Every August, I find myself thinking the same thing. This is the year we build on what we have learned and make it even better.
This year, that means facing something head on. AI is no longer a future conversation. It is already part of our students’ lives, our teachers’ planning, and the conversations families are having at home about learning and homework.
For independent study leaders, that creates both new questions and new responsibilities. As we begin this school year, here are a few areas I believe deserve our attention.
Be clear about your AI use policy
If we do not communicate how AI should and should not be used, IS students, staff, and families are left to make their own assumptions.
Teachers need to know what appropriate use looks like in lesson planning, feedback, communication, and other daily work. Students need to understand when AI can support learning and when its use crosses into academic dishonesty. Families need straightforward expectations, especially in independent study, where so much learning happens outside a traditional classroom.
Having a policy is only the first step. People also need examples of what that policy looks like in real situations.
A good place to start: Take your AI policy and turn it into three simple examples for each audience: staff, students, and families. What is okay? What is not okay? What should someone do when they are unsure?
Treat AI literacy as a year-long commitment, not a single event
One AI training in August is an introduction, not AI literacy. Real literacy develops through repeated practice over time.
Our students and staff need ongoing opportunities to question AI-generated information, recognize bias, protect privacy, evaluate accuracy, and know when human judgment matters most.
Rather than approaching AI literacy as a one-time training or lesson, consider how it can become part of ongoing learning throughout the school year. That might include student lessons, professional learning, shared resources, and opportunities for educators to learn from one another.
A good place to start: Put AI literacy on your calendar for the entire year. Choose one skill or question each month for students and staff to explore, and create opportunities for teachers to share what they are learning with one another.
Bring families into the conversation from the very beginning
Independent study has always been built on partnership. Families are asking many of the same questions we are:
Is AI helping my student learn or doing the work for them? How can I help my student use it responsibly?
Independent Study schools have an opportunity to help families navigate those questions instead of leaving them to figure it out alone.
Family education does not need to be complicated. A webinar, short resource, FAQ, or family conversation guide can provide parents and caregivers with practical information they can use immediately.
A good place to start: Host one family webinar or virtual conversation about AI. Keep it practical. Explain your expectations, show families what students are encountering, and give them a few questions they can use at home.
Resources I recommend for independent study leaders
You do not need to build all of this from scratch. Several organizations are already creating practical AI literacy resources for educators, students, and families.
Day of AI Family Toolkit
A great starting point for hosting an AI-focused family night. It includes ready-to-use activities and conversation starters.
aiEDU
A strong choice for free AI literacy resources you can use tomorrow. The lessons focus on questioning AI output, recognizing bias, evaluating information, and using AI to strengthen rather than replace thinking.
BrainPOP
An accessible entry point for younger students, especially if your program already uses BrainPOP.
Your own teachers
This may be the most important resource on the list. Some of the best professional learning happens when teachers see another teacher demonstrate something practical that is actually working.
Schools can create simple ways for teachers to learn from one another and share what is working. That might be a quick demonstration, a shared resource, a short video, or a conversation about how a teacher used AI to address a real instructional challenge.
You do not always need another outside training. Sometimes you need to make the expertise already inside your organization more visible.
And if you are looking for something written specifically for school leaders navigating this work, my book Leading AI in Schools offers practical strategies for building AI literacy with your staff and students.
Where I will leave you
You do not need every answer about AI this year. None of us do. What matters is choosing to lead the learning. Be clear about expectations. Build literacy over time. Invest in your teachers. Bring your families with you.
Independent study has always required us to think differently about how we support students and families. AI gives us one more reason to keep learning, asking questions, and helping our communities navigate change thoughtfully.
Wishing you a wonderful start to the school year.
Sarah McFarland – Let’s Connect
Director of Educational Technology
Visions In Education
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