MCS Continues to Embrace AI

By David Avitabile

MIDDLEBURGH - Middleburgh Central School continues to embrace AI and the movement toward AI is not slowing down. 

Middleburgh school Superintendent Mark Place told school board members at their October meeting, “It’s really moving quickly on what is available.“ 

The goal is to be fully conversational about AI with staff and teachers. Mr. Place helps keep AI in front of staff by sending out an AI Minute to keep the issue on the front burner. AI can be used for data assessment once the information is given to AI. The data can be assessed in minutes instead of hours once the system is set up, he added.

The AI Minute goes to all employees, and it discusses the use of Gemini and Magic School, and other platforms The staff is taking it and utilizing it in their work, Mr. Place said. 

People are aware of AI but don’t know how to use it, he continued. The former impediments to AI were the speed of the Internet, and amount of storage, but those barriers have been removed. He noted that because of this, all entry-level college jobs are gone.

The discussion about AI in the district will continued at the Superintendent's conference day on November 10. At the conference day staff, discussing AI literacy, expanding one's AI knowledge base. what’s ahead- the timeline is shrinking, sharing strategies that work, and those that don’t as well as time for collaboration with colleagues.

There will be board presentations from November through February on what teachers are doing in their content area in AI. At the March Superintendent's conference day, there will be a discussion on the work done to that point and suggestions on a draft policy with the input of all staff, Mr. Place said.

There is a lot of openness in AI and the policy will focus on that, he added.