Tag: Reflection (page 1 of 6)

From AASA The Public Education Promise – Our Future is BRIGHT

March 9, 2025 / Michael Lubelfeld / 0 Comments

Screenshot from Presentation

I just returned from the 2025 National Conference on Education from the AASA, the American Association of School List of the Public Education Promise Administrators. The title and theme was Future Driven Leadership. They announced the Public Education Promise, see images below. There were hundreds of impactful presentations, exhibitors, thought leader sessions, panel discussions, presentations, opportunities for networking and socializing, and more. It’s an annual opportunity for superintendents to recharge their batteries and refuel their leadership toolkits! This year’s conference, my 15th, was powerful and impactful.

Each year upon return, I share resources with members of my leadership team, I write blog posts like this one, and I reflect on how to affirm practices which are working, change practices that are not working, and eliminate tried but failed practices. Each year I aim to do a better job as a leader than I did in the past year. Each month I endeavor to be more effective and impactful than I was in the last month. Each week I leverage skills acquired and knowledge gained to be a better version of myself. And each day I aim to be just a little bit better than I was yesterday.

Reflecting upon the magnitude of “public education” and all that’s “going on” – I often step back and look into the past (distant, mid-level, or recent) for perspectives on the present so that I may create and contribute to the creation of conditions for our collective future.

Currently, in March 2025, there are a lot of discussions about the future of the United States Department of Education as well as policies, laws, practices, and philosophies on behalf of our nation’s youth. As a life long public school educator (teacher, administrator, scholar, author, speaker, consultant, etc.), for decades, I have been a student of politics, economics, sociology, anthropology, social science research, ed-tech, and global relations.

Our future is as bright today as it ever has been.

We are edu superheros

That’s right – our future is as bright today as it ever has been.

Last week thousands of leaders from all over the United States and Canada assembled at the National Conference on Education. Our Executive Director unveiled the latest future focused mission, the Public Education Promise, the American Dream in Action:

prioritize student centered learning

teach the new basics: real skills for real life

attract, hire, retain and reward the best employees

building highly engaged family and community partnerships

measure what matters

You see – whatever the political winds blow in our out, whatever changes may or may not be in your local context, our future is bright and we are united in purpose – across ideologies – to support our nation’s youth through public education.

We can absolutely address and improve upon each of the principles of this call for action. Together we can endeavor to measure what matters to demonstrate success, growth, learning, and excellence of our youth and our teachers. Together we can re-narrate our present and end the educator shortage. Together we can build and rebuild community partnerships and family/school relations.

We can seek guidance like that from the World Economic Forum’s Jobs report as we ensure we are teaching the needed basic skills for real life. We must always prioritize student focused learning!

Graphic of the CHANGE leadership framework from Lubelfeld/Polyak

CHANGE Leadership Framework from our new book

With the power of generative artificial intelligence (see multiple posts on this blog about this topic), to current and clear research/evidence that shows us how to lead through conflict, change, trauma, and strife, we CAN and we WILL and we MUST advance the promise of public education.

If you are an educator and you are a bit overwhelmed, skeptical, tired, frustrated, or angry – I get it – we all get it!! But – please don’t fret and please don’t think “it’s never been this bad” or “we’re doomed” … we are not doomed. We can and we will recover to positive, productive, collaborative, and united approaches for our youth and via public education.

Improve, remain Unfinished and willing to unlearn and relearn

I leave you with a blog post I reprinted in 2014 about the “additional demands” put upon us in public education – as a people, as a society, as an association, let’s partner with our communities, our boards of education, our local and state lawmakers on behalf of children and society – let’s answer our executive director’s call for a renewal of the American Dream via the Public Education Promise!

For context and reflection, I share this post From my old blog – February 2014…

The Ever Increasing Burden on America’s Public Schools BY JAMIE ROBERT VOLLMER

February 9, 2014 Michael Lubelfeld General Posts

The content in this blog post comes from Jamie Robert Vollmer

I saw Jamie at the Illinois Superintendent Conference last fall and I follow him on Twitter, and his messages, information, and publications are worth a closer look! As we prepare for some school Transformation in our district, I thought it relevant and timely to share Jamie’s brief history of US Education! Enjoy …

The Ever Increasing Burden on America’s Public Schools

BY JAMIE ROBERT VOLLMER

America’s public schools can be traced back to the year 1640. The Massachusetts Puritans established schools to: 1) Teach basic reading, some writing and arithmetic skills, and 2) Cultivate values that serve a democratic society (some history and civics implied).

The founders of these schools assumed that families and churches bore the major responsibility for raising a child. Gradually, science and geography were added, but the curriculum was limited and remained focused for 260 years.

At the beginning of the twentieth century, however, politicians, academics, members of the clergy, and business leaders saw public schools as a logical site for the assimilation of immigrants and the social engineering of the citizens—and workers—of the new industrial age. They began to expand the curriculum and assign additional duties. That trend has accelerated ever since.

From 1900 to 1910, we shifted to our public schools responsibilities related to
• Nutrition
• Immunization
• Health (Activities in the health arena multiply every year.)

From 1910 to 1930, we added
• Physical education (including organized athletics)
• The Practical Arts/Domestic Science/Home economics (including sewing and cooking)
• Vocational education (including industrial and agricultural education)
• Mandated school transportation

In the 1940s, we added
• Business education (including typing, shorthand, and bookkeeping)
• Art and music
• Speech and drama
• Half-day kindergarten
• School lunch programs (We take this for granted today, but it was a huge step to shift to the schools the job of
feeding America’s children one third of their daily meals.)

In the 1950s, we added
• Expanded science and math education
• Safety education
• Driver’s education
• Expanded music and art education
• Stronger foreign language requirements
• Sex education (Topics continue to escalate.)

In the 1960s, we added
• Advanced Placement programs
• Head Start
• Title I
• Adult education
• Consumer education (purchasing resources, rights and responsibilities)
• Career education (occupational options, entry level skill requirements)
• Peace, leisure, and recreation education [Loved those sixties.]

In the 1970s, the breakup of the American family accelerated, and we added
• Drug and alcohol abuse education
• Parenting education (techniques and tools for healthy parenting)
• Behavior adjustment classes (including classroom and communication skills)
• Character education
• Special education (mandated by federal government)
• Title IX programs (greatly expanded athletic programs for girls)
• Environmental education
• Women’s studies
• African-American heritage education
• School breakfast programs (Now some schools feed America’s children two-thirds of their daily meals throughout
the school year and all summer. Sadly, these are the only decent meals some children receive.)

In the 1980s, the floodgates opened, and we added
• Keyboarding and computer education
• Global education
• Multicultural/Ethnic education
• Nonsexist education
• English-as-a-second-language and bilingual education
• Teen pregnancy awareness
• Hispanic heritage education
• Early childhood education
• Jump Start, Early Start, Even Start, and Prime Start
• Full-day kindergarten
• Preschool programs for children at risk
• After-school programs for children of working parents
• Alternative education in all its forms
• Stranger/danger education
• Antismoking education
• Sexual abuse prevention education
• Expanded health and psychological services
• Child abuse monitoring (a legal requirement for all teachers)

In the 1990s, we added

• Conflict resolution and peer mediation
• HIV/AIDS education
• CPR training
• Death education
• America 2000 initiatives (Republican)
• Inclusion
• Expanded computer and internet education
• Distance learning
• Tech Prep and School to Work programs
• Technical Adequacy
• Assessment
• Post-secondary enrollment options
• Concurrent enrollment options
• Goals 2000 initiatives (Democrat)
• Expanded Talented and Gifted opportunities
• At risk and dropout prevention
• Homeless education (including causes and effects on children)
• Gang education (urban centers)
• Service learning
• Bus safety, bicycle safety, gun safety, and water safety education

In the first decade of the twenty-first century, we have added

• No Child Left Behind (Republican)
• Bully prevention
• Anti-harassment policies (gender, race, religion, or national origin)
• Expanded early childcare and wrap around programs
• Elevator and escalator safety instruction
• Body Mass Index evaluation (obesity monitoring)
• Organ donor education and awareness programs
• Personal financial literacy
• Entrepreneurial and innovation skills development
• Media literacy development
• Contextual learning skill development
• Health and wellness programs
• Race to the Top (Democrat)

This list does not include the addition of multiple, specialized topics within each of the traditional subjects. It also does not include the explosion of standardized testing and test prep activities, or any of the onerous reporting requirements imposed by the federal government, such as four-year adjusted cohort graduation rates, parental notification of
optional supplemental services, comprehensive restructuring plans, and reports of Adequate Yearly Progress.

It’s a ponderous list.

Each item has merit, and all have their ardent supporters, but the truth is that we have added these responsibilities without adding a single minute to the school calendar in six decades. No generation of teachers and administrators in the history of the world has been told to fulfill this mandate: not just teach children, but raise them!

Quote about the future and need to unlearn

Unlearn – Relearn – Grow/Change

Reflections from Montgomery – A Superintendent’s Notes

September 19, 2024 / Michael Lubelfeld / 0 Comments

Understanding Defining Moments in History

Montgomery, Alabama | September 17-19, 2024
Fall Symposium of the National Superintendents Roundtable Cover of briefing book

As a proud member of the National Superintendents Roundtable (NSR), I looked forward to our fall conference in Montgomery, Alabama. With a mission focused on “Leadership for Just and Humane Schools,” the NSR, alongside the Schlecty Superintendent Leadership Network, brings together 85 superintendents committed to advocating for the future of public education. This conference emphasized the significance of civics education—an essential component for understanding our nation’s complex history.

Our host, Dr. Melvin Brown, Superintendent of Montgomery Public Schools, welcomed us to a city steeped in both the legacy of the Confederacy and the Civil Rights Movement. Montgomery, a city of contrasts, was the perfect setting for

Panel of Members – Discussion

exploring the contradictions and realities of American history. Here, in a school system serving 26,000 students, we confronted the unresolved tension between the 1954 Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education and the lived experience of desegregation, which for Montgomery, only began in earnest during the 1970s. While the law declared the end of segregation, reality played out differently, and the deep divides of the past remained unresolved for decades.

As a lifelong advocate for student voice, choice, and empowerment, I found myself reflecting deeply on the impact of these historical legacies on today’s education system. Our schools are, and must always be, for students—no exceptions.

Three Profound Sites of American History

The heart of this symposium was our visit to three deeply impactful historical monuments:

The Freedom Monument Sculpture Park (April 2024)
The Legacy Museum: From Enslavement to Mass Incarceration (2018)
The National Memorial for Peace and Justice (2018)

In front of Freedom Monument Sculpture Park Wall of Names These landmarks tell an unfiltered story of America, starting from pre-Columbian history through the African and African American experiences. They challenged us to reckon with the harsh truths of slavery, systemic racism, and the ongoing consequences of mass incarceration.

The Equal Justice Initiative (EJI), founded by Bryan Stevenson, operates the Legacy Museum and National Memorial for Peace and Justice. EJI has been at the forefront of documenting the intersection of racial injustice, from slavery to modern-day inequalities. Learning about their work and walking through these spaces was emotionally overwhelming yet essential.

At the Freedom Monument Sculpture Park, we were immediately faced with the brutality of colonialism. I found myself reflecting on the devastating impact European exploration and colonization had on both Indigenous and African peoples. Walking through this park, located by the serene Alabama River, was a stark contrast to the brutality it documented. I realized how disconnected my previous understanding of history had been, shaped largely by sanitized textbooks that glossed over the horrors of our past.

The Domestic Slave Trade and Unseen Realities

One of the most startling realizations during this trip was learning about the domestic slave trade that thrived in the United States after the transatlantic trade was abolished in 1808. I hadn’t fully grasped how the demand for enslaved labor

Depiction of bondage and suffering

persisted, especially in building the Southern railway systems. As a history teacher, I taught about slavery—but never truly taught about it. Now, I find myself asking: What is my obligation as an educator to teach authentic and real history?

Equally disturbing was the realization of how deeply Northern banks profited from the Southern economy, showing that slavery wasn’t just a Southern institution—it was an American one.

Emancipation and Its Complex Legacy

The common narrative we often hear is that the Emancipation Proclamation freed the enslaved. Yet, in reality, the Proclamation only declared freedom for those enslaved in Confederate states still rebelling against the Union in 1863. It took the 13th Amendment, ratified in December 1865, to legally end slavery in the United States. The legacy of that struggle, from Reconstruction to Jim Crow, has left a profound and lasting impact on our nation’s journey toward racial equality.

The visit to the National Memorial for Peace and Justice was perhaps the most sobering of all. Walking through the steel monuments bearing the names of over 4,400 lynching victims, I was confronted with a history I hadn’t fully absorbed before. The legacy of racial violence and terror extends far beyond what many of us learned in school, and the psychological damage it inflicted is immeasurable.

Victims of lynching from one county

Personal Reflection and Call to Action

This journey wasn’t just an opportunity to learn—it was a moral reckoning. I’ve often said that students have only one chance to experience the grade they’re in, and it’s our duty to make their time with us meaningful. Now that I’ve confronted these truths, I have to ask myself: What will I do with this knowledge?

What will I do?
What will you do?
More importantly, what will **we** do, now that we know?

As educators and leaders, it’s our responsibility to empower our students, activate their voices, and offer them choice, agency, and engagement. If we’re to inspire, innovate, and engage, we must do so with a full understanding of where we’ve been as a nation and where we need to go.

I encourage all who read this to visit Montgomery, Alabama.

Our nation’s future depends on it.

Quote on the monument of remembrance

Community Collaboration Marker - Communities are coming to terms with their history

Memorial to victim of lynching – part of community awareness project

Deep Dive on the Gen AI Journey – #112Leads

September 15, 2024 / Michael Lubelfeld / 0 Comments

What’s all the fuss about AI?

Why all of the emphasis on “new tools” – “we have enough to do already!”.

Well … In North Shore School District 112 we have been on a journey exploring generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI). I have written about it here on the blog, I have spoken about it on the Lighthouse 112 Podcast, I have spoken about it at conferences, and I have shared it internally with the staff at North Shore School District 112. I’m on a journey to broaden my Gen AI literacy so that I may lead in a more informed and impactful manner. On a daily/weekly basis, I may explore Open AI Chat GPT, Google Gemini, ISTE-ASCD Stretch, Claude, Magic School AI, School AI, Latimer, and more! I’m aiming to explore what is going on and learn what it’s all about.

I’m working in a progressive school district that is engaged in a pilot right now with Magic School AI — 301 staff members are actively exploring the potential of Gen AI for themselves as educators and as of this writing, there are 43 active “rooms” where staff members (teachers, coaches, administrators, librarians, etc.) have opened up Gen AI to students – in a guarded, closed, directed manner. Safety/Privacy – Ethical Usage of AI tools is paramount to our exploration.

In this blog post, I am sharing an audio “podcast” “conversation” generated from Google’s Notebook LM experimental tool. Sharing six artifact sources regarding this journey, the Notebook LM “made” an audio “conversation” …the future is now – the present is the future – and it’s incumbent upon educators like myself to explore, learn, innovate, and share what tools exist, what tools can help improve learning, and what tools our students can use! Any time we use AI, we note it, we explain it, we explore it and we “own” it. We are sharing what’s going on so we know more and we can best support our educators, best inform our community and best innovate and engage and empower our students.

Link to 11-minute Audio “conversation” generated by Google’s Notebook LM reviewing six sources I uploaded (and will share in this post).

AUDIO CONVERSATION MADE BY GOOGLE’S NOTEBOOK LM LISTEN HERE – 11 MINUTES

I uploaded sources to a notebook – the notebook reviewed (electronically) the content and then had the programming to summarize, generate a briefing doc of highlights, make a timeline, and create an audio conversation – wait – what?! Yes, the generative artificial intelligence takes sources that a user uploads (documents, PDF, Google Docs, Google Slides, web URLs, pasted text), “read”/somehow interprets the content, and then -makes a CONVERSATION with a male voice and a female voice.

This is free of charge, too, by the way … please read on and then please click the link above and listen to the 11-minute conversation … this is TODAY – not the future. The male and female voices are from Google’s Notebook LM. I did NOT write a script, I did NOT prompt engineer, I did NOT do anything other than take my own original content (5 of the six sources) and an article from Yong Zhao (an educational thinker who I read, follow, and respect), and Notebook LM made “magic” … or used it’s large language model, machine language and generative artificial intelligence and did something that was not possible nor was it accessible until very recently.

The six sources I asked Notebook LM to “review” include the following:

Summary of a presentation I made to the Center for Digital Education

The source is a presentation transcript from a talk given by Mike Lubelfeld, the Superintendent of North Shore School District 112 in Illinois. The presentation focuses on the district’s approach to integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into education. The district has adopted a positive and proactive stance towards AI, focusing on educator literacy and experimentation rather than on fear of misuse. They have implemented Magic School AI as their official AI tool, using it to streamline administrative tasks for teachers and promote innovation in educational practices. The district is also conducting research on AI’s impact, ensuring data privacy and security. The presentation concludes by offering suggestions for expanding AI adoption and reinforcing the importance of data privacy in this process.

Link to Google Doc from the summary of the brief presentation (generated via Plaud AI)

Link to slides used in the presentation, Link to Slides

Summary of the Slides

The source presents a presentation by North Shore School District 112 detailing their approach to incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) into education. The presentation emphasizes the need for AI literacy and provides an AI integration timeline, outlining their strategy from initial exploration to policy development and implementation. The presentation highlights the potential benefits of AI for both students and teachers, such as personalized learning, intelligent tutoring, and automation of administrative tasks, while acknowledging the limitations of AI, including bias in training data, limited knowledge bases, and proneness to hallucinations. The presentation advocates for an innovative mindset, urging educators to experiment with new AI tools and adapt their practices to the post-AI world. Finally, the presentation emphasizes the need for ethical guidelines and data privacy to ensure responsible and beneficial integration of AI in education.

Summary of a blog post (from this blog)

This blog post by Mike Lubelfeld, superintendent of North Shore School District 112, describes the district’s pilot program for integrating Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools into its classrooms. The post highlights the potential benefits of AI, such as personalized learning and increased efficiency, and outlines the district’s implementation strategy for piloting the use of Magic School AI. Lubelfeld emphasizes the importance of data privacy, equity and access, and change management as key considerations in the AI implementation. He also stresses the importance of collaboration and continuous learning in navigating this new technological landscape. The ultimate goal of the pilot program is to leverage AI to create a modernized educational environment that prepares students for the future.

Link to the Blog Post, https://mikelubelfeld.edublogs.org/2024/06/16/generative-ai-in-nssd112-112leads/

Summary of a slide deck from Thought Exchange regarding a recent pulse survey

This document summarizes the results of an engagement survey conducted by the North Shore School District 112. The survey sought to assess the community’s opinion on incorporating Generative Artificial Intelligence (Gen AI) into the learning experience. The document highlights the key themes, concerns, and opportunities related to Gen AI in education, revealing the participants’ perceptions about the ethical implications, potential benefits, and necessary precautions. The data is presented through a series of charts and graphs, including participation statistics, sentiment scores, word clouds, and ranked thoughts from the participants. Ultimately, the document aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the community’s feedback, serving as a foundation for informed decision-making about the implementation of Gen AI in the school district.

Learn more by clicking this link to the results: https://my.thoughtexchange.com/report/864abcfe1c310a92f5fc5534b8320f61

Summary of the article by Yong Zhao

he source, an excerpt from Yong Zhao’s “Artificial Intelligence and Education: End the Grammar of Schooling,” argues that traditional schooling systems are outdated and ill-equipped to prepare students for the age of AI. Zhao proposes a radical shift in educational philosophy, moving away from a “one-size-fits-all” approach towards a personalized learning model that focuses on developing individual strengths and passions. This new model would enable students to identify and solve meaningful problems using AI, fostering creativity, entrepreneurship, and a sense of human interdependence. Zhao challenges the traditional emphasis on memorization and standardized assessments, advocating instead for a strengths-based approach that emphasizes problem-solving, collaboration, and a lifelong learning mindset. The author concludes by urging a complete transformation of schooling systems, embracing AI as a tool to empower students and teachers in a new era of education that prioritizes individual greatness and the creation of value for others.

Link to the article

District 112 Artificial Intelligence Guidelines

This document is a proposal from the superintendent of North Shore School District 112 to the Board of Education Policy Committee regarding the implementation of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in the school district. It is a comprehensive overview of the district’s plan to integrate AI into its curriculum, operations, and professional development initiatives. The document outlines the key objectives, implementation strategy, expected outcomes, and policy considerations surrounding the use of AI in education. The district intends to pilot a generative AI program called “Magic School AI” to enhance teacher effectiveness and student engagement, aiming to improve student learning, personalize learning experiences, and streamline administrative tasks. The document also addresses potential risks and challenges associated with AI implementation, emphasizing the need for responsible, ethical, and transparent use of AI technologies. The district plans to monitor the pilot program’s success through data analysis, student and staff feedback, and alignment with existing district policies and national guidelines. Ultimately, the document proposes a forward-looking approach to harnessing the potential of generative AI to foster innovation and enhance educational outcomes within the school district.

Link to Document

Using Notebook LM from Google is fascinating – here is a “briefing document” generated by the Notebook LM integrating and “reviewing” the six sources – much like the audio “podcast” is “its” interpretation of key points from its understanding of language patterns, the briefing doc is just that – a briefing on the content from the six sources,

Briefing Document: North Shore School District 112’s Generative AI Initiative

Subject: Review of North Shore School District 112’s Generative AI Integration Initiative

Author: Bard, a large language model created by Google

Executive Summary: This briefing document analyzes North Shore School District 112’s initiative to integrate generative AI into its educational practices. The document examines the goals, implementation strategy, perceived benefits and challenges, stakeholder perspectives, and potential next steps.

1. Background and Objectives:

Since November 2023, North Shore School District 112 has actively explored and implemented generative AI tools to enhance teaching, learning, and operational efficiency. Inspired by national conferences and guided by organizations like Teach AI and CoSN, the district aims to:

Foster AI Literacy: Equip both students and staff with essential AI skills for the future.
Provide Clear Guidance: Establish robust guidelines for safe, ethical, and responsible AI use.
Build Capacity: Invest in professional development opportunities for educators to effectively leverage AI tools.
Support Innovation: Embrace innovative AI applications to improve educational processes and administrative functions.

2. Implementation Strategy:

The district’s AI integration strategy focuses on a multi-pronged approach:

Pilot Program: A comprehensive pilot program with Magic School AI was launched in May 2024, providing educators with access to a secure and compliant AI platform. Early data indicates high usage, with 252 users generating 3,817 uses of Magic School AI tools since May 13, 2024.
Professional Development: The district is committed to providing ongoing professional development to support staff in understanding and utilizing AI tools effectively.
Policy Alignment: Existing school board policies are being reviewed and leveraged to guide the ethical and responsible implementation of generative AI.
Stakeholder Engagement: Gathering feedback from students, parents, and staff is crucial for shaping the future of the initiative. An initial engagement survey was conducted in September 2024.

3. Perceived Benefits and Opportunities:

Personalized Learning: AI can personalize learning experiences by tailoring educational content to individual student needs and learning styles.
Enhanced Engagement: AI tools can make learning more engaging and interactive for students.
Operational Efficiency: AI can automate administrative tasks, freeing up educators’ time for instruction and student interaction.
Data-Driven Insights: AI can analyze data to provide insights into student progress and identify areas for improvement.

4. Challenges and Concerns:

Data Privacy and Security: Ensuring the responsible and ethical use of student data is paramount.
Equity and Access: Addressing potential disparities in access to technology and ensuring equitable implementation.
Over-Reliance on Technology: Striking a balance between human interaction, critical thinking skills development, and AI tool utilization.
Ethical Considerations: Addressing potential biases in AI algorithms and promoting responsible use.

5. Stakeholder Perspectives:

Initial feedback from an engagement survey indicates diverse perspectives:

Positive Reactions: Many see AI as a valuable tool for personalizing learning, increasing efficiency, and providing new opportunities for students.
Concerns and Reservations: Some express concerns about the ethical implications of AI, potential for cheating, over-reliance on technology, and the need for appropriate training and support.

6. Key Quotes:

“If I can tell a teacher of the 50 hours of time they’re spending each week, the 25 of those hours are non-educational or non-instructional, if I can cut that in half and give them back 12 hours a week because I’m giving them access to tools that can cut their clerical stuff, it’s worth it for all of us.” – Michael Lubelfeld, Superintendent (from presentation recording)

7. Next Steps:

Analyze Engagement Data: Carefully analyze stakeholder feedback from the September survey to understand concerns and identify areas of alignment and divergence.
Develop Communication Strategy: Create a comprehensive communication plan to address stakeholder concerns and build understanding and support for the initiative.
Refine Implementation Plan: Use stakeholder feedback and data analysis to adjust the implementation plan, ensuring it is responsive to concerns and aligned with the district’s goals.
Expand Professional Development: Offer diverse professional development opportunities that cater to various comfort levels and address specific concerns regarding AI integration.
Monitor and Evaluate: Continuously monitor the implementation process, gathering data on usage, impact, and stakeholder perspectives to inform future decisions.

8. Conclusion:

North Shore School District 112’s generative AI initiative demonstrates a proactive approach to leveraging emerging technologies to potentially enhance education. By carefully considering stakeholder perspectives, addressing challenges, and prioritizing ethical considerations, the district can work toward a future where AI complements and enhances teaching and learning.

In addition to the briefing doc that Notebook LM can integrate and synthesize from sources that you upload, it can also make a timeline, see this timeline from the sources I uploaded,

Timeline of Events:

1984:

Benjamin Bloom proposes the concept of one-to-one tutoring being more effective than group instruction, laying the groundwork for the personalized learning movement.

1990s – Early 2000s:

Research and discussions around school reform gain traction, with scholars like Larry Cuban and David Tyack analyzing the resilience of traditional schooling systems and the limitations of reform efforts.

2010s:

The concept of personalized learning gains widespread acceptance and promotion, driven by advancements in technology. Organizations like the RAND Corporation conduct studies indicating positive outcomes associated with personalized learning approaches.

2018:

OECD’s PISA assessments reveal a decline in math, science, and reading scores across participating countries, prompting debates about the effectiveness of global education reforms and standardized testing.
Yong Zhao publishes critiques of the “grammar of schooling,” arguing for a shift towards strengths-based education and problem-oriented pedagogy.

August 2019:

North Shore School District 112 (NSSD112) Board of Education approves the Portrait of a Graduate (POG), outlining aspirational learning outcomes for students, including skills related to information evaluation, innovation, and active citizenship.

November 2023:

OpenAI releases ChatGPT 3.5.
NSSD112 Superintendent Michael Lubelfeld begins sharing information about generative AI in education with district leadership and staff.

January 2024:

New York City Department of Education (NYC DOE) bans ChatGPT from school devices and networks (ban later reversed on May 18).

March 2024:

OpenAI releases ChatGPT 4.
Khan Academy launches Khanmigo, an AI-powered learning tool.

April 2024:

NSSD112 representatives attend the CoSN national conference, further exploring generative AI in education.

May 2024:

Yong Zhao’s paper, “Artificial Intelligence and Education: End the Grammar of Schooling,” is published, advocating for a student-driven, personalized learning approach enhanced by AI.
NSSD112 enters a pilot partnership with Magic School AI, an educational AI platform.
NSSD112 releases “Artificial Intelligence Guidelines D112,” outlining the district’s strategic approach to AI integration.

June 2024:

Michael Lubelfeld publishes a blog post titled “Generative AI in NSSD112 – #112Leads,” outlining the rationale and vision for AI integration in the district.

Summer 2024:

NSSD112 holds professional development workshops for teachers and staff on integrating AI into their practice.

September 2024:

NSSD112 conducts an engagement survey, gathering feedback from parents, staff, and students on the use of generative AI in the classroom.
NSSD112’s Magic School AI pilot concludes, with 252 staff users and 3,817 documented uses of the AI tool.
Michael Lubelfeld delivers a presentation at the Center for Digital Education (CDE), discussing NSSD112’s AI journey and highlighting the potential of AI to transform education.

September 15, 2024:

NSSD112 releases “Engagement Summary AI Sept 15,” summarizing the findings of their community engagement survey on AI in education.

2024-2025:

NSSD112 plans to evaluate the Magic School AI pilot and refine its AI integration strategies based on community feedback and data analysis.

Cast of Characters:

Michael Lubelfeld:

Superintendent of North Shore School District 112 (NSSD112), located in Illinois.
Leading advocate for integrating AI into the district’s educational practices.
Author of the upcoming book, “Leading for Tomorrow’s Schools Today” (co-authored with Nick Polyak), which explores innovative educational leadership strategies.

Yong Zhao:

Professor of education at the University of Kansas, University of Melbourne, and East China Normal University.
Outspoken critic of traditional schooling models and advocate for student-centered, personalized learning enhanced by AI.
Published “Artificial Intelligence and Education: End the Grammar of Schooling” in May 2024.

Benjamin Bloom:

Educational psychologist who, in 1984, proposed the concept of one-to-one tutoring being more effective than traditional group instruction.
His work laid a foundation for the modern movement towards personalized learning.

Larry Cuban:

Professor Emeritus of Education at Stanford University.
Known for his research on the history of education reform and the use of technology in classrooms.
His work highlights the challenges of implementing substantial change in established schooling systems.

David Tyack:

Professor Emeritus of Education and History at Stanford University.
Co-authored “Tinkering Toward Utopia: A Century of Public School Reform” with Larry Cuban.
His research explores the historical context of education reform and the often-limited impact of reform efforts.

Sal Khan:

Founder of Khan Academy, a non-profit educational organization that offers free online learning resources.
Developed Khanmigo, an AI-powered learning tool designed to support students and teachers.

Organizations:

North Shore School District 112 (NSSD112): A public school district in Illinois committed to integrating AI to enhance education.
OpenAI: An artificial intelligence research company, known for developing ChatGPT.
Khan Academy: A non-profit educational organization providing free online learning resources, including Khanmigo, their AI learning tool.
CoSN (Consortium for School Networking): A professional organization for school technology leaders.
Magic School AI: An educational technology company providing AI-powered tools and platforms for schools.
RAND Corporation: A global policy think tank that conducts research on various topics, including education.
OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development): An intergovernmental organization that conducts PISA, an international student assessment program.
Center for Digital Education (CDE): A national non-profit organization that provides research, best practices, and community engagement opportunities for education leaders.

To say that Generative Artificial Intelligence (Gen AI) is a fad is wrong. To say that Gen AI is “technology” is wrong. To say that we should “avoid using Gen AI” is also wrong.

I submit to you, the reader, that Gen AI is a suite of advances in the works for decades, with powerful educational impact – PK-12, Higher Ed – society in general. I recommend research, investigation, exploration, iteration, and re-iteration.

I welcome the innovator’s mindset (HT to George Couros).

I ask that you unlearn, relearn, and remain unfinished as I often describe.

We are in this for our children, our youth, our communities, and our society.

Thank you for reading – please comment, “push back”, critically review, and join the conversation and exploration.

We are exploring so that we may innovate, inspire, and engage – for each child every day and for each member of our staff!

Our future is now – and so is our present!

Welcome Back to School – 2024 – #112Leads

August 13, 2024 / Michael Lubelfeld / 0 Comments

Back to School 2024

Highland Park – Highwood, Illinois (North of Chicago)

Each year we get a “do over” in public education! We get students each year ready to learn, ready to grow, ready to learn citizenship skills, ready to make friends, ready to belong. Reading, writing & arithmetic, the arts, the sciences, civics, geography, physical health and wellness, critical thinking skills – and more – in education we create conditions that provide the possibility and reality for everything else. Everyone working today as an adult can look back at school experiences.

We have a lot to do in elementary education, PK-8th grade – we have many standards to teach. We have a lot of activities to facilitate. We have a lot of socialization and friendship Raising Consciousness in education, enhance society, celebrate humanity! We are here for a great purpose, many call teaching/education a calling and a profession vs a “job”.

Welcome back to school year 2024-2025

North Shore School District 112, born in 1992 out of a consolidation of three historic districts, proudly serves nearly 4000 students in grades PK-8 in nine campuses on the beautiful shores of Lake Michigan! Predecessor districts started in the 1800s. Education in the community has been ongoing since the emergence of the community. Highland Park was founded in 1869, public schools have been part of the fabric of the community since then (and before). In our 13.2 square miles of geography, we have railroad tracks running through the towns with five Metra railroad stops. Homes on the lake, homes along the tracks, homes east of the highway, and homes west of the highway. All children are welcomed in our public schools! All children are entitled to a sense of belonging and value in D112.

In District 112 we focus on raising consciousness levels and efficacy in teaching and leading. We teach, learn, and implement culturally responsive pedagogy.

What is culturally responsive education? What is culturally responsive pedagogy? What is culturally responsive consciousness. What’s your level? “Culture is the air you breathe” – “it’s who you are” – “it’s the impact of your experiences”. Our culture is not just tied to the color of our skin or our native language (Credit to Dr. Sonya Whitaker). We bring our culturally “baggage” each and every day – raise consciousness – know, learn, understand, and do something.

Students learn best in an environment where they feel safe – connected – seen – heard – valued – cared for – loved! Teachers who connect with their children in appropriate, prosocial relationships can see greater growth and learning – it’s proven in research studies and experience. Students learn from teachers who like them and from whom they like!

Each child learning and growing in every content area, skill area, social area, learning area — that’s what we seek! We measure culture (organization/staff, engagement/students, service quality/families) and we measure impact of teaching on learning (arts, sciences, math, reading, writing, etc.). Our aim is high levels of rigor in each classroom every day. Our aim is for high levels of learning as measured by growth, perception, achievement, and all metrics/measures over time. In our district, we have children in grades PK through 8. We can have an 11 year impact on a child’s life – that’s HUGE – the impact is powerful!!

Culture is to humans as water is to fish! – Dr. Wade Nobles. Who we are matters. Who our students are matters. Who our families are matters. How we inspire, innovate and engage matters.

This year Deputy Superintendent Dr. Monica Schroeder and I started out the New Staff Orientation Welcome with our messages of welcome, care, mission, vision, hope, expectation, and our “why” for our 41 new staff members. We aim to share the “who we are” as chief educational leaders in the organization as well as “why we are proud that the new staff are here with us”.

In this blog post, I’m sharing the slides we used to help tell our story and welcome our newest #112Leads team members!!

Part 1 Is the Part where I address my “why”, the concept of being Unfinished, and the themes of the Unfinished Teacher (images are AI Generated from Dall-E)

My initial messages are grounded in my sense of purpose and “why” – why am I excited after all these years? Why am I still as motivated today as I was in 1993 on my first “first day” as a teacher. Many of the themes I shared come from and our present in the 2024 book I co-wrote, the Unfinished Teacher: Becoming the Next Version of Yourself. The mindset or concept of being unfinished – seeking to become the “next” version of yourself, not your “best” version of yourself – grounds me in all of my work and professional impact.

I have created a custom GPT via Open AI’s Chat GPT called Unfinished Teacher Book Study – anyone can access this via Chat GPT, LINK: https://chatgpt.com/g/g-9bDnz2jRe-unfinished-teacher-book-study-buddy

Using that “GPT “bot”” I said, please provide an executive summary of the Unfinished Teacher for a blog post I am writing – please highlight the main points. Here is what the large language model produced …

### Key Takeaways for Blog Post

– **Continuous Growth**: Emphasize the importance of being an “unfinished” teacher who is always evolving and improving.

– **Personal Well-being**: Highlight the need for self-awareness, emotional health, and financial wellness as foundations for effective teaching.

– **Professional Adaptability**: Stress the importance of adapting to new technologies, evolving curriculum standards, and meeting diverse student needs.

– **Community and Morale**: Discuss the significance of fostering a positive school culture and supporting teacher and staff morale.

– **Inspirational Stories**: Share anecdotes from the teacher vignettes to illustrate real-life applications of the book’s principles.

### Executive Summary: The Unfinished Teacher

**Purpose and Context**

“The Unfinished Teacher: Becoming the Next Version of Yourself” aims to support educators in enhancing their teaching practices and nurturing a culture of continuous learning and development. This book emphasizes the importance of personal and professional growth in the education profession, addressing current challenges such as the politicization of education and the ongoing teacher shortage.

**Section 1: Personal Growth**

This section focuses on individual development, encouraging teachers to reflect on their personal and social-emotional health, financial wellness, and self-awareness.

1. **Being a Great Teammate**

– Explores teamwork, self-awareness, collaboration, and adaptability.

– Encourages teachers to be reflective and proactive in their interactions and growth.

2. **Awareness**

– Highlights the importance of self-awareness and empathy.

– Discusses the impact of personal experiences on teaching and the need for cultural responsiveness

3. **Personal and Social-Emotional Health**

– Addresses the causes of burnout and emphasizes the importance of physical and mental health.

– Introduces the SEEDS framework (Sleep, Exercise, Eat, Drink, Socialize) for maintaining well-being.

4. **Financial Health and Wellness**

– Provides practical advice on financial planning, stress management, and investing in oneself.

– Stresses the importance of financial literacy and retirement planning

**Section 2: Professional Growth and Change**

This section covers the professional aspects of teaching, including curriculum development, technology integration, and teacher morale.

5. **Curriculum, Standards, Assessment, and Data**

– Balances the demands of curriculum standards with creative teaching methods.

– Emphasizes the importance of using assessments to enhance learning and inform instruction.

6. **Meeting the Needs of Each Child**

– Focuses on equity and personalized learning.

– Encourages teachers to address diverse student needs through responsive and inclusive teaching practices.

7. **Technology**

– Advocates for the use of technology as a tool to enhance learning.

– Discusses emerging technologies like AI, AR, and gamification, and their potential in education.

8. **Teacher and Staff Morale**

– Explores the factors impacting teacher morale and the importance of a positive school culture.

– Provides strategies for improving morale through recognition, collaboration, and supportive leadership.

**Teacher Vignettes**

The book includes personal essays from educators, sharing their journeys and reflecting on the themes of personal and professional growth. These stories provide practical insights and inspiration for teachers at all stages of their careers.

**Conclusion**

The book concludes with a powerful message about the importance of embracing change and remaining “unfinished.” It encourages teachers to continually evolve, adapt, and strive for personal and professional growth, while acknowledging the inherent challenges and rewards of the teaching profession.

Generative AI in NSSD112 – #112Leads

June 16, 2024 / Michael Lubelfeld / 0 Comments

AI Generated Image after running my blog post through Chat GPT 4o

In our school district, since November 2023, and with a great deal of energy and purpose since the CoSN national conference in April 2024, we have been on a “vision quest” with Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools. The potential revolutionary changes for teachers and students alike have inspired teams of administrators and teachers in the exploration, research, implementation, study, review, and implementation of GEN AI into our professional practice!

In this blog post, I’m sharing an AI produced (and human edited) executive summary of the District 112 Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) Guidance Document and Plans shared with the Board of Education in May and June 2024.

What follows the executive summary is an information blog post further illustrating our “why” in terms of deep study of how GEN AI will support our vision to Inspire, Innovate, and Engage for each child – and each staff member – EVERY day! The blog post is entitled, Embracing the Future: Integrating Generative AI in North Shore School District 112

First, here is an Executive Summary:

North Shore School District 112 (Illinois) Generative Artificial Intelligence Guidance and PlansGenerative Artificial Intelligence Guidance and Plans

Introduction
North Shore School District 112 is at the forefront of integrating cutting-edge technologies to enhance educational outcomes and operational efficiencies. The “Generative Artificial Intelligence Background, Guidance, Plans” document outlines the strategic approach to piloting Magic School AI in our district, providing a roadmap for successful implementation.

Key Objectives
The primary objectives of integrating Generative AI in our district include:
1. **Personalized Learning**: Leveraging AI to tailor educational content and experiences to meet the unique needs of each student, thereby improving engagement and academic performance.
2. **Operational Efficiency**: Streamlining administrative tasks and processes to allow educators to focus more on instruction and less on bureaucracy.
3. **Data-Driven Decision Making**: Utilizing AI to analyze vast amounts of data, providing insights that drive informed decision-making and strategic planning.

Implementation Strategy
1. **Pilot Program**: The initial phase involves piloting Magic School AI in select classrooms to evaluate its effectiveness and gather feedback from educators and students.
2. **Professional Development**: Providing comprehensive training for teachers and staff to ensure they are equipped with the skills and knowledge to effectively use AI tools.
3. **Stakeholder Engagement**: Engaging with students, parents, and the community to build support and ensure transparency throughout the implementation process.

Benefits
1. **Enhanced Learning Experiences**: AI can create customized lesson plans, provide real-time feedback, and suggest resources tailored to each student’s learning style and pace.
2. **Increased Efficiency**: Automation of routine tasks such as grading and attendance tracking frees up valuable time for educators to focus on teaching and mentorship.
3. **Improved Outcomes**: Data-driven insights help identify areas for improvement, monitor student progress, and develop targeted interventions to support student success.

Challenges and Mitigation
1. **Data Privacy**: Ensuring the security and privacy of student data is paramount. Strict protocols and compliance with relevant regulations are in place.
2. **Equity and Access**: Addressing potential disparities in access to technology and ensuring all students benefit from AI integration.
3. **Change Management**: Managing the transition and ensuring all stakeholders are adequately supported through continuous communication and training.

Conclusion
The integration of Generative AI in North Shore School District 112 represents a significant step towards modernizing our educational approach. By embracing this technology, we aim to create a more personalized, efficient, and data-driven educational environment that prepares our students for the future. This pilot program is just the beginning of our journey towards transforming education through innovation.

With that background, I share the following blog post which further illustrates our “why” for deep exploration of GEN AI tools for our 500 staff members and nearly 4000 students in grades PK-8 in Highland Park & Highwood Illinois.

Embracing the Future:

Integrating Generative AI in North Shore School District 112

In our rapidly evolving educational landscape, the integration of cutting-edge technologies is no longer optional but essential. At North Shore School District 112, we are pioneering the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) to enhance both educational outcomes and operational efficiencies. As we pilot Magic School AI in our district, I want to share insights into how this innovative technology is transforming our schools. As of this writing, we have 252 users who have generated 3,817 uses of Magic School AI tools since May! – SINCE MAY 13, 2024 – There is interest here

As a public school superintendent with a passion for educational leadership and teacher practices, my focus has always been on driving change and growth. Our recent work on “Generative Artificial Intelligence Background, Guidance, Plans” highlights the potential of AI to revolutionize our approach to teaching and learning.

WHY?? Enhancing Educational Outcomes

Generative AI offers a myriad of opportunities to personalize learning. By analyzing vast amounts of data, AI can tailor educational content to meet the unique needs of each student. This aligns perfectly with the strategies outlined in my upcoming book, *Leading for Tomorrow’s Schools Today*, where Nick Polyak and I emphasize the importance of individualized learning pathways. Truly creating opportunities for each child every day is more within our grasp, I strongly believe, with GEN AI tools than ever before. This is not just “ed tech” or a “cool suite of tools” – this is revolutionary change in our time.

For instance, Magic School AI can help create customized lesson plans, provide real-time feedback, and even suggest resources that align with each student’s learning style and pace. This not only improves student engagement but also empowers our educators to focus more on instruction and less on administrative tasks. With Magic Student (with great data privacy guardrails and nearly total control by teachers), students can get book lists, engage with historical figures, and much, much more. It’s not going to do their work for them – it’s going to help them do their work better!

GEN AI helps with Operational Efficiencies

Beyond the classroom, Generative AI can streamline various administrative processes. From automating routine tasks to improving data management, AI helps our district operate more efficiently. This aligns with the holistic approach I advocate in sessions like “Creating and Sustaining a Mentally Healthy Community,” where effective use of data and technology supports the overall well-being of our students, staff, and community. All that we do, and all that we have done, align with ways to support teachers, educational support staff, administrators, families, and at the core, students.

Building on Success

North Shore School District 112 has a history of success, and integrating AI is a natural next step. Over the past six years, our district has achieved remarkable milestones, thanks to the dedication of our staff and the support of our community. The adoption of AI technologies will build on these successes, ensuring we continue to lead in educational innovation. We cannot wait to see the results of this pilot (May – September) with professional development opportunities this summer and fall! Based on input we’ll determine our next steps!

We encourage educators to explore and experiment with GEN AI tools in their lives too (we encourage taking advantage of Khanmigo – free to every teacher/educator in the US – thank you Sal Khan!, ChatGPT – thanks to Open AI there are free versions with tremendous capabilities, Microsoft’s co-pilot, Google’s Gemini, Latimer offers a diverse AI tool, and much, much more. Our point, safety and legal concerns are addressed by Magic School AI – which is why we are in full pilot implementation mode. There are other really cool tools that we support reviewing, using, checking out, etc. as humanity itself is embracing the advent of this strange, new, powerful technology reality.

Collaboration and Continuous Learning

Our journey with AI is collaborative. By involving teachers, students, and the community in this pilot program, we ensure that the implementation is both effective and sustainable. This approach reflects the principles I discussed in my newest publication, *The Unfinished Teacher: Becoming the Next Version of Yourself*, which emphasizes the importance of continuous learning and adaptation.

Looking Ahead

As we move forward, I am excited about the possibilities that Generative AI brings to our district. This pilot program is just the beginning. By embracing these technologies, we are preparing our students for a future where digital literacy and technological proficiency are paramount.

I look forward to sharing more updates as we continue this journey. Together, we are shaping the future of education, one innovative step at a time!!

An AI Generated Image relating to North Shore School District 112

Superintendent Summer Learning #112Leads

June 7, 2024 / Michael Lubelfeld / 4 Comments

June 2024

“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.” – Barack Obama

Leadership is all about change – perspective change, mindset change, functional change, improvement change, essentially, helping to create conditions with culture, systems, instruction, and growth. As a school superintendent (finishing year 14 in this role, and year 31 of consecutive full time dedication to public education in suburban Chicagoland), I often get asked “What do you do in the summer?”

Since the schools are closed (except for summer school) and people think the teachers are “off” (even though they work all summer, attending workshops, classes, and preparing their lessons). Summer is an awesome time for an educator – we get to reflect on what went well during the past year. We get to reflect on what could become better next year, and we get to devote time to our own learning, growth and recharge! We get a beginning, middle, and end, each school year! This year I just completed my 31st consecutive full time year in public education. Each year I learn more, grow more, experience more and hopefully extend my impact as a leader in positive ways.

This summer (we just started as our “last day of school” was June 5) a team of teachers and administrators joined me on a professional journey to Ohio where we joined with educators from all over the country in the shared pursuit of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, & Math) in our PK-12 school districts and communities. Educators from 9 US states were in attendance at this inspiring convening.

In District 112, we just adopted new middle school (grades 6-8) science curriculum resources (for the first time in more than 30 years) and we eagerly anticipate how to facilitate optimal rigorous and engaging science for our middle school students. Since our District is also PK-5 as well as 6-8, an elementary principal and the assistant superintendent for teaching & learning joined with two of our middle school science teachers and a middle school instructional coach on this academy!

What we do in the summer is study, learn, review, research, and collaborate on making the most meaningful educational conditions for students when they return in the late summer, next August!

Our journey literally starts at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport where we take off for a relatively short flight to Cincinnati, Ohio!

As we head to Cincinnati, where the airport is actually in Kentucky, we’re mentally preparing for the learning, growing, studying, and networking that lay ahead of us! The six of us plan to attend the multiple offerings during each session to learn and share with each other so we can maximize the opportunities for our students back home.

Sharing some images and then an “executive summary of some of the content we learned and engaged with”:

Superintendent and host Kirk Koennecke

Airplane on tarmac at O’Hare airport before takeoff

Beautiful Chicago, IL from the air shortly after take off

Cincinnati, Ohio in the distance, on approach near landing time

Our transportation – awesome bus drivers keeping us safe!

Let’s go! From the newly constructed commons area at Indian Hill Middle School

Braeside Elementary School Principal Jamie Kahn synthesizing learning during hands-on group work!

JASON LEARNING STEM Certification Framework, a multi-year, multi-step comprehensive look

Sharing an executive summary of our take ways – as you can see, we learned a lot and we have much to process, review further, ideate on, plan for, and work with colleagues as we plan for our student’s future! We used a shared Google Doc to record our learning, thinking, etc. – Open AI’s Chat GPT 4o looked at the text and made an executive summary (it did a nice job!)

Executive Summary of Breakout Sessions

Finding Success Using Labsites
– **Objective**: Utilize professional development to build staff capacity and lead instructional change without needing new furniture.
– **Strategic Plan**: Focuses on learners as individuals, whole-child development, student agency, wellness, career pathways, STEM, and diversity.
– **Lab Classrooms**: Teachers meet with coaches three times a year to observe and plan; ensure alignment with standards and interdisciplinary connections.

Harnessing the Power of PBL in High School STEM
– **Presenters**: Julia Kunkel and Jackie McCarthy.
– **Key Points**:
– Create a collaborative culture with shared promises.
– Develop projects requiring persistent revision; e.g., mapping classroom furniture.

Spaces of Belonging: Designing Learning Environments for Enhanced Agency & Achievement
– **Media Room**: Equipped with donated newsroom equipment, offering classes and clubs in broadcast journalism.
– **Digital Arts Lab**: Created from private donations, offering computer science certifications.
– **LOTH Furniture Firm**: Involves teachers and students in furniture selection, piloting designs, and using vertical dry erase boards.
– **Indian Hill Elementary School**:
– “Brave Room” for anxiety relief, with Cincinnati Children’s Hospital consultation.
– “Go Time” for teachers to engage students in various topics.

Transformational Partnerships
– **Focus**: Establishing mutual success partnerships with community members, integrating STEM education at the center.
– **Key Elements**:
– Community members on teams during registration.
– Shared vision and consistent goals/action steps.
– Collaborations with JASON Learning, Cuebric AI, and other organizations.
– Entrepreneurship spirit and leveraging resources like the Recycled Materials Association.

STEM for ALL: How to Build and Support a Comprehensive K12 STEM Program
– **Integration**: Embedding STEM across subjects and grade levels, with leadership, community connection, and teacher professional development.
– **STEM Learning Ecosystem**: Sustainable mobilization of STEM involving all stakeholders, focusing on interdependence of pillars.

Schoolwide Design Thinking in Action (Grades 3-5)
– **Implementation**: Daily STEM activities, STEM Days, and integrating design thinking across the curriculum.

Be an Argonaut: Localize Your STEM Curriculum
– **Program**: Students apply to be National Argonauts, involving interdisciplinary projects and public speaking.

Building a Strong STEM Culture with AASA & JASON Learning
– **Certification Framework**: Audit internal processes, provide supplemental curriculum support, and ensure equity and inclusion.

Educating without Silos: Cross-Curricular PBLS with AI in K12
– **Interactive Session**: Focus on collaboration, communication, creativity, and critical thinking through PBL and AI.

This summary highlights the key points and objectives of the breakout sessions, emphasizing professional development, project-based learning, inclusive learning environments, and transformational partnerships in STEM education.

The summary does not share session presentations, handouts, images – those will be further shared internally with our teams and our colleagues. What I hope to illustrate in this blog post is that learning never takes a vacation in education and in North Shore School District 112, #112Leads. I’m proud of the teachers and administrators who joined me on this learning journey and adventure, and I’m inspired by what our future holds for our teachers, students, administrators, and the community!

Thank you Kevin, Jamie, Alexandra, Alex, and Jess for joining, learning, leading, reflecting, planning, putting up with my endless comments about Generative AI 🙂 – and for the collaboration!! Our future is bright because of YOU!

Thanks for reading and know that comments are always welcomed.

Thoughts on Systems Leadership – Each Child Every Day

March 27, 2024 / Michael Lubelfeld / 0 Comments

To be accurate, it’s been a while since last I posted, December 23. It’s been a “full” few months in the district, and I had a bout of “writer’s block,” addressing and dealing with a host of challenges that “are what they are”. Thankfully with a powerful Board of Education, a Leadership Team that is world class, and about 500 teachers and educational support staff I would work with anywhere and any time, we are leading and learning in District 112 each day!

Periodically I integrate writing about “what a superintendent actually does” to leadership philosophy, to what’s really going on in the District; in this blog post, the spirit has again moved me to write, to share my thoughts, learnings, observations, and calls to action! Thanks for reading the post, as always, comments and questions are welcomed!!

March 2024 — Dr. Michael Fullan is one of my “edu heroes,” I have been learning from him for decades; I have been reading his work and making every effort to apply his findings to my leadership work. Recently, at a professional learning academy, I had the good fortune to re-read Nuance, Fullan’s 2019 book about “Why Some Leaders Succeed, and Others Fail,” I had the good fortune to attend a virtual live webinar session he led! For this blog post, I’m sharing some major takeaways and a call to action for all of us to find the “canary children”” and hear their voices, give them agency, and help change conditions so that they may find success.

From Nuance, on page 109 in chapter 5, Fullan shares an adaptation from Rebecca Wells, 2018 “Canary Child: A Catalyst for Deep Learning.”

“Canaries and students, it turns out, are not too dissimilar in how they show their distress. Canaries ruffle their feathers, hide their heads beneath their wings, and jump to other perches in their cage to try and escape unfavorable conditions. How many students, unable to follow the learning, falling behind, disinterested and disempowered, will also ruffle their feathers and create a scene, or hide away quietly, hoping not to be noticed?”

Perhaps you know about “canaries in the coal mine” — it can be a matter of life and death if a canary shows distress in the coal mine – it’s a sense of urgency for change in a coal mine if a canary shows distress. Why is it not always a call to action or a sense of urgency when our students are like canaries – in distress – calling out for help, illustrating a need for change or different approaches?

As Dr. Fullan passionately claims, Fullan believes this is our clarion call for action – NOW – for the betterment of our schools, communities, society, and even humanity.

So what do we do about this? How do we change? Will everyone jump to action and heed the call for urgency? An airline pilot strives for 100% perfection in terms of safe take-off and landing – they don’t accept a “C” (70%) or a “3” approaching standards … so why, in our “assessment obsessed” industry/profession – do we not actually change so that we can have greater success/competency/literacy/etc.?

The Canary Children essay deeply moved and impacted the academy’s leaders, central office, and principal-level leaders. We are all moved as we dive into and reflect on culture, student-centered equity, systems leadership, instruction, and change.

Often, we educational leaders show great aptitude and success in managing change – think about the pandemic … we managed change and responded to the crises associated with the pandemic. In some areas, we did see leaders who mastered change, whose leadership created conditions for lasting, adaptive change. However, most of our experiences, in general, reflected change management. Fullan highlighted the nuance and differences between change management and managing change.

Dr. Donna Leak, an Illinois superintendent and another presenter at the academy, called upon us to analyze and address the “Intentional Adult Behavior to Ensure Student Success.” Zandra Jo Galván, a California superintendent and another presenter at the academy, shared her district’s three guiding principles: culture, academics, and community. These exemplary leaders use their leadership and guiding principles to find and intervene for their canary children in their district. They are setting leadership conditions that align with Fullan’s global call for leadership and action. As a complement to Fullan’s talk, John Malloy, another amazing superintendent, shared that systems change is not only imperative but also possible. Malloy shares the following regarding what Systemic Commitments Have.

They have the following characteristics:

● Evidence-based

● Driven by data that sets the parameters for any collaborative work

● Coherent and focused, not simply another initiative

● Developed through a collaborative process

● Measurement systems are in place

● A monitoring process is determined

● Communication is ongoing

● Learning and improvement are supported through Effective protocols, practices, and processes.

● All students are served, especially those who need us the most.

So if we know that leaders are taking positive proactive and reactive steps to manage change and master change. Why are there still canary children, and what will you do about it in your school system? In our 2021 book, the Unfinished Leader: A School Leadership Framework for Growth & Development, Polyak, Caposey, and I lay out a six-lens frame to help create the conditions needed for each child every day and for each staff member every day.

We suggest that leading with the frames of equity and empathy, followed by adaptive leadership and the development of others (and yourself) with lenses and frames of communication and change – “don’t fear change, don’t let others hold you back, and don’t let others hold your organization back” define what it means to be unfinished — and this is related to and tied to the messages of Leak, Galván, Malloy and Fullan from this academy – and the messages complement the efforts we as systems leaders can use to find and treat the canaries!

In District 112, Highland Park & Highwood, IL, where I proudly serve as the superintendent of schools, we have canary children, and we won’t rest until we amend our conditions so that their voice and agency is acknowledged and heard and seen and addressed. I opened this year’s all-staff convocation with a clarion call of my own regarding the annual Student Engagement Survey. Annually, for the past six consecutive years, we administer the student engagement survey to all children in grades 3-8 in English and Spanish. Principals and their school leadership teams are required/expected to meet, review the data, and plan action steps with and for the students to make improvements. Our data is clear, coherent, and, in some ways, sobering. Until we master “satisfaction” and “engagement,” two of the dimensions that are reported in a 3×3 grid, we will know we have work to do. The students clearly communicate with us — we have pockets of extremely high satisfaction and engagement and low pockets. The difference in the results can be mapped back to systems leadership.

Leak, Galván, Malloy, and Fullan clearly illustrate in their workshop sessions that the critical ingredients in systems change and improvement lie in internal systems.

Dr. Malloy shared a compelling “why” for the impressive and impactful leadership in his school district right now — what are the employers of our students seeking? Our mission in public schooling is to prepare children for life, college, and career — do our assessment systems reflect life, college, and career? Should they? Can they?

Malloy shares a list from Linked In 2023 of the most “in demand” skills employers seek for our students — in what ways are your systems aligned with outcomes like these?

The 2023 Most In-Demand Skills

1. Management

2. Communication

3. Customer service

4. Leadership

5. Sales

6. Project management

7. Research

8. Analytical skills

9. Marketing

10. Teamwork

Fullan is a prolific student of leadership and success – his resume is impressive, and his books are real, with case studies illustrating success and meaningful work on behalf of and for humanity. I am moved, even at this late stage of my career, which invigorates me, quite frankly!

Fullan identifies the Six C’s – Global Competencies – In many districts, including mine, we see these in portraits of learners and graduates.

Like Nick Polyak and I write in the Unlearning Leader, Fullan calls for changing the structure of “factory schools” designed and imagined 200 years ago. Many systems are doing this. Galván removed “cemetery rows” of desks and replaced them with collaboration tables. There are many examples of this in the profession. Lead, take the courageous step to create conditions where the “grammar of schooling,” as Fullan says, can be rewritten.

In general and with a broad brush, the basic system of schooling can be defined loosely by,

Teacher Isolation, Individualism, Passive Students, Batching of students, lack of time, school isolation, system demands (current Systems) Obviously – there are exceptions to this – but the central tendency is as listed above and based upon Fullan’s (and my own) observations and experiences over decades of work in leadership.

So – how to change? One idea, proffered by Dr. Fullan himself, is to look at seven keys on one keychain, as he describes, that are elements of the new culture (that we can create to replace the old “grammar of schooling”. These are belongingness, global competencies, relationships (well-being), pedagogy (learning), world of work, leadership, and AI (artificial intelligence). Dr. Fullan passionately describes changing the primary driver of change from external (state/province) to internal (local system).

So, in closing, I write this blog as the spirit moves me after an inspiring leadership academy where some amazing leaders, in the field and in the know, caused me to think – and will continue to guide my work in creating conditions for each child every day with supports in place for each staff member!

At the core, we should all learn more about “Deep Learning” and the 6cs from our spirit coach, Dr. Michael Fullan!! As a refresher, the 6cs are:

Character & Compassion

Citizenship

Collaboration

Communication

Creativity

Critical Thinking

Please join me on my clarion call to action to heal the canaries in our classrooms!

September 11 – 9/11 – Remember – #112Leads

September 10, 2023 / Michael Lubelfeld / 0 Comments

“We have seen the state of our union in the endurance of rescuers working past exhaustion. We’ve seen the unfurling of flags, the lighting of candles, the giving of blood, the saying of prayers in English, Hebrew, and Arabic. We have seen the decency of a loving and giving people who have made the grief of strangers their own.” – President George W. Bush

It can be said that 9/11/2001, “Nine Eleven” was a turning point for my generation. I am 55 years old. I was 33 years old, the associate principal at Elm Place Middle School, in my third year out of the classroom as a school administrator. I still remember vividly, watching in the conference room, around the 9am hour central time, with the principal, the late Dan Kornblut, our administrative assistants and our nurse, Penny Hoder who called us all in to watch, with confusion, horror, uncertainty, and numbness, the second plane hit the second tower.

I always remember my mom and dad and people of earlier generations recalling where they were when John F. Kennedy was assassinated, I never fully understood how that intense, jarring memory and experience would haunt them until 911. Now I understand.

Principal Dan and I visited each and every classroom, addressed each and every student in our 500 student middle school. We asked the teachers to refrain from watching the unedited news streams. We reminded our teachers that a number of our students had family in New York City either permanently or on business trips that day. We balanced free and open education with caution related to the horror of the events and the shock/awe/and uncertainty of what was actually going on.

Being 25 miles north of downtown Chicago, we were keenly aware that the skyscrapers were being evacuated. There was panic, fear, shock, anger, confusion, all sorts of emotions.

As a school administrator, in our little part of the world, we started with a mental health approach, then we literally checked every door, restricted access to the school, and heightened our own awareness of safety, security, etc. We did what we could, with what we had, in the time we were in.

I’ll never forget the intensity of 911. I’ll never forget the horror, the heroism, the intensity and the reach. I’ll never forget how we wanted to inform our teachers and protect our kids. I’ll never forget checking in with each member of my family. I’ll simply never forget.

In Illinois, it is the law to remember September 11th as a Day of Remembrance in the public schools,

5 ILCS 490/86 new)
 8        Sec. 86.  September 11th Day of  Remembrance.   September
 9    11th  of  each  year  is  designated as September 11th Day of
10    Remembrance to be observed throughout the State as a day  set
11    apart  in  honor  and  remembrance  of the persons killed and
12    injured in the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.

As we prepare to remember 9/11 tomorrow – I simply state, with pride as an American, with humility as a human being, and with responsibility as an educator, that I will never forget!

Sharing song lyrics that we will hear tomorrow and that are forever embedded into our collective memory as Americans, human beings, educators, and citizens committed to freedoms, liberties, justice, and peace!

Alan Jackson’s song lyrics. “When the World Stopped Turning”

Where were you when the world stopped turnin’
That September day?
Were you in the yard with your wife and children
Or workin’ on some stage in L.A.?
Did you stand there in shock at the sight of that black smoke
Risin’ against that blue sky?
Did you shout out in anger, in fear for your neighbor
Or did you just sit down and cry?
Did you weep for the children, they lost their dear loved ones
Pray for the ones who don’t know?
Did you rejoice for the people who walked from the rubble
And sob for the ones left below?
Did you burst out with pride for the red, white, and blue
And the heroes who died just doin’ what they do?
Did you look up to heaven for some kind of answer
And look at yourself and what really matters?
I’m just a singer of simple songs
I’m not a real political man
I watch CNN, but I’m not sure I can tell you
The diff’rence in Iraq and Iran
But I know Jesus and I talk to God
And I remember this from when I was young
Faith, hope, and love are some good things He gave us
And the greatest is love
Where were you when the world stopped turnin’
That September day?
Teachin’ a class full of innocent children
Or drivin’ down some cold interstate?
Did you feel guilty ’cause you’re a survivor?
In a crowded room did you feel alone?
Did you call up your mother and tell her you love her?
Did you dust off that Bible at home?
Did you open your eyes and hope it never happened
Close your eyes and not go to sleep?
Did you notice the sunset for the first time in ages
And speak to some stranger on the street?
Did you lay down at night and think of tomorrow
Go out and buy you a gun?
Did you turn off that violent old movie you’re watchin’
And turn on I Love Lucy reruns?
Did you go to a church and hold hands with some strangers
Stand in line to give your own blood?
Did you just stay home and cling tight to your family
Thank God you had somebody to love?
I’m just a singer of simple songs
I’m not a real political man
I watch CNN, but I’m not sure I can tell you
The diff’rence in Iraq and Iran
But I know Jesus and I talk to God
And I remember this from when I was young
Faith, hope, and love are some good things He gave us
And the greatest is love
I’m just a singer of simple songs
I’m not a real political man
I watch CNN, but I’m not sure I can tell you
The diff’rence in Iraq and Iran
But I know Jesus and I talk to God
And I remember this from when I was young
Faith, hope, and love are some good things He gave us
And the greatest is love
And the greatest is love
And the greatest is love
Where were you when the world stopped turnin’
On that September day?

Part 3 of 4- Reflections from National Conference about 40 Years since A Nation at Risk

August 4, 2023 / Michael Lubelfeld / 0 Comments

This is another in a series of reflections from my engagement in the National Superintendents Roundtable national conference in Los Angeles, California, in July 2023. We focused on Forty Years since A Nation at Risk: What Have We Learned. In this third post in the series, I share reflections from another person in the mix and at the tables in 1983. Christopher Cross, former assistant secretary of education (among other notable accomplishments), shared enlightening insights about this report, the politics of the time, and much more! In order for us to best contemplate What We Learned and where we go from here, it’s incumbent upon us leaders to learn from the sources at the time! Chris did not disappoint; just like Jim Harvey, his insights were exceptional. Complemented by Audrey Amrein-Beardsley’s recap of history over the past few decades, the learning and convening at the National Superintendents Roundtable was nothing less than exceptional.

During our time, we also toured the President Ronald Reagan Presidential Library & Museum – wow is all I can say – it was a true treat. After I share reflections and notes from Christopher Cross, I share a collection of images from the Libary & Museum tour.

Christopher Cross – author, scholar, former assistant secretary of Education – incredible speaker

Cross was there when the US Department of Health, Education, & Welfare (HEW) split up to form the new US Department of Education. In the US, Cross shared, there actually was a US Department of Education briefly in 1860, then it folded into the US Department of the Interior, and in the 1950s, education went into HEW until the 1976 presidential election, where Jimmy Carter created the US Department of Education. Carter also received the National Education Association’s (NEA) 1st ever endorsement for the presidency. These were chaotic times in the US – Vietnam War, Watergate, Energy Crisis, Economy, and more. Carter created the US Department of Energy, and he also created the US Department of Education. In 1980, Ronald Reagan was elected president, and part of his platform was to abolish the US Department of Education. Instead, the commission he created wrote “A Nation at Risk,” … and here we are 40 years later.

Cross shared how the Secretary of Education, Terrell “Ted” Bell, got education into the national spotlight. This was a cry for reform, a cry for greater finance for education, and a cry to get attention for education in general. There were concerns about the quality of the nation’s educators, the teaching force, and the preparation at the nation’s education colleges, and there were no aligned standards or state reporting systems at that time. Cross was the assistant secretary of education, and the NCES, the National Center for Education Statistics, was under his supervision at that time. Prior to what was called the “Wall Chart,” the only data nationally reviewed was SAT and ACT data. Per Cross, with this renewed focus on multiple data points, states could no longer hide from dealing with the issues that were typically hidden (poor student performance in various groups, gaps, etc.). Please note that this report was only 8 years after Public Law 94-142 was put into place, making it the law of the land to educate children with disabilities. Cross called for us convened together to put forth a clarion call for a new commission. Forty years after the publication of A Nation at Risk, it’s time for us to reflect on the learnings at scale and focus forward.

Many of the issues we face today in 2023 include:

COVID learning losses/interruptions in learning
Racial achievement gaps
Local Control Issues
Views against liberal arts & higher education (teacher shortage)
Actual enrollment declines
Reliance (over-reliance) on local property taxes for funding
Khan Academy and all that it represents – free access for all 24/7
A I and the tidal waves related to this
Adequate measures of quality indicators or lack thereof
And a whole lot more …

Cross and Harvey are GOLD STANDARD American historians, political people, and scholars! Their perspectives were off-the-charts impactful. Their candor, humor, reflections, recollections, and calls to action were superb.

Cross allowed us to hold discussions on the framework of education itself, reform or advancement from the past forty years, legislative advocacy and partnership needs, contemplation for creating a new task force, commission, redefinition of the purpose of public education, and more. Representing California, Illinois, Ohio, Indiana, Texas, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York, Colorado, Arizona, and the District of Columbia (and all points in between), we had deep discussions and reflections on the multitude of lessons learned since A Nation at Risk was published.

In the next post, the final one from this series and this conference, I’ll make final reflections, recap some other major reforms sparked by this 1983 publication, and look toward the future of education here in District 112 and beyond!

Below I share a collection of images from the Ronald Reagan Presidential Libary & Museum tour

: Presidential Limousine

: Marine One

: Old Cockpit of the B-707 Air Force One

: On Air Force One

: Marine One

: Marine One entry – Museum Doscent

: Marine One

: Air Force One

: Statuette of the Statue of Liberty. Made from shavings of the Statue -Reagan oversaw renovation of Statue

: Nomination of first woman on the US Supreme Court

: Remnant of the Berlin Wall

: Burial of the President and Mrs. Reagan on campus of the Reagan National Museum & Library

: Another view of the F117-A

: Great quote that resonates with me

: Actual M1 A Abrams Tank on the campus

: Actual F-14A Tomcat on campus – defended international skies in the Mid-East

: Actual F117-A Stealth Fighter – wow!

: Quote from entry up close

: Me at the podium! Backdrop is inauguration – pretty cool!!

: Replica of Resolute Desk in President Reagan’s Oval Office (wood from HMS Resolute)

: Replica of President Reagan’s Oval Office – note photo of Andrew Jackson, another “man of the people”

: Ceiling in the Oval Office replica at the Regan National Museum

: Typewriter used on Air Force 1

: Air Force One State Room

: Corridor on Air Force One

: Note the briefing books on the plane!

: Very powerful imagery on the President’s Plane – the “flying White House”

: Inside Air Force 1 – the actual one that President Reagan used!

Part 2 of 4- Reflections on What’s Next after A Nation at Risk – 40 Year Anniversary

August 2, 2023 / Michael Lubelfeld / 0 Comments

As I shared in the first post on this topic, we convened in Los Angeles to remember A Nation at Risk, look at lessons learned, and, more importantly, look forward to the future – What Have We Learned? was the overarching question!

In the last post, I started to identify what Jim Harvey reflected on with respect to some of the controversial issues related to the Report and its construction process. 40 years later … the sad reality/perspective from one of the writers is that the folks in charge of the report had a conclusion ready before the report was even written … they then used the report writing process to find data to fulfill and justify their already determined conclusions. One could even suggest that they “cooked the books”

The social ills that the people who were writing the report tried to get in the report included poverty, racism, and funding inequities — these were raised during the 18-month writing process, and they were ignored. These are still social ills plaguing the nation, including the public schools in all 50 states! Our speaker argues that the Commission missed the argument. Casting educators as “enemies” of economic progress was preposterous, he argues.

Blaming schools makes NO sense for out-of-

Worthy of review and discussion, especially 40 years past the “reform” movement …school factors. Out-of-school factors have had, continue to have, and will continue to have MASSIVE impacts on student performance. As one of our other experts shared, “roughly 86-99% percent of the variation in test scores is due to outside-of-school factors. Inversely, about 1-14 percent of the variation in test scores is attributable to school-level factors, including but not limited to teachers. Dr. Audrey Amrein-Beardsley is a professor at the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College at Arizona State University and a renowned expert in assessment, educational reform history, and more!

As a quick aside, I have written about what success looks like on the blog, see https://mikelubelfeld.edublogs.org/?s=measure+success for a list of earlier written blog posts on this topic. I am a strong advocate for using research-based and evidence-informed practices (like those from Marzano, et., al, Hattie, et., al, etc.) to impact and influence teacher work with students and school measures of success and district guideposts for success. We measure culture, engagement, and satisfaction as well as student growth, student learning/performance, etc.

Harvey went on to remind us that the US is a huge international outlier in terms of us having the highest rates of childhood poverty and the lowest support for poverty programs. All in all, school reform is not simple. It was not in 1983, nor was it in 1957 (Sputnik), 1979 (Florida test), 2001 (NCLB), 2011 (Race to the Top), 2016 (ESSA), or now, 2023! There are wickedly complex problems that Harvey identified – wicked not as in evil, but wicked as in highly complex. Solutions needed in school “reform efforts” are those that require large groups of competing stakeholders to agree on what you “will” do. A Nation at Risk put education at the forefront of the nation’s attention, which is a good thing. But it created a 40-year obsession with standardized tests, which is not a good thing – in moderation, yes, the testing, in my professional opinion, is beneficial when it drives instructional decisions. I’m not sure that each child needs to take more than 100 standardized tests, though I think we may have gone overboard. The Commission put in place to assess the nation’s schools missed a great opportunity.

What they did is pre-determined that America’s economic woes at the time were due to the failings of its public schools. Today more than 50% of the nation’s public school children live in poverty – we have a poverty problem, I’ll posit, not an educational problem, per se.

In the next posts, I’ll share Christopher Cross’ reflections on the A Nation at Risk time period, report, and implications, share history of school reform notes from Dr. Amrein-Beardsley, and more! What I surmised from all of this, in brief, and as mentioned by Jim Harvey at the conference, the narrative of the failure of America’s public schools is false. The out-of-school challenges are really important, and they impact the nation’s public schools though the schools cannot be solely responsible for childhood poverty, for example. We must get a grip on the test-based obsession and moderate and regulate some of this over-reliance on standardization. Harvey closed his exceptional lecture with a quote from William Butler Yeats:

But I, being poor, have only my dreams; I have spread my dreams under your feet; Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.

William Butler Yeats

Mike Lubelfeld's Blog

#112LEADS #UNFINISHED #UNLEARN

Tag: Reflection (page 1 of 6)

From AASA The Public Education Promise – Our Future is BRIGHT

Reflections from Montgomery – A Superintendent’s Notes

Understanding Defining Moments in History

Deep Dive on the Gen AI Journey – #112Leads

What’s all the fuss about AI?

Link to 11-minute Audio “conversation” generated by Google’s Notebook LM reviewing six sources I uploaded (and will share in this post).

AUDIO CONVERSATION MADE BY GOOGLE’S NOTEBOOK LM LISTEN HERE – 11 MINUTES

Briefing Document: North Shore School District 112’s Generative AI Initiative

Timeline of Events:

Cast of Characters:

To say that Generative Artificial Intelligence (Gen AI) is a fad is wrong. To say that Gen AI is “technology” is wrong. To say that we should “avoid using Gen AI” is also wrong.

I submit to you, the reader, that Gen AI is a suite of advances in the works for decades, with powerful educational impact – PK-12, Higher Ed – society in general. I recommend research, investigation, exploration, iteration, and re-iteration.

I welcome the innovator’s mindset (HT to George Couros).

I ask that you unlearn, relearn, and remain unfinished as I often describe.

We are in this for our children, our youth, our communities, and our society.

Thank you for reading – please comment, “push back”, critically review, and join the conversation and exploration.

We are exploring so that we may innovate, inspire, and engage – for each child every day and for each member of our staff!

Our future is now – and so is our present!

Welcome Back to School – 2024 – #112Leads

Back to School 2024

Generative AI in NSSD112 – #112Leads

Superintendent Summer Learning #112Leads

Thoughts on Systems Leadership – Each Child Every Day

Please join me on my clarion call to action to heal the canaries in our classrooms!

September 11 – 9/11 – Remember – #112Leads

Part 3 of 4- Reflections from National Conference about 40 Years since A Nation at Risk

Part 2 of 4- Reflections on What’s Next after A Nation at Risk – 40 Year Anniversary

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#112LEADS #UNFINISHED #UNLEARN

Tag: Reflection (page 1 of 6)

Understanding Defining Moments in History

What’s all the fuss about AI?

Link to 11-minute Audio “conversation” generated by Google’s Notebook LM reviewing six sources I uploaded (and will share in this post).

Briefing Document: North Shore School District 112’s Generative AI Initiative

Timeline of Events:

Cast of Characters:

To say that Generative Artificial Intelligence (Gen AI) is a fad is wrong. To say that Gen AI is “technology” is wrong. To say that we should “avoid using Gen AI” is also wrong.

I submit to you, the reader, that Gen AI is a suite of advances in the works for decades, with powerful educational impact – PK-12, Higher Ed – society in general. I recommend research, investigation, exploration, iteration, and re-iteration.

I welcome the innovator’s mindset (HT to George Couros).

I ask that you unlearn, relearn, and remain unfinished as I often describe.

We are in this for our children, our youth, our communities, and our society.

Thank you for reading – please comment, “push back”, critically review, and join the conversation and exploration.

We are exploring so that we may innovate, inspire, and engage – for each child every day and for each member of our staff!

Our future is now – and so is our present!

Back to School 2024

Please join me on my clarion call to action to heal the canaries in our classrooms!

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