Central Berkshire Navigating AI in Education

DALTON, Mass. — The Central Berkshire Regional School District is researching artificial intelligence in education to inform future policy and practice.

 

"Our ultimate goal is to at least to have some common expectations that we can rally around first," Assistant Superintendent Aaron Robb said at December's School Committee meeting. 

 

In September, Robb established an AI ad hoc committee made up of teachers, a student, the IT director, and a School Committee member. The committee has been trying to meet twice a month, he said. 

 

It is charged with researching the challenges and opportunities AI presents in education to help the district navigate the "AI revolution."

 

Throughout the process, the committee will get guidance from Fadia Rostom-Makdisi, computer  scientist, AI educational adviser, and former principal of St. Agnes' School. 

 

"She's gone off on her own as a consultant and she's doing some consulting work with schools around AI and she's been doing some, as we've just been calling it, 'AI 101' training in our district," Robb said. 

 

During the November professional development days, almost 100 district staff and faculty received a three-hour basic AI training from Rostom-Makdisi which covered the how and what of AI and several commonly used AI tools in education.