Assistive AI tools can be useful when tackling administrative tasks as educators. It’s critical that any AI tool we use supports, not replaces, our work. We also need to be aware of how to use these tools responsibly to keep the children in our care safe.
It’s important that we take the time to understand how AI works, its privacy risks, and its potential benefits before sing it in our work as educators.
Assistive AI helps people refine their own content and is increasingly used by time-poor educators to edit documentation, check spelling and grammar and simplify wording.
Generative AI creates entirely new content and ideas and can offer program suggestions or inspiration based on a learning topic.
Remember that there is always a risk that any data you put into an AI tool could be hacked or misused, violating children’s right to privacy – so always de-identify!
Ultimately, if choosing to use AI tools, you want the content to remain authentically yours. Trust your professional judgement and knowledge of the children – and make sure that shines through.
To make sure we use AI tools safely and ethically, we can follow these steps:
- Never use Generative AI to write your work from scratch. Instead, create a draft in your own words first and use Assistive AI to refine if needed
- Never include personal information, particularly people’s names or the service name
- Never upload photos or documentation that could identify individuals
- Double-check that the AI response provided is accurate and relevant
- Review and edit the content before it is added to children’s documentation or shared with families. Did you capture the unique context of your service? Does it sound like you?
You can find more guidance on the use of AI in your planning and programming on the ACECQA
website: acecqa.gov.au/latest-news/use-artificialintelligence-ai-education-and-care-services
Aisha Grewal
Professional Support Consultant, It Takes A Village
We can support your educator team to understand the benefits and risks of using AI in their planning and programming. Call (03) 9486 3455 to talk to an experienced consultant.
