AI Literacy

The SLRSD Technology Committee is please to share guidance on AI usage in the classroom! Check back often for updates and new content.

Most recently updated: 11/19/2025

What is AI?

When referring to AI or AI tools, generally we are thinking about Generative AI (or GenAI). AI models (often Large Language Models or LLMs) that create new, original content—such as text, images, code, or video—based on patterns learned from vast datasets. Examples include ChatGPT, Gemini, and Copilot.

In the classroom, AI can:

Support Teachers by generating lesson plans, creating rubrics, drafting communications, or creating varied assessment questions
Support Students by acting as a study partner or personal tutor to clarify complex topics, summarize readings, practice skills, or brainstorm ideas
Create content such as images for projects or draft a text that you can then analyze, crique, and revise
Make curriculum more accessible by transcribing videos for students with hearing impairments, read text aloud for students with dyslexia, or generate video or audio podcasts based on written material

AI cannot:

Guarantee factual accuracy or truth. AI models tend to prefer the most statistically probably next work and do not act as a search engine that retrieves verified facts. This often leads to "hallucinations" - false information, fake quotes, or fabricated citations which are presented confidently.
Develop core critical thinking and problem-solving skills. AI is a substitute for the mental struggle required to solve a complex problem, write a coherent argument, or develop an original concept. It automates the output but bypasses the process.
Provide an authentic human connection. AI is a text model that lacks a body, emotions, lived experience, and genuine self-awareness. It cannot understand the nuances of a person's personal context, motivation, or emotional state. AI cannot replace the teacher-student relationship.
Stay up-to-date with current events or course-specific materials. Most LLMs have a "knowledge cutoff date" (which is often outdated by at least one year) and are not connected to the real-time internet. Some newer tools, such as NotebookLM, are able to partially overcome this limitation by uploading contemporary and relevant source material.
Eliminate bias. AI models are trained on data created by humans, which inherently includes gender, race, political, and other bias. Output may reinforce stereotypes or present an incomplete, biased view of the world, potentially undermining efforts to promote equity and diverse perspectives in the classroom.

The SLRSD Technology Committee has developed a set of guidelines for AI use in the classroom. This is a great starting point and covers:

Approved Generative AI Platforms
FERPA Compliance and Data Privacy
Guidelines for Staff and Students on use, considerations, and responsibilities

Click Here to open the Guidance on AI Usage in the Classroom document!

Staff and Students should only use Approved AI Tools. As of writing, the only approved tools are:

Google Gemini
NotebookLM
Securly Chat
Approved Curriculum Platforms (which contain embedded AI tools)

In all instances, the user should be signed in to their SLRSD Google Account for approved use. Be aware of and limit use of PII while using these tools.

Google Gemini

Gemini is Google's "assistant for education". It is a generative AI tool that can help you save time, create personalized learning experiences, inspire fresh ideas, and learn confidently - all in a private and secure environment (provided you are using your SLRSD Google Account with Gemini).

How to Access: click on the Waffle icon in your Mail, followed by Gemini or go to gemini.google.com.

Primary Use Cases: speed up time-consuming tasks so you can focus on what matters most, captivate each student with content that's tailored to their needs and interests, get fresh ideas and inspiration for new approaches with this AI assistant, and empower students with AI-guided support to help them learn with confidence.

Training Opportunities and Professional Development:

Neat Tricks to Get Started:

Gamify learning by asking Gemini to turn a hard topic into a fun learning experience
Ask Gemini for tips on how to increase engagement when you are exploring new ways to augment your pedagogy
Turn on Guided Learning to let Gemini walk you through explaining the thought process behind solving a particular problem
Activate Canvas within the Gemini app (it is found in the Tools toggle), upload a file with information on a particular curriculum topic, and prompt Gemini to create a presentation for you. Don't forget to spectify things like grade level, number of slides, etc.

#1 Tip for Success: Everything depends on a great prompt. Follow the PARTS framework - a simple way to guide Gemini step-by-step in creating exactly what you need.

P = Persona (Set Gemini's role)
Helps Gemini respond with the right tone, expertise, and behavior (for example, “Act like a coach”, “Act like an educator”, or “Act like an instructional designer”)
A = Act (Ask clearly for the task)
Uses action words like “create”, “rewrite”, “explain”, or “align” to get specific results
R = Recipient (Say who it's for)
Helps tailor output to the student group, staff, or community members
T = Theme (Add your topic or concept)
Guides the content with context like “early literacy,” “DNA structure,” or “social-emotional learning”
S = Structure (Name the format or model you want)
Helps Gemini tailor its output into specific formats like lesson plans, rubrics, slides, newsletters, or instructional frameworks (for example, 5E or UDL)

By using PARTS, a prompt like "write me a newsletter on the Fall season" turns in to "You are a Grade 2 teacher at a Massachusetts elementary school. Create a short, engaging, newsletter for parents that connects to our classroom's Science activity on Fall foliage to our theme of the month (which is Inclusion). Be sure to include three relevant pictures and connect it to grade-level Standards."

NotebookLM

Gemini is Google's "thinking partner" application. It is designed to help both teachers and students process, analyze, and create new materials based only on the sources they provide. This powerful tool is far less likely to "hallucinate" since the set of information is much more focused and has been vetted by a human (you).

Sources that can be uploaded to NotebookLM include files already stored in Google Drive (such as Docs, Sheets, and Slides), PDFs, lesson plans, research articles, and transcripts from YouTube videos. The possibilities are virtually endless!

How to Access: click on the Waffle icon in your Mail, followed by NotebookLM or go to notebooklm.google.com.

Primary Use Cases: quickly summarize long academic articles, curriculum standards, or textbooks; generate lesson plans, study guides, outlines, and assessments based on your uploaded class materials; easily adjust the complexity of a text to create simplified readings or vocabulary lists for students at different reading levels; create audio overviews of class readings for students who prefer listening or need accessibility options; quickly create FAQs, outlines, or newsletter content; generate interactive flashcards and quizzes or ask questions based on a set of study materials; use the Learning Guide for step-by-step explanations, similar to having a personal tutor for the specific content in the notebook.

Training Opportunities and Professional Development:

Neat Tricks to Get Started:

When you first launch into NotebookLM, click on "Try an example notebook" at the bottom of the screen. This notebook is jam-packed with helpful examples of what this tool can do.
After creating your first Notebook in NotebookLM, use the studio panel (the one on the right-hand side) to generate some relevant materials, like Audio Overview or Flashcards.
NotebookLM is available in 50+ languages! If you want to create resources for EL students, you can just change the output language in the settings for the Notebook to their native language. (Be sure to change it back to YOUR native language when you are done generating these materials!)
When you generate an Audio Overview, click on "Interactive Mode" to join the resulting podcast format live - akin to calling the radio station and asking a question live!

#1 Tip for Success: Be sure to upload high-quality, relevant, and focused sources! NotebookLM's fundamental directive is that the AI model only knows about what you give it. NotebookLM does not consult other sources or information like Google Gemini. Think of each Notebook created in NotebookLM as a separate AI with its own unique set of knowledge and experiences. No two Notebooks will be alike, and further neither will know about the other. If your sources are limited, vague, or contradictory, the AI will create low quality results for you (garbage in, garbage out). The tool is designed to find connections and synthesize information across multiple sources, so be sure to upload a good amount!

Bonus Tip! It can be difficult to know where to begin with NotebookLM. We recommend creating a separate Notebook for each unit that you teach as a way to compartmentalize the information.

Securly Chat

Securly Chat is a custom version of Google Gemini that is more education-focused with specific guardrails in place. Additionally, those staff who use Securly Classroom are able to see a history of student chats with Securly Chat. Plus, if students are found to be engaging in risky behavior, school administrators will receive an alert - much like they do with internet searches.

How to Access: visit chat.securly.com. Securly Filter is also set up to redirect certain non-approved AI tools to Securly Chat automatically.

Primary Use Cases: provides a safer, slimmed-down version of Google Gemini which is generally more appropriate for student use. It will refuse to give explicit answers for anything that seems like homework - instead navigating students through the thought process. Schools can individually adjust how the AI responds to sensitive topics, like firearms or drugs. It has been trained with clinically rooted content created by psychologists that help ground it in age appropriate approaches to common problems.

Securly Classroom: To access Securly Chat history for a student, while running a Securly Classroom class click on the overflow menu (three dots) next to the student's name followed by "AI Chat history".

Start watching at 2:59

Additional Information

Check out the Google AI Literacy page for self-paced training and curriculum materials.
Follow Google EDU On Air for live training opportunities. Even if you cannot attend live, if you register they generally email the materials a few days later.
The Google Workspace Updates Blog details each and every change that Google is making to their tools. Many changes do not apply directly to teachers, but check this site out if you would like to stay up-to-date before than annual "Welcome Back" email from IT.
MLA and APA have published citation information when interacting with AI tools.

DESE has developed an AI portal which contains other helpful resources, including:

A nearly 100-page toolkit on AI in schools
An AI literacy course specifically designed for educators
A roadmap for future endeavors culminating with a DESE-recommended policy on AI

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