Days 1–30
Phase 01
LISTEN & CHECK
First 30 days
Ask faculty, students, and families; audit tools and privacy.
Woodland School / Proposed AI Policy Framework
Human First.AI Ready.
AI should strengthen students’ thinking, creativity, and relationships — never replace them.
Proposed for community discussion
October 2026
Our approach
Building a Developmentally Appropriate
AI Strategy for Woodland School
- 01Start with child development.
- 02Teach and model before student use.
- 03Connect lessons to how people work in the real world.
- Prepare students for a future shaped by AI.
- Prioritize creativity, critical thinking, and human connection.
- Introduce AI gradually as students develop.
- Support teachers with clear, consistent expectations.
Section 1
Implementation Roadmap:
Listen, Train, Improve
A 90-day launch, followed by a review and update every trimester.
Days 31–90
Phase 02
TRAIN & PILOT
Next 60 days
Co-design guidance; model lessons; coach teachers; inform families.
Ongoing
Phase 03
REVIEW & UPDATE
Each trimester
A cross-divisional team updates guidance using classroom evidence, feedback, new tools, and risks.
Section 2
Student Pathway:
Gradual Release by Age
Teach and modelGradual release
PreK
No student-facing AI
Play, talk, move, and create. No student-facing AI or routine AI screen lessons.
K–2
Hands-on lessons
Explore patterns, truth, and fairness through hands-on lessons. No direct AI chatbot use.
3–4
Teacher demonstrations
Watch teacher demonstrations; question AI errors and bias. No independent AI use.
5–6
Guided lessons
Use approved, age-permitted tools in guided lessons. Check answers and explain choices.
7–8
Defined projects
Use approved tools in defined projects; verify sources, disclose help, and defend original work.
At every age:
Student readiness, accessibility needs, teacher oversight, and each tool’s age rules come first.
Section 3
Learn How Real
Professionals Think
Teach how professionals use AI and what students must still learn to do themselves.
History
AIsearches and transcribes archives;
Studentsevaluate evidence, context, and bias.
Science
AIspots patterns in data;
Studentsdesign fair tests and question conclusions.
Math
AIchecks solutions and explores models;
Studentsexplain reasoning and test whether answers make sense.
Writing
AIsuggests edits and organizes research;
Studentsdevelop voice, original ideas, and arguments.
Coding
AIsuggests code and fixes bugs;
Studentsunderstand logic and test what works.
Music
AIexplores arrangements and variations;
Studentsmake artistic choices and consider authorship.
Section 4
AI Assignment
Permissions
Less AI involvementMore AI involvement
Level 01
NO AI
Complete the work without AI.
Level 02
EXAMINE AI
Question AI examples shared by a teacher.
Level 03
AI AS COACH
Use approved AI for feedback, not to do the work.
Level 04
AI AS PARTNER
Use approved AI within limits; verify and disclose its role.
Section 5
School-wide
Safeguards
Protect privacy
Only approved tools; never enter students’ personal data into unapproved AI.
Protect learning
AI supports the assigned skill; it cannot replace original student thinking.
Be transparent
Students explain how approved AI helped, and check its claims and sources.
Keep people accountable
People — not AI — make final grading and student decisions.
Woodland School / Proposed AI Policy Framework
Questions?
Human First. AI Ready.
AI should strengthen students’ thinking, creativity, and relationships — never replace them.