Transformative Principal

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This episode discusses the potential of artificial intelligence in education and how it can empower both students and teachers. Cahlan Sharp talks about his experience building the micro school platform Prenda and how it aims to empower learners. He discusses how AI tools like chatbots and pulse check activities can help teachers gain insights into how students are doing and where they need help. However, Cahlan stresses that AI should be used as a tool to enhance the learning experience rather than as a source of truth. Transparency and teacher oversight are important to ensure student safety and privacy when using AI tools. 
  • Startup Failures: Reddit before Reddit. 
  • Draw My Doll
  • Prenda started with after-school programs with librarians. 
  • How to teach something that you’re not totally familiar with. 
  • Helping kids learn something that was focused around the student. 
  • Focused on the method rather than the content. 
  • Helping kids walk through the content themselves. 
  • Kelly Smith holding a microschool in his own home. 
  • Guides. 
  • Similar to Acton Academy
  • Kids with specific needs. 
  • How can we help moms create classrooms in their living rooms? 
  • The difference between passive and active learning. 
  • Empowerment 
  • People are more empowered with the right tools in their hands. 
  • AI is an empowering tool. 
  • If we put tools in the hands of educators 
  • What would you do if you had an assistant next to you and you could ask them? 
  • Ideas of personalized tutors powered by AI 
  • This is going to change everything. 
  • Every student will have access to a personalized tutor 
  • How is everybody doing in our class? 
  • Spaces - Teacher generated, student facing chat spaces. 
  • Bellringer Pulse space - bringing in a personal relationship 
  • Pulse Exit Ticket - working through learning outcomes 
  • Desired outcome, but not a desired output. 
  • Not always a right or wrong answer. 
  • AI cannot always be a source of truth. 
  • How to focus on what AI is actually good at. 
  • Messages are safe and raising red flags. 
  • Safety and data privacy. 
  • Built-in mechanisms (content moderation, privacy, etc.) 
  • Establishing how long we keep student data. 
  • Scrubbing data 
  • Transparency - teachers have access to all the kids’ chats 
  • Parents are an important critical stakeholder in the process. 
  • Build tools for parents down the road. 
  • Motivated by giving people powerful tools. 
About Cahlan Sharp

[Cahlan Sharp] is a highly versatile leader, technologist, entrepreneur, engineer, and investor. 

Passionate about technology, education, and building things that matter. Serial entrepreneurs participated in lots of failed startups. Founder of DevMtn helped start the micro schooling Prenda, and now CTO and CoFounder at SchoolAI

We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. 

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:
  • Simplify and streamline technology
  • Save teachers’ time
  • Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
  • Improve student performance on state assessments
🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

Creators & Guests

Host
A Jethro Jones

What is Transformative Principal?

Jethro Jones interviews instructional leaders from around the nation to learn and teach what it takes to become a transformative principal. Episodes address topics like Response to Intervention (RTI), Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS), Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS), the latest advances in educational research, standards-based grading, and interviews with industry leaders like Bill Daggett, Rick Wormeli, Todd Whitaker and even people outside the education like Seth Godin, JeVon McCormick, Liz Wiseman, and more.