Dear Banff Trail School Families,
The influence and leveraging of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is growing by the day, and the application of this tool is becoming more widespread, seemingly across all industries and sectors. This past week, I read a short yet impactful article about introducing kids to AI, that had me reflecting on its influence and potential impact in our elementary school population. You have perhaps heard about how AI applications such as Gemini and ChatGPT come with both pros and cons, yet I feel strongly that there can be significant good that can come from its targeted use. Rather than a simple classification of AI being ‘cheating’ or soul-less from an educational context, I believe that students who learn to craft AI prompts most effectively will be more likely to thrive in efficiency and critical-thinking process, if guidance in using the tools begins early. The generation of AI prompts, therefore, will likely become an important form of writing that students and adults will need and want to learn. If you are looking for ways to begin that journey with your child, I strongly encourage you to read the short article linked above for some ideas and inspiration. The way we leverage AI will evolve over the years, but now could be a great time to explore this tool as it currently functions with our children!
Related to this, for the past couple years, I have encouraged our Teachers to make use of AI tools to complement and enhance their daily work. Some of the ways that Teachers have leveraged AI in our school include:
Lesson Planning--Teachers have inputted lesson plans that they have created, along with accompanying curricular outcomes, to ask for suggestions on how one might enhance student engagement. Teachers have also used AI tools to help make learning intentions more clear, such as by inputting the curricular outcomes and asking for suggestions on making it more accessible for their particular students to understand. Other times, it has been used to offer suggestions on gamifying lessons, or ideas for improving students’ French usage in the classroom.
Communications—Our staff is comprised of both native and non-native French speakers. Some staff have used AI to grammatically refine their written communications in English, whereas others have done so for French, all in an effort to bring clarity and accuracy in messaging.
These are but some examples of the positive potential of AI, where in many cases it is used as a sounding board or idea generator to be considered by our staff and grade teams. Collaboration amongst our teaching and support staff will always be a critical component for a high-functioning environment, but seeking ways to improve the learning experience by leveraging any and all available strategies and resources will also be a lifelong experience for our educational staff.
For your consideration:
Digital Citizenship Plan: Each year, CBE schools create a Digital Citizenship Plan that speaks to student use of technology. With our early learners, we focus on equitable access to technology, and some initial introductions to digital tool usage. We welcome you to learn more about digital citizenship at Banff Trail School here.
November Learning Conferences: A reminder that online bookings for the upcoming conferences open today at 4:00pm. Conferences are in-person at the school, on Thursday, November 28th (3-7pm) and Friday, November 29th (8am-1pm). We encourage students to attend with parents; we always look forward to these conversations with you!
Lost & Found: While attending the Learning Conferences, please have a look at the Lost & Found items, which will be on display. Any remaining items will be donated to the Women in Need Society (WINS) on Thursday, December 12th, 2024.
Theme Day: A reminder that our next theme day will be on Wednesday, November 27th—Sports Team/Club Day! Share your love for your sport by donning your attire from your sports team or club, or from a sports team that you love…
Upcoming Dates:
November 27: Theme Day: Sports Team/Club Day
November 28: No classes for Kindergarten Students, regular day for grades 1-5
November 28, 29: Learning Conferences
December 12: All Lost & Found Items donated to WINS
December 20: Last day of classes
December 21-January 5: Winter Break
January 6: School Resumes
January 7-21: Alien Inline Residency, all grades
January 15: School Council Meeting, 6:30pm
Have a warm, wonderful weekend,
Ryan Turner
Principal, Banff Trail School