Tools

What is Artificial Intelligence?

You may hear terms like "AI", "Chatbots", "GPT", and "Machine Learning" when learning about this topic.  Here are some brief explanations:

● Artificial Intelligence (AI) is computer programming that learns and adapts, with systems taught to mimic intelligent human behaviors. (Examples: Playing against a computer at a video game; grammar check)

● Machine learning (ML) is the technique that allows machines to learn autonomously from data (Examples: Snapchat filters and facial recognition)

● Large language models (LLMs) are machine learning models that can understand, predict, and generate human language (Examples: Customer service chatbots, predictive text on your smartphone)

● Generative AI (Gen AI) refers to the use of AI to create new content, like text, images, music, audio, code, and videos (Examples: ChatGPT, Midjourney, DALL-E, Magic School)

For a deep dive into AI terminology, you can visit the AIPRM Glossary.

Why would I use AI in my work?

The Auburn School District believes that technology can offer new ways for us to be creative and efficient in our work.  Like computers and the internet, AI is a tool that should be learned and embraced by staff and students.

By incorporating AI into our curriculum, we open up new avenues for learning and problem-solving. AI technology allows for personalized learning experiences, where students can receive tailored feedback and guidance based on their unique strengths and weaknesses. Additionally, AI can assist educators in identifying areas where students may need extra support, allowing for more targeted instruction and ultimately better student outcomes.

Furthermore, AI has the potential to revolutionize the way we approach administrative tasks, such as scheduling and record-keeping. By automating these processes, staff can free up more time to focus on the important work of teaching and supporting students.

We are committed to staying at the forefront of educational innovation, and embracing the potential that AI has to offer is just one way we are doing so. We believe that by incorporating AI into our classrooms and offices, we can better prepare our students for the rapidly-evolving workforce of the future.

🚫 Privacy and Personal Data 

Although AI tools can improve productivity, it's essential to protect personal information fed into the system. Auburn School District employees should secure their data by using strong passwords, encrypting data, and monitoring any suspicious activity to benefit from AI tools while maintaining safety.  Never enter any personal or sensitive information - especially about students.

📑 Information Literacy

When using AI, it is crucial to fact-check information for accuracy, be aware of potential biases in the data used to train the AI algorithms, and cite any information generated through AI. This helps ensure responsible use of AI and avoids dangers like false information and cultural harm.

All uses of AI require a human-centered approach, meaning reflection and insight are applied to an initial inquiry.

🔒 Data Security

For the safety of our staff and students, software, websites and web based products, extensions, and apps must meet age appropriateness, security requirements/data sharing requirements, and meet criteria under the Federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule (COPPA).

💡 Learn More

The AI guidelines are informed by resources provided by the state (linked below), as well as existing ASD School Board policies (particularly our Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure and Students and Telecommunication Devices Policy).

AI Guidelines in ASD

These icons should be used as a shorthand for AI use in documentation.
 

Recommended: District-promoted tools which expedite employees’ jobs (e.g. GenAI tools to write emails or summarize information, AI tools to accomplish data analysis quicker); tools which can personalize learning for students; tools which can automate repetitive tasks. 

 

Permitted: Emergent, untested tools (that have been approved for use by ASD) that have the potential to increase outcomes for staff and/or students.  New tools should be used after establishing a clear purpose for use.

 

Restricted: Translations for documents (see Translation Guidelines); using AI to breach academic and professional codes of conduct; using AI to fully replace a role in the organization; using AI in violation of Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure.

Overview

Clever Instant Login is Auburn's single sign-on solution, allowing users to log into applications with a single set of credentials, configured at the district level. Students and teachers can open their devices, sign into the Clever Portal, and click on their connected applications to automatically access the online learning program!

Some applications will have automatic rostering available and some applications will have their usernames and passwords remembered for teachers and students. For Clever applications that don't create a login, users will be required to use the application's username and password within Clever once, and it will then remember the username and password for the application.

Some students can use a QR Code badge to log-in instead of typing out a username and password.

Features

Single Sign-On (SSO)

Some applications will create and manage teacher and student accounts through Clever for teachers and students. Clever pulls the information from Skyward every day to create and sync accounts for the applications with SSO. If a new student doesn't have an account with the application that they are using, please wait 24 hours to check again before contacting the Department of Technology.

Automatic Rostering

Some applications will have the class roster updated automatically through Clever. This means that at the beginning of the year and whenever a student enrolls or dis-enrolls, Clever will update teacher class rosters in different applications automatically.

Saved Passwords

Since not all applications have SSO, some will allow teachers and students to save their usernames and passwords through Clever. Users can sign into the application once through the Clever Portal, and Clever will remember the username and password for that application.

Note: Teachers and students will have to set this up within Clever by signing into the application. Clever will not set this up for you.

Teacher Pages

Teachers also have the ability to create a teacher page that is viewable only to students registered in their classes. From the Clever Teacher Page, teachers can provide direct links to tools and resources that are used in their classrooms.

Clever Teacher Pages Support

Clever Badges

Some students may have more difficulty logging into applications using long usernames and passwords. These students can use a QR Code badge and the device webcam to auto-log them into their Clever portal. From there, they can go to any application they have there. (Clever badges are provided to elementary school BTCs and may be requested at other levels.)

Instructions for Printing Clever Badges

Support Materials

How do Students Login?

Using Badges

If you're interested in becoming a pro Clever user, check out the Clever Academy!

Google Education Suite

All staff and students in the Auburn School District have access to G Suite for Education. Staff and students can use their ASD account username and password to log in.
 

	Google Classroom		Chrome Browser
	Drive		Chrome Store
	Docs		Google Meet
	Forms		Gmail
	Sheets		Calendar
	Slides		Gemini

Google Classroom Rostering

Auburn SD uses an app called Little SIS that aims to make teachers’ lives easier by automatically syncing your official class rosters from Skyward to Google Classroom classes. This sync happens on a daily basis. Students will only be removed from Google Classroom rosters during the first 3 weeks of the term as class schedules are being adjusted. You will receive an email notification from Little SIS summarizing all changes.

Sync Process

1. At the beginning of each academic term, Little SIS creates new class invites.  A class invite is just that -- an invitation!  See the videos below for an overview of how to accept an invitation.  Classes created by Little SIS Sync do not become visible to enrolled students until you “accept” them. 

If you have missed the email about claiming your classes, you can review them at this website: Little SIS Teacher Review

We provide your classes before students know their schedules.  When you first accept, you may see zero students.  Clicking “Accept” will allow you to start building your content in the class.  The day before the academic term starts, your students are added to your Classrooms so they can access them from day one. 

If you see an invite that already has students enrolled in it,  students do not see this class until you click “Accept.”
 

2. Little SIS Sync can link to your existing Classroom classes -  If you’re already using Google Classroom, Little SIS Sync can connect up with a class that’s already in use (e.g. if you have a year-long class, you can sync your second semester with your first to keep the same Classroom).  This means you get all the benefits of having your rosters kept up to date on the classes you’ve already worked so hard to populate with content!

3. Little SIS Sync will Add and Remove students in Google Classroom -  Once you’re using a class linked to Skyward, any changes detected in your official class roster will result in a roster change in Google Classroom.  Little SIS Syncs with Skyward on a daily basis.  Any time Little SIS Sync makes a change to your Classroom rosters, you will receive an email notification summarizing all changes. 

   **Students will only be removed from Google Classroom rosters the first three
   weeks of each term. 

FAQ

What happens if I click “Decline” on a class?

If you decline a class we’ve created for you, it just means that you will be “on your own” when it comes to managing your student rosters in Google Classroom.  

Declined classes can be re-provisioned by us later, but it can require a bit of legwork by the IT department, so please only decline an invite if they are getting in your way and truly not needed!  If you’re not sure yet whether you want to use the classes, it’s usually better to just leave the invites open so you can have the option later!

If you have declined a class and wish to have it restored, please ask your BTC/TSS to submit a helpdesk ticket.

How will I know if Little SIS Sync has linked to or made changes to my existing Classroom classes?

Little SIS Sync will send you an email any time it makes any changes to a Classroom class, the class roster, or when it has been linked to any existing Classroom class.

What happens if Little SIS Sync accidentally removes a student from one of my Classes?

This is a totally recoverable situation, and can sometimes happen if we have errors (like the wrong email address) in the student information system, or if you have added students to your classes that are not on the official roster.  Adding the student back via the join code will restore all of their work in the class, but you should also notify your BTC /TSS immediately if this happens, since it may end up happening every time we sync unless we fix the underlying roster data issue.  We can also exclude specific users from the sync if you have a good reason for keeping “unofficial” students on your roster.  Just let us know!

What if I’m using Classroom in a way that’s different than the way my SIS classes are organized?  (Examples: combined sections, differentiated groups, etc.)

When you are sent invitations to accept classes by LittleSIS, you can merge sections.  For example, if you have two classes who meet at the same time and share the same work, you can merge them together to create one large class.  If you have a year-long class that continues from first to second semester, you can merge your second semester with your first semester class to ensure continuity.
At the moment, LittleSIS cannot split classes.

I co-teach with another staff member.  They had a Classroom created and I didn’t.  How do I obtain one?

Only one teacher will be attached to each class.  Any additional staff involved with the management of the classroom can be added as co-teachers.
 

YouTube in Restricted Mode

Students who have completed and turned in their Tech Agreement form will be able to view YouTube videos that have been approved by an ASD staff member.  Staff members can view YouTube videos without restrictions. Staff are advised not to approve a video unless there is an instructional need to do so. 

For Staff

Ensure you are signed in

Visit YouTube, and click sign-in on the top-right if you are not already signed into a YouTube account.  

Use your Auburn account

Click on the icon in the top right to verify you are using your district-provided Google account. Personal YouTube accounts cannot approve videos or use app permissions. 

Check video status

While in Restricted Mode, staff can still view all videos on YouTube.

When you visit any video, you will see a blue bar below stating the status of the video.  

Videos that are not approved may still be available for students.  Staff are advised not to approve a video unless there is an instructional need to do so. 

Approving videos and channels

If currently not approved, the video can be approved for ALL students in our district by clicking Approve on the blue bar.

You can also approve a whole channel. This will allow you to approve school channels or curriculum sites. 

If the video or channel was already approved you will see the Remove button, which will restrict access to this video/channel for all students. 

Staff should use caution when approving videos given they become available for ALL Auburn students once approved. Videos should only be approved where they are directly connected to instructional or extra curricular needs. 

For Students

Student limitations

If a student is not signed into YouTube they will get the network level enforcement as per our Securly Policy. Logging into YouTube will allow more permissions.

Searching will be limited and give this notification "Some results have been removed because Restricted Mode is enabled."
 

The student will be presented an error when trying to view a video that is restricted. "This video is unavailable with Restricted Mode enabled. To view this video, you will need to disable Restricted Mode."  

A user with approval rights (i.e. any staff member) can view the video on their own device and click the Approve button to allow the video for all students. 
 

The above message is different than a Securly blocked page. Some pages may trigger the Securly filter due to the images and language used on the YouTube page, in which case students will see the message below.

If you feel this is in error, please contact your BTC/TSS.  This cannot be overridden by staff.