Media Tip Sheet: Education Leaders Balance Innovation, Caution as AI Shapes the Future of School Operations


December 10, 2024

School leaders are increasingly using generative AI to streamline administrative tasks, enhance community engagement, and modernize operations. While tools like ChatGPT and ThoughtExchange offer efficiency and insight, leaders emphasize the importance of maintaining human expertise to verify accuracy and guide decision-making. Early adopters champion AI's potential to augment—not replace—critical thinking and expertise in education.

Faculty experts at the George Washington University are available to offer insight, commentary and analysis on the future of AI in school operations. If you would like to speak with an expert, please contact GW Media Relations Specialist Tayah Frye at [email protected].

Natalie B. Milman, Ph.D. is Associate Dean of the George Washington University Graduate School of Education and Human Development’s Office of Student Life and Professor of Educational Technology Leadership. She is also a member of the interdisciplinary Human-Technology Collaboration PhD program and research lab, a member of GW’s Academy of Distinguished Teachers, and winner of the 2017 Bender Teaching Award. Her research focuses on the design of instruction and models for the effective leadership and integration of technology at all academic levels; online student support needs, engagement, and learning; issues of diversity, inclusion, and digital equity; and the use of digital portfolios for professional development.

Ryan Watkins, professor of Educational Technology, is an author of eleven books and more than 95 articles. His publications are frequently cited in the performance improvement literature, making him the 4th most cited author of journal articles in the field. Ryan is an active member of the International Society for Performance Improvement (ISPI), the American Evaluation Association (AEA), and has served as a vice president of the Inter-American Distance Education Consortium (CREAD). Dr. Watkins has created two free tools related to AI for instructors: a survey tool for starting conversations about the ethical uses of AI in an instructor’s course and a beta for helping instructors communicate what specific uses of AI are permitted for a particular assignment.

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