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Instructional coach shows board how AI tools are being used and taught in classrooms
Summary
An instructional coach demonstrated generative AI uses in Hamburg Central School District classrooms — from leveled reading passages to teacher apps — and trustees discussed age‑appropriate limits and drafting a district AI policy.
Edward, an instructional coach focusing on technology, told the Hamburg Central School District Board on Nov. 12 that staff have spent about 18 months piloting generative AI in professional development and classrooms, and described concrete tools and classroom examples. “AI is not thinking,” he said, describing the technology as “pattern analysis” that can help teachers prepare leveled materials, rehearse lessons as podcasts and create simple apps for classroom use.
The coach described three district training sessions on Oct. 25 and demonstrations of tools including Notebook LM (a document‑driven assistant), Claude (an AI assistant the presenter used to build teacher tools) and Canva’s image generator for student exercises. He told the board AI sped a task that previously took months down to minutes: generating 10 leveled reading passages in about 45 seconds, which he said let teachers put differentiated, interest‑based materials into students’ hands much faster.
The presentation framed AI as a teacher tool — a way to create resources, rehearse lessons and support differentiated instruction — while emphasizing teacher judgment. Edward suggested strategies to limit misuse, such as designing assignments that require personal reflection or primary‑source citations that AI cannot fabricate reliably. He also described using AI image generation to teach vocabulary and revision skills: students change adjectives and re‑run prompts to see different outcomes.
Trustees asked about age appropriateness and the potential for over‑reliance among very young students. One board member urged caution for early grades, saying young children should retain time for unstructured, self‑directed play. District leaders said the approach is intentionally gradual: staff pilot tools with teacher training first, offer teachers options rather than mandates, and plan a policy discussion about how the district will endorse and govern AI use.
Board members also spoke about next steps. Superintendent-level staff said a draft policy is being circulated for feedback, based in part on Department of Education guidance, and that the district seeks input from teachers and parents before formal adoption. The presentation concluded with examples of classroom work already using AI-generated podcasts and apps produced for specific lessons, and with staff describing plans to continue training and to study whether newer tools can be incorporated responsibly into instruction.
The board did not take a vote on policy at the meeting; the matter remains in the discussion and planning stage.
