Administrative

Simply put, the tech divide I am referring to deals with schools that have robust technology and those that don't. K-12 education in the second decade of the 21st century needs five well-developed components to be successful. These components are not stand-alone items. They are linked and complement each other. The entire package is essential to overcome the tech divide in many parts of America.

Enhanced Connectivity

Enhanced Connectivity is not just a luxury, but a necessity. We must provide every learning space with reliable, high-speed internet access to facilitate seamless learning experiences. This is a crucial step, more than simply setting up a couple of routers around your school buildings and campus. It's about ensuring that every student has equal access to the wealth of knowledge available online.

Professional Development

For teachers to play their part, we must support them with professional workshops and other resources specifically designed to help them implement new technologies and teaching methods effectively.

Student-Centric Tools

Understanding how students learn in a world dominated by small screens is critical to overcoming the tech divide. We must use methods and tools that capture their attention and encourage their engagement and intellectual curiosity.

Community Engagement

We must foster strong partnerships with parents and local organizations to pay for digital learning and promote the effective use of technology in education.

Let's look at each component in detail. While I have used technology effectively in my classroom and understand the issue, I have researched

I'm a retired teacher. These days, I write about K-12 education and community college. However, I know how time-consuming it is to write lesson plans and rubrics and ensure compliance with the curriculum. Grading English compositions, communicating with parents, and creating quizzes take infinite time and patience. And those are just a few things we teachers are expected to do.

That's why I want to introduce you to my assistant. It's an AI app called Perplexity. Now, there are dozens of AI apps you can use. Chat-GPT is probably the most popular. Both Google and Microsoft have their versions of AI built into their search engines, as does Grammarly. It doesn't matter which AI app you choose. What's important is to learn how to tell Perplexity or Chat-GPT what you want it to do. That's called prompt engineering. So, let's start with that first. Then, I'll show you some websites with AI tools explicitly written for teachers and administrators.

Introduction to Prompt Engineering

How do you write an effective prompt?

As teachers, you and I have learned how to give clear instructions to our students. We choose our words carefully to achieve a pre-determined result. In other words, we narrow the field and limit the choices. That's precisely how prompts work—that's the essence of prompt engineering.

The art and skill of writing effective prompts is called prompt engineering. It's a burgeoning field within the realm

AI is fast transforming the way businesses operate. So, I was curious how AI might affect our K012 classrooms. The inevitable sensational headlines, such as "Will AI replace teachers?" generate tons of speculation by the talking heads on TV and blogwriters looking for the next way to scare their readers. However, having been a teacher at both the K-12 and college levels, I can tell you that AI will not replace our teachers any time soon. With that in mind, let's look at some of the ways AI can enhance teaching and the things AI cannot do.

Successful Uses of AI in the Classroom

AI is another tool that can be used successfully by both teachers and students. I look at AI the same way I have viewed slide projectors, televisions, smartboards, computers, and all the other bits and pieces of technology that have appeared in our classrooms over the years, i.e., they help present the material I am teaching. People learn in so many different ways. Depending on the material you are presenting one of these technologies might spark that "Eureka!" moment we teachers all seek. While our student may not run into the streets as Archimedes did, she will have that look that says, "I got it!" Ultimately, it is always up to us teachers to remember that one size does not fit all. Each student learns in her way. Varied ways of presenting what you are teaching will help make the material understood.

Personalized Learning

Every school can become a great school. All it takes is great communication, solid academics, inspiring teachers, enthusiastic parents, and a supportive board. Some schools have solid academics and inspiring teachers but don't get the word out about their teachers and what's being taught. In other words, they lack great communication. Some schools have visionary leaders but lack the support of their board of trustees. You need all five attributes present to be a great school. Let's look at them in detail.

Great Communication

Thirty years ago, most schools published an expensive printed catalog that looked like one of those expensive coffee table books. Indeed, that was how it was intended to be used. When parents had their friends over, and your school's beautiful, eye-catching catalog was spotted, the conversation invariably turned to St. Swithin's, how great that school was, and how much their children enjoyed going there. Many schools still produce those lavish catalogs and they can and do serve a purpose. Truthfully, they have mostly gone the way of the buggy whip.

The other old-fashioned way of communicating was by writing a letter or sending a thank you note. Catalogs and letters have been replaced by email, texting and messaging via apps like WhatsApp and Viber, as well as social media such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. Nowadays, we all expect communications to be instantaneous. We have to get our news and information at warp speed. Of course, letters still have their place for

The wave of anti-semitism crashing over the United States in the fourth quarter of 2023 seems to me to have been inevitable. I will leave it to far more qualified writers than I to explore the causes and effects of such a vast disturbance. However, I recommend that you take time to read source materials and understand the issues involved.

However, I want to remind the heads of private day and boarding schools that they can and should learn three critical lessons from what we all are experiencing. The chief officer of any institution must be a listener, a learner, and a leader.

Listen

Overwhelming expressions of opinion don't come out of nowhere. It's like you and I putting a pot of water on the stove and turning the dial to high. You know the pot could and will boil, but you can continue your business until then. Right? Wrong! Before you know it, the pot is boiling uncontrollably all over the place. Don't ignore issues you hear about on your campus. It doesn't matter whether it's the cleaning crew, your physics teacher, or a member of the board of trustees. Every voice is important, and you must listen carefully to each and every one.

Read articles such as Dr. Susan Whitbourne's 10 Qualities of Great Listeners. Understand her very clear advice:

• Listening is a basic social skill, but it takes practice to do well.
• Listening and perceived partner responsiveness form a positive