I will need you to read through to the end today . . .
Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to transform a wide range of industries and professions, but could it replace school superintendents? While it is possible that AI could be used to assist school superintendents in their work, it is unlikely that AI could fully replace a human school superintendent.
School superintendents are responsible for overseeing the educational operations of a school district, which involves many tasks that require human judgment, decision-making, and interpersonal skills. Superintendents must be able to lead and motivate teams of educators, work with community stakeholders, and make difficult decisions that impact the success of students. These tasks require qualities that are unique to humans, such as empathy, emotional intelligence, and the ability to navigate complex social situations. AI systems do not currently possess these qualities, and it is unlikely that they will be able to replicate them in the near future.
However, that doesn’t mean that AI has no role to play in the work of school superintendents. AI could potentially be used to help superintendents with certain tasks that are time-consuming or routine, such as analyzing data and generating reports. For example, an AI system could be trained to analyze our student achievement data and identify trends or areas of improvement. This could allow superintendents to focus on more high-level tasks, such as developing strategies to improve student achievement or building relationships with community partners.
AI could also be used to improve communication between superintendents and other members of the school district. For example, an AI-powered chatbot could be used to answer frequently asked questions from parents or teachers, freeing up the superintendent’s time to focus on more pressing issues.
So, while AI is not likely to fully replace school superintendents, it could be a valuable tool to assist superintendents in their work. By automating certain tasks and improving communication, AI could help superintendents to be more effective and efficient in their roles. However, it is important to remember that AI is not a substitute for human judgment and leadership, and it will be up to superintendents to determine how best to use these tools in their work.
So, I didn’t really write this.
Well, maybe I did sort of.
It is getting murky.
After working through a series of questions and answers with ChatGPT, this is the response I got to my ask, “Write a blog post of 350 words on whether AI could replace school superintendents and how AI could help school superintendents.” I then made some edits to make it sound more in my voice. Oh, it is original. Put it through any plagiarism checker – it will pass. And I did a few different versions with asking for a different tone if this is too formal for you. So, let’s back up.
This is a quickly moving landscape -and I am very much a novice. Let me do a quick summary. ChatGPT is all the buzz right now. As Bernard Marr in Forbes describes it: “ChatGPT enables users to ask questions or tell a story, and the bot will respond with relevant, natural-sounding answers and topics. The interface is designed to simulate a human conversation, creating natural engagement with the bot.”
I remember when I first used a search engine – it was not Google, probably AOL or AltaVista, or something of that era. It was clear things were about to really change. This AI gives that same vibe. My example is really basic that I shared today. But what happens when AI reads all my blogs and then I ask it to write one on a topic in my style – that will be coming soon. And of course the implications for education, like so many professions are huge. We have seen good articles already on how this could be used for lesson plans and in other ways in education. And there are debates on whether it is killing or not killing the English essay. But this is really just the infancy of what will be possible.
I have lamented that in recent years that technology shifts have not given me the same excitement as those earlier this century in the web 2.0 era. Well, this feels different.
What do you think? Have you tried it? What might be possible for its use in education?
As I wrote in a post last year, we might think with kids with laptops and mastering Zoom we are now fully digital – but Technology is Not Done!
What a great opportunity to not make the mistakes of the past and see technology as a threat, but rather an opportunity for us to rethink how it could add value to our work.
cultureofyes.ca 
One of the best ideas I’ve heard about using this is to think of it as a co-worker and ask questions that you would ask a colleague. Imagine if every student had their own tutor or aid they could access. That’s essentially what this could be. I look forward to our best teachers exploring the possibilities and limitations.
I would love to see a session with teachers each sharing the best way they are using it in the classroom. I want to get ahead of this discussion so we don’t get bogged down in doom and gloom.
I see a time in the near future where all summative assessment in the Humanities would need to be one on one interview/discussion, or how else would a teacher genuinely assess critical thinking skills?
Maybe. I think the growth in audio / video joining written output as keys to how we know how students are doing is something that we have been seeing for a while and will continue. Technologies like this are definitely shaking the core of what we think we need to students to be able to do. I am trying to find some alignment to this shift to the calculator in math. For a while we tried to limit its use, and then we embraced it and just stopped assessing students on things that could be done by the calculator. I can’t quite get my head around the direct parallel but I think there is some useful similarities.
I would hope that summative (end of term or semester) assessment involves a discussion with the student. I have always liked Joe Bower’s (who sadly is deceased) idea that assessment is a discussion between student, teacher AND parent. Assessment conversations is one of the most powerful activities I do with my students (at least according to their feedback)!
Nicely said Brent. I think one thing we have to do is show ways this is manageable for teachers within our current structures. I see it most effectively at elementary where there is one teacher for up to 30 students but I know it is harder to contemplate how to arrange time to make it happen at secondary when teachers (and students) have anywhere from 3 or 4 to 7 or 8 classes at a time.
[…] used it to write this post and West Vancouver Schools’ Superintendent used it to help him write this post. Now, both Eric and Chris are quick to point out that they used AI and it’s not something they […]
“It is getting murky” is one of the best descriptors of ChatGPT – a disruption that is forcing more conversations that some of us have been trying to get traction on – around what communication is and will be. Love the share – and I still feel that I can hear the AI writers “voice” – not always at 100% accuracy, but I anticipate that will become one of the “value added services” – better fitting a custom writing style..:
I agree that it has some huge potential as “value add”. And what is great about disruptions like this is it forces us to reflect on questions like what are we assessing students on, what do we value, how do we know students are learning, and just what is it we want students to be learning anyway. Of course it also does feel that we should not hold onto the idea that what we see now is what “AI” is, as it does feel like we are just at the beginning of a new wave of technology disruptions.
I think the calculator analogy doesn’t quite fit, a closer comparison is the printing press, to risk a cliché. The printing press led to the transformation of society. It also arguably led to the 30 years war – the beginnings of modern propaganda. So I think it’s reasonable to be excited and terrified about this new technology. I have specific concerns within the education sector but this isn’t my blog! : > )
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So how do we ensure our kids use AI responsibly but still use their own creative writing? Do we want them to just edit? They could easily use AI for every socials essay they need to do…. As you say it is a fast moving landscape that we need to address and work with not against for the sake of our children’s education.
A good article and discussion on ChatGPT. ChatGPT is so versatile and has so many applications. Remember it is only relatively new so the possibilities are almost endless