school. “Maker spaces are places where kids can engage in hands on types of learning, applying those scientific method processes and design thinking concepts to identify a problem empathetically that might be a value to a community that we are involved in, coming up with a concept in terms of a solution, and then iterating different solutions to those things,” conveys Dr. Cady. He reflects on the challenge of preparing students not just for the near future but for the world they will face in the coming decades. “It’s not enough for us to be preparing kids for walking into the world in 2025, which is what our seniors are going to experience,” he says. “14 years down the road is where our youngest learners are going to be graduating.” With this in mind, the district recognizes the importance of forward-thinking strategies.“You always have to be trying to think ahead. It takes time to change, so you want to try to be really thoughtful and analytical about where you invest your time and your resources,” maintains Cady. The district’s early adoption of artificial intelligence exemplifies this approach.“This is something we’ve tried to be a leader on, but in a way that’s also very thoughtful. We have ethical guidelines for students and teachers in terms of the use of AI. Those are things that we published last year, and I don’t think that that’s very common to have that in place yet,” Cady remarks, sharing that the district has partnered with two different Tech Ed AI companies. “We’ve been on the ground floor with them, so we have a lot of influence in terms of the design of those tools,” he adds. Currently most of the focus is on using AI to enhance teachers’ practices.“What we’ve found early on is that artificial intelligence systems can really automate some things that would take teachers hours and hours to do. So, there are some opportunities there to free them up to spend more time on things that are really impactful for kids.” Of course, the district is aware that students are already integrating AI into their learning and will continue to do so. “We also have to recognize the truth, especially when you’re talking about middle and high school kids, that they are already deeply using ChatGPT and other technologies of that nature. 364 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 05, ISSUE 11
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