School Group Leal da Câmara, stood out as a pioneer in Portugal by drawing up a guiding document for the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI).

The process was led by Teacher Librarian Carlos Pinheiro* and the working groups of teachers for School Digital Development Action Plan (PADDE) and School Council. Together, these groups defined a roadmap that would gradually prepare teachers, students and caregivers for the responsible and ethical use of Generative AI in all the schools within this cluster.

This process inspired the 4 Steps to create policies for the use of Generative AI in Schools, which can be followed by other schools when drawing up GenAI policies.

Starting from the 4 stages for creating AI policies at school, which anticipated and guided the preparation of the roadmap, and which will lead to its impact assessment and updating!

At this stage, the first reflection happens when the Pedagogical Council takes place, when the teachers and leaders meet, and decide to include as a point of discussion the potential impacts of AI on Education and recommendations on evaluation criteria.

At the same time, the School Library assumes its leadership role as an educational space that integrates multiple literacies: teacher librarian Carlos Pinheiro takes on the role of facilitating workshops for teachers on AI literacy and is part of the team that makes a diagnosis of AI training needs for teachers.

Awareness-raising among the educational community is a constant, and at the start of the school year the school group organizes the IX Pedagogical Days, inviting everyone to come together to reflect about education, of which GenAI was part as a topic for reflection and training with various GenAI Literacy workshops for teachers.

The team of teachers that is part of the School Digital Development Action Plan work group (PADDE) begins the process of revising this document, focusing on the impacts of AI. This team is responsible for creating the first draft of a guiding document focused on the use of GenAI in school. Inspired by other ethical guidelines for educators on the use of AI and data in teaching and learning, this team creates the draft for the “Principles for the use of AI in the School Group.” This provisional document was presented at the Pedagogical Council meeting, where the team asked everyone to contribute and review the document. The collaborative document received comments and suggestions from all the departments, which were then included.

The document “Principles for the use of AI in the School Group” was presented at the Pedagogical Council meeting, which gave a positive opinion, generating a broad consensus. The target date for its implementation was set, which was the beginning of the following school year.

The document became part of the school’s Internal Regulations.

At the opening of the school year, the school organized an open event to the community, the Pedagogical Days, collectively reflecting about AI. Ongoing teacher training was planned for the beginning of the year with 6 workshops and a course on AI, covering topics such as: AI tools, AI ethics, AI in the context of specific curricular areas (math, arts, etc.). Throughout the school year, there are several training events planned for teachers, inviting external experts to the school who bring a fresh perspective.

Students (ages 13 to 18) take part in AI literacy sessions, facilitated by school library teacher Carlos Pinheiro, as part of the School Library Network’s Proliteracies program. More than 500 students are expected to take part over the course of the year. As part of the school library’s dynamic, parents and caregivers are also invited to take part in a workshop on “AI at school. What now?”

The team responsible for monitoring the implementation of the principles of using AI at school will be responsible for monitoring whether AI is being used to improve teaching, learning and assessment. Monitoring and evaluation will take place using instruments and metrics designed for this purpose, collecting feedback from teachers, parents and students. According to the results, the document will be updated.

The document is a succinct guide, 9 pages long and made up of 2 parts.

It presents the contexts for the use of AI in education recommended by the European Union and summarizes the 2022 document “Ethical guidelines on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and data in teaching and learning for educators”.

Focuses on 8 areas of focus and presents guidelines for approaching and dealing with the use of AI in each:

1 – Teaching and learning: focuses on innovative pedagogical strategies to be adopted by teachers that promote active student participation. It indicates how to deal with AI tools, the need to make explicit which tools can and cannot be used by students, and how all use should support and reinforce critical thinking and creativity.

2 – Inclusion, diversity, non-discrimination and equity: ensures that it is clear that AI should be used equitably, taking into account the needs of all students and guaranteeing equal access.

3 – Social and emotional well-being: underlines the importance of the school safeguarding the development and social and emotional well-being of students and teachers, ensuring that it is understood by all that interaction with the AI system is simulated and that it has no capacity for emotion or empathy; that AI tools should be used in a way that respects human rights, including individual autonomy and dignity; students should be informed about the ethical and social impact of AI on their lives.

4 – Privacy and data protection: states that any AI system or tool used must comply with the General Data Protection Regulation and the Acceptable Use of Information and Communication Technologies Policy.

5 – Transparency and ethics: how teachers, the educational community and students should be informed and taught about AI. It is recommended that the age for students to use generative AI tools on their own should be 13 or older. It is also recommended that students sign a commitment to use AI, an example of which is given below.

6 – Pedagogical assessment: Strategies for teachers to create work and assessment that is proof of generative AI whenever possible, and to innovate pedagogically.

7 – Teacher training: Points to the need for training and information to ensure that AI systems are pedagogically relevant, safe and promote students’ rights.

8 – Monitoring and evaluation: Informs about the process and the team responsible for monitoring the implementation of the principles of using AI, in order to verify that AI is being used to improve teaching, learning and assessment. Stressing the collection of feedback from teachers, parents and students.

European Commission Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture (2022) “Ethical guidelines on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and data in teaching and learning for educators”.

Microsoft “Classroom agreement on using generative AI tools”