who participated in this year’s Fall Festival.  It was definitely one to be remembered as we dealt with the crazy weather.  Your cooperation and flexibility was sincerely appreciated.  Hopefully everyone was able to visit the booths and enjoy the fun, even if it was a bit damp!

For this edition of The Director’s Corner, I would like to spend some time discussing Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its place in society and school.  Let me begin by saying that we are living in amazing times.  For those of us that grew up with three channels on TV, phones with dials and cords, typewriters, and paper maps, it feels like we are living in the world of the Jetsons (look it up).  AI and its derivatives can be used to make life so much easier and more convenient, but like most technology, it can have unintended consequences.

AI comes in many forms.  It can be used to create new works out of existing thoughts and ideas, or it can be as simple as a red line under a misspelled word.  One thing that is for certain is that AI is here to stay, and we are entering a new frontier of both creativity and accountability.

When it comes to AI and school, it is like a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it can be used to search for sources and help to develop ideas for research.  On the other hand, it can blur the line between what is an original creation and a creation that is not your original work.  Where is the line between using AI to help you create and using AI to do the actual creating?  When does the student cease to be a creator and become simply a conduit for AI to collect ideas and create content?  These are the types of questions that society as a whole and we as a learning community are having to address as we navigate this new world. 

I would be very disingenuous to say that I even remotely understand all the new technology or what it is capable of doing, but I do know that creating my own work is intrinsically satisfying.  You will find out that in life that the feeling you get when rewarded for an accomplishment will fade, but the pride that you take in the process that got you to the reward lasts much longer.  On the practical side, I strongly recommend engaging your teachers in the discussion of AI and when and where it can be used in class and on assignments.  This will help define that blurred line which I mentioned earlier. 

Thanks again to Jabberwock for giving me another forum to stay connected with you. Until next time, stay safe, stay strong, and go Dragons!