WCDSB Guidelines for Generative AI:

Families & Caregivers Guide

This document was produced with assistance from GenAI tools. The content has been thoroughly examined, modified, and refined from any AI-generated outputs. WCDSB is accountable for this document.

Table of Contents

Summary

Table of Contents

What is Generative AI (GenAI)?

Setting Appropriate Expectations

Promoting Digital Literacy and Critical Thinking

Balancing AI Assistance with Independent Learning

Safeguarding Privacy and Personal Information

Using AI Ethically and Responsibly

Modelling Healthy Technology Habits

Supporting Creativity and Original Thinking

Adapting Guidelines as Children Grow

Creating Open Family Dialogue

Academic Integrity (Plagiarism and Cheating)

Preparing for a Future with AI

How is GenAI Being Used in WCDSB Schools?

What Does AI Look Like in Our Schools?

How We Support Safe and Effective AI Use

For Teachers:

For Students:

For Our Whole Community:

Our Guiding Principles

Seeking Help

Glossary

Works Cited

What is Generative AI (GenAI)?

GenAI tools are computer programs that can create new content based on the information they've been trained on. These tools can write essays, explain concepts, create images, answer questions, and much more. They work by recognizing patterns in vast amounts of data and producing responses that seem human-like. However, they don't truly "understand" information the way people do. Think of them as sophisticated echo systems that can reorganize existing knowledge in helpful ways, rather than as thinking beings with true comprehension. While these tools can be incredibly useful for education, creative projects, and everyday tasks, they also have limitations and require thoughtful use, especially when children are involved.

Setting Appropriate Expectations

When using generative AI with your family, it's important to set realistic expectations about what these tools can and cannot do. AI can help explain topics, generate ideas, and provide information, but it doesn't replace human judgment, creativity, or the guidance of teachers and parents. These tools sometimes make mistakes or present incorrect information confidently. They may also reflect biases present in their training data. Help your children understand that AI is a tool to assist learning, not an authority to be trusted without question. Encourage them to verify information from AI with reliable sources, especially for important assignments or factual questions. By approaching AI as a helpful but imperfect resource, your family will develop a healthier relationship with this technology.

Promoting Digital Literacy and Critical Thinking

One of the most valuable skills in the age of AI is critical thinking. Teach your children to evaluate AI-generated content by asking questions like: "How do we know this is true?", "Where could we verify this information?", and "Does this answer make sense based on what we already know?" Encourage them to cross-check important information with established sources such as textbooks, educational websites, or by asking teachers. Help them recognize when AI might be presenting opinions rather than facts, or when it might be oversimplifying complex topics. By developing these evaluation skills early, children will become more discerning digital citizens who can benefit from AI while maintaining intellectual independence.

Balancing AI Assistance with Independent Learning

While AI can provide quick answers and explanations, it's essential to balance this convenience with opportunities for independent thinking and problem-solving. Consider establishing guidelines about when AI assistance is appropriate and when children should work through challenges on their own first. For example, you might suggest that they attempt homework problems independently before checking their approach with AI, or that they brainstorm their own ideas for creative writing before seeking AI suggestions. This balance helps ensure that AI enhances rather than replaces the valuable cognitive development that comes from working through difficulties. Remember that learning involves struggle sometimes, and overreliance on instant answers can interfere with developing persistence and deeper understanding.

GenAI can be an exciting and innovative way to enhance your learning journey. It's important to remember that GenAI should complement, not replace your ideas or your work. GenAI can be a helpful resource to use alongside your classes, textbooks, and discussions with teachers and classmates to get the most out of your education.

Boost Your Creativity: Feeling stuck on a writing assignment? Need inspiration for your art project? GenAI can spark ideas across subjects, from suggesting story twists to generating unique music samples.

Team Up with AI: Working on a group project? GenAI can be your third teammate, throwing out ideas, finding research sources, and helping you connect the dots between different topics.

Master Languages: Learning another language? GenAI offers real-time translation, personalized exercises, and even interactive dialogues to make learning fun and engaging.

Level Up Your Learning: Need a study guide or a quick summary of a complex topic? It can also help you organize your thoughts, create quizzes to test yourself and review key concepts.

Get Personalized Support: AI-powered virtual assistants can answer your questions, help with homework, and provide extra practice, making personalized learning accessible to everyone.

Important Things to Remember:

• Cause No Harm: Utilizing artificial intelligence to generate malicious content or impersonate individuals is strictly unacceptable. These technologies are designed for educational purposes and should not be used to cause harm to others (APC052, Gr. 4-8, Gr. 9-12).
• Think for Yourself: Don't become overly reliant on AI. It can miss important details, so be sure to critically analyze what it generates and use your brainpower too. Teachers will guide you on when and how to use AI tools responsibly.
• Stay Honest: Copying from GenAI tools without citation is plagiarism. If you use GenAI content, you need to cite it properly.

Safeguarding Privacy and Personal Information

When using generative AI tools with your family, be mindful about privacy considerations. Review the privacy policies of the services you use and understand what information they collect and how it might be used. Teach children not to share personal details like full names, addresses, school information, or family circumstances with AI tools. Remember that conversations with most AI services are stored and may be reviewed by the companies that create them. Establish clear family rules about what types of questions or topics are appropriate to discuss with AI tools. Regularly review these guidelines as children grow and as technologies evolve. By approaching AI use with privacy awareness, you'll help protect your family while still benefiting from these helpful tools.

Using AI Ethically and Responsibly

Ethical use of AI involves teaching children appropriate boundaries and responsibilities. Discuss how AI should be used to enhance learning rather than to avoid it—for instance, using it to better understand concepts rather than to complete assignments without engaging with the material. Talk about the importance of acknowledging when AI has helped with schoolwork, just as they would cite any other source. Help children understand concepts like intellectual honesty and the value of doing their own work. Also discuss broader ethical considerations, such as how creating certain types of content with AI might affect others or society. These conversations help children develop a moral framework for using powerful technologies responsibly.

Modelling Healthy Technology Habits

Children learn by watching the adults in their lives. When you use generative AI, demonstrate thoughtful and balanced habits. Show how you verify information, use AI as one tool among many, and sometimes choose not to use technology at all. Talk openly about your decision-making process: "I'm using AI to help brainstorm ideas, but I'll decide which ones make sense for our project" or "That's an interesting suggestion from the AI, but let's think about whether it works for us." Be willing to set aside devices during family time to show that technology has its place but shouldn't dominate everyday life. By modeling a healthy relationship with AI and technology in general, you help children develop similar balanced approaches.

Supporting Creativity and Original Thinking

While generative AI can be a wonderful creative assistant, it's important to nurture children's original thinking and creative expression. Encourage them to use AI as a starting point or inspiration rather than accepting its creative outputs without their own input. For creative projects, consider having children develop their own ideas first before introducing AI suggestions. Discuss how they might modify, combine, or extend AI-generated content to make it truly their own. Praise efforts at originality and personal expression, even when the results might not be as polished as AI-generated content. This approach helps children maintain their creative confidence in a world where perfect-seeming content can be generated instantly.

Adapting Guidelines as Children Grow

As children develop, their relationship with AI tools should evolve. For younger children, close supervision and simplified guidelines make sense. As they grow, gradually introduce more nuanced discussions about AI's capabilities, limitations, and ethical considerations. Middle school students might begin learning about how AI systems are created and the potential biases they can contain. High school students can engage with deeper questions about how AI might affect society, careers, and their future. Revisit your family guidelines periodically to ensure they remain appropriate for your children's maturity levels and the evolving technology landscape. This progressive approach helps children develop increasingly sophisticated digital citizenship skills.

Creating Open Family Dialogue

Maintain ongoing conversations about AI use in your family. Create an atmosphere where children feel comfortable asking questions about these technologies or discussing concerns that arise. Schedule occasional check-ins about how AI tools are being used for schoolwork or creative projects. Ask open-ended questions like "What have you discovered that AI is really helpful for?" or "What limitations have you noticed when using these tools?" Listen to children's perspectives—they often have unique insights about technologies they use regularly. By keeping communication channels open, you'll be better positioned to guide responsible AI use and address any challenges that emerge.

Academic Integrity (Plagiarism and Cheating)

Maintaining honesty in all schoolwork is very important. When you use help from GenAI tools in your projects or homework, you must clearly show which parts are your ideas and which parts the tool helped create. If the use of an AI tool is allowed by your teacher, ensure you understand how to properly cite the use of this tool before using it.

Formal Citations:

If a formal citation is expected, use these resources to help you cite your work properly.

• MLA Style - Generative AI
• APA Style - ChatGPT
• Chicago Style - Generative AI 

If traditional citations are not required, but any form of GenAI was used, make sure to include a statement about how AI was used (brainstorming, outlining, feedback, editing, etc.).

Informal Citation Examples:

“Created by John Doe with editing assistance by Copilot.”

“I used Copilot to help me brainstorm ideas for my project.”

“Image created in partnership with Copilot. Prompt: “Create a photorealistic image of a unicorn with a rainbow background, jumping over a pot of gold.”

Preparing for a Future with AI

As generative AI becomes increasingly integrated into education and everyday life, help your children develop skills that will complement rather than compete with AI capabilities. Focus on uniquely human strengths like creativity, emotional intelligence, ethical reasoning, collaboration, and original problem-solving. Discuss how AI might change the landscape of work and education by the time they enter adulthood. Encourage interests in both technology and humanities, as this combination helps develop the versatile thinking needed in an AI-augmented world. Most importantly, foster a growth mindset that embraces ongoing learning and adaptation—perhaps the most valuable skill for navigating a rapidly evolving technological future.

How is GenAI Being Used in WCDSB Schools?

At Waterloo Catholic District School Board, we recognize that artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly changing our world, including education. Rather than blocking or ignoring this technology, we've chosen to "surf the wave" by developing thoughtful guidelines and supports that help our community use AI safely, ethically, and effectively.

Approved Tool: Microsoft Copilot (Approved Tool-Yellow)

Copilot is an AI-powered chatbot that leverages large language models (LLMs), including advanced pre-trained models like GPT-4. By integrating deep learning techniques and vast datasets, these LLMs enable Copilot Chat to understand, summarize, predict, and generate content, offering real-time responses, detailed explanations, and interactive conversations.

Login-Protected Feature

One of the key features of Copilot is its login protection. Students and staff must log in using their WCDSB credentials to access the chatbot. This ensures that interactions are secure and private. It is through this means that this app is approved.

What Does AI Look Like in Our Schools?

Elementary (K-5): Students learn about AI through media literacy, basic coding activities, and age-appropriate discussions about technology.

Elementary (6-8): Students develop more advanced AI literacy and begin using teacher-guided AI tools like Microsoft Copilot, with a focus on critical evaluation of AI-generated content.

Secondary (9-12): Students explore AI ethics, responsible use practices, and learn valuable skills like prompt engineering that will prepare them for future education and careers.

How We Support Safe and Effective AI Use

For Teachers:

We provide ongoing professional development through webinars, podcasts, and in-person workshops

Teachers have access to personalized support including one-on-one consultations and classroom coaching

We've developed the ADAPT framework to help teachers create meaningful, "AI-resistant" assignments that focus on authentic learning

Guidelines for report cards and assessments ensure AI serves as a tool while preserving teacher judgment

For Students:

Age-appropriate guidelines explain how to use AI tools ethically

Focus on developing critical thinking skills alongside technology use

Clear expectations about appropriate AI use in assignments

Microsoft Copilot is our approved GenAI tool for grades 6-12

For Our Whole Community:

Regular parent information sessions and resources

Transparency about our AI approach through our website (https://innovate.wcdsb.ca/ai/)

Ongoing evaluation to ensure our guidelines and practices remain effective

Our Guiding Principles

Our approach to AI is built on Catholic values and emphasizes:

• Human dignity and relationships must remain central to learning
• Technology should support, not replace, human judgment and connection
• Ethical considerations come before capabilities
• Access to AI tools should be equitable for all students
• AI use must align with our mission to provide quality, inclusive, faith-based education

If you have questions about AI use in our schools, please contact your child's teacher or visit our AI resource page at https://innovate.wcdsb.ca/ai/

Seeking Help

If uncertainties or concerns arise regarding GenAI usage, seek guidance from educators. librarians, or trusted adults. They can provide clarity on responsible GenAI use and address any queries you may have.

Glossary

Academic Integrity: A commitment to and demonstration of honest and moral behavior in an academic setting. This principle involves acknowledging others' contributions and avoiding plagiarism, and it extends to maintaining high academic standards in teaching, curriculum, and fostering sound research processes​​​​​​.

Artificial Intelligence (AI): AI refers to the capability of computers or algorithms to mimic intelligent human behavior, such as reasoning, learning, and problem-solving. It encompasses a broad field within computer science, focused on developing intelligent machines that can perform tasks that typically require human intelligence​​​​​​.

Bias in AI: This involves the tendency of AI systems to produce prejudiced outcomes due to the data they are trained on or the way they are programmed. Bias in AI can lead to unfair or unethical results, reflecting existing human prejudices in their outputs.

Catholic Social Teachings: A set of doctrines developed by the Catholic Church, emphasizing social justice, the dignity of human life, and the need for societal structures that support the common good. These teachings advocate for addressing poverty, inequality, and upholding human rights.

Copyright: A legal right granted to the creator of original works, including the exclusive right to reproduce, distribute, and display their work. Copyright laws aim to protect creators' intellectual property and encourage the creation of new works.

Data Privacy: Refers to the handling of sensitive information, especially personal data, in a way that respects individual privacy and confidentiality. It involves protecting data from unauthorized access, collection, use, or disclosure and ensuring ethical use of personal information.

Digital Citizenship: The responsible use of technology by citizens, involves the understanding of how to use technology ethically, legally, and safely. It includes awareness of one’s digital footprint and the impact of digital actions on oneself and others.

Ethical Choices: In the context of technology and GenAI, ethical use refers to using these tools in a morally sound way, respects individual rights, and does not cause harm. This includes considering the impact of technology on privacy, security, and societal norms.

Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI): A type of AI that can generate new content or data based on the inputs it receives. GenAI often involves the use of machine learning models to create outputs that are novel and not explicitly programmed.

Misinformation: The spread of false or inaccurate information, often without malicious intent. Misinformation can be due to errors, misunderstandings, or lack of information.

Plagiarism: The act of using someone else's work, ideas, or expressions without proper acknowledgment or permission, presenting them as one's own. Plagiarism is considered unethical and can violate copyright laws.