While many think of May as a time to wrap up the current school year, it can also be a time to plan for what’s next. With this in mind, the Yeshiva University High School for Girls (Central) hosted an AI Gathering on Monday, May 20. The Gathering’s goal: a meeting of minds to explore the philosophical and pedagogical issues inherent in the use of Artificial Intelligence in the classroom.
How do teachers and administrators balance the new reality of AI with efforts to encourage not only critical thinking skills, but the social interactions and emotional intelligence students will need to become responsible adults? How can teachers and administrators demonstrate responsible – and ethical – AI usage in the classroom? The best way by which to find these answers: collaboration.
“This event was the first of its kind,” said Central’s Head of School, Ms. Bracha Rutner. The meeting was hosted by Ms. Rutner and Mr. Gary Pretsfelder of The Jewish Education Project, with workshops facilitated by Dr. Sarah Rubinson Levy of Sarah Rubinson Consulting and Contracting. The seminar, which hosted over 50 heads of schools, technology directors, and lead teachers from 15 different area yeshivos and day schools, provided educators with a framework for AI education, including blueprints and suggestions for policy, guiding documents, and – most importantly – guidelines for supporting both students and parents during this period of transition.
The genesis of the event took place during the 2022-23 school year. “When Chat GPT was first released, I tried it, and saw both the power and the limitations of it,” Ms. Rutner said. “So, we partnered with MTA to work on a policy together.
Enter Dr. Rubinson Levy, widely known as an authority on AI in education. With the advice of Dr. Rubinson Levy, the schools successfully developed and implemented an AI policy that prioritized student learning – and accountability. “We intentionally included it in the academic integrity policy,” Ms. Rutner continued.
The endeavor was so successful that Dr. Rubinson Levy was invited to run a professional development seminar with Central faculty. “She was so well received that we realized we needed to do something bigger, with lots of schools and shared conversation.” This week’s event was formative for all involved – after Dr. Rubinson Levy’s keynote address, which explored the meeting’s mission and educational philosophy. Participants joined breakout sessions, with a session for heads of schools facilitated by Ms. Rivkah Schack, Senior Managing Director of Education Technology and Strategy at The Jewish Education Project, a session for technology specialists facilitated by Mr. Avi Bloom, Director of Technology at SAR Academy, and a lead teacher session guided by Dr. Rubinson Levy.
Sessions were followed by a working lunch and a discussion of next steps. Faculty and administrators left the day inspired, with ideas and real, actionable initiatives in hand. “This was short, focused, and very useful,” Ms. Rutner said. “And it’s the beginning of an ongoing discussion in which resources are shared and we can explore, together, how to best use this new tool.”
