A decade ago, while contemplating innovation I wrote (HERE) about how meaningful change in education spreads through diffusion rather than replication. This is an idea that David Albury has written and spoken about regularly and been very influential in my thinking.

As we navigate the integration of generative AI in our schools today, this principle resonates more strongly than ever.

The early waves of AI adoption in education brought familiar pressures – the rush to replicate successful models, the search for universal “best practices,” and the desire for quick implementation.  If we only purchase the “right tool” amazing experiences will be happening similarly in all classrooms. But just as we learned with previous innovations, the most impactful changes come when we allow ideas to diffuse naturally, adapting to each teacher’s unique talents and each school’s and district’s unique context.  And then those of us in district positions try to network this work together.

Every School Tells Its Own AI Story

Walk into any school in our district, and you’ll see how AI tools are being embraced in distinctly different ways. In one class, teachers are exploring AI as a tool for differentiated instruction, helping students who need additional support while challenging those ready to dive deeper. In another, AI is supporting timely feedback as the teacher looks to see how it can help students in their writing process. And in many schools, AI is being used to support the completion of the administrative tasks of teaching.

This organic adoption isn’t chaos – it’s exactly how innovation should spread in education. When we trust educators to experiment and adapt AI tools to their specific needs, we see more authentic and sustainable integration.

The Heart of Diffusion is Trust

The key to successful diffusion lies in trusting our educators’ professional judgment.  I was speaking about this last week, and got the good question, “OK, so if this happens how do you respond to the parent of a child in one grade 3 class where no AI is being used when it is being richly used in the grade 3 class next door.”  This of course is not an AI issue, teachers have always found their own ways to adapt new tools in their classroom.  And what I have seen over 30 years is that when teacher A sees teacher B using something that is creating efficiencies and improving engagement and learning, they will want to be on the journey as well.

Rather than mandating specific AI applications or setting rigid implementation timelines, we’re creating spaces for teachers to explore, question, innovate and network together. We provide district-supported AI tools not to enforce uniform classroom usage but to support teachers and assure them that the tools they are exploring are safe to use with students. This approach acknowledges that our educators know their students best and are uniquely positioned to determine how AI can enhance their teaching practice.

Some teachers find AI to be a powerful tool for providing immediate feedback on student writing. Others are using it to generate personalized practice problems in mathematics. The common thread isn’t the specific application – it’s the thoughtful consideration of how these tools can serve their students’ needs.

Growing Together, Learning Together

As we continue this journey, we are seeing the power of organic networks forming among educators. Teachers are sharing their discoveries, challenges, and successes with AI integration, not as a blueprint to be copied, but as inspiration for others to adapt and build upon. This professional dialogue enriches our collective understanding and helps us navigate the ethical considerations that come with AI in education.

The future of AI in our schools won’t be determined by a single master plan or universal implementation strategy. Instead, it will emerge from thousands of small experiments, adjustments, and innovations happening in classrooms across our district and beyond. This is diffusion at its finest – messy, organic, and ultimately more transformative than any top-down initiative could be.

As we move forward, let’s remember that the goal isn’t to replicate success stories but to create the conditions where each teacher, school and district can write its own story of AI integration – one that reflects its unique community, challenges, and aspirations.

Interested in hearing 4 of these teacher stories?  Here is a video from a project we are doing with Dell and C21 Canada, supported in our district by Advanced Learning Partnerships and Dean Shareski. Such exciting times!

The image at the top of this post was created in Chat GPT.  Before publishing I used Claude as a grammar / spell check and to identify any statements that needed additional clarification or examples.