Education Technology

ET Services' personnel are based in the Technology Learning Center at 1071 B Avenue in Loxley, next door to the Instructional Support facility. Guest Access Request

• BCBE Non Disclosure Form
• BCBE Acceptable Use Form
• BCBE Online Privacy Form

The BCBE Schoology website provides professional development for teachers and supplemental activities and resources for students. Teachers, students and parents can access these resources any time, any place. 

Click here to go to the BCBE Online Learning site

If you do not have a BCBE username and password, to access the online learning site, please contact Mike Johnson for assistance.

Learn more about the BCBE eMINTS program

In October 2007, six Baldwin County School District staff members spent three days in St. Louis, Missouri, with staff from the eMINTS National Center participating in the Professional Development for Educational Technology Specialists program.  With these three days of training, the Baldwin staff members began two years of professional development, which has enabled them to become certified eMINTS Instructional Specialists, who can provide training to Baldwin teachers selected to participate in the eMINTS program.

eMINTS--enhancing Missouri's Instructional Networked Teaching Strategies-is a comprehensive professional development program that transforms classrooms into places for learning where students use multimedia tools, such as computers, interactive whiteboards, LCD projectors, scanners, digital cameras, etc., to engage in learning that includes inquiry-based lessons that require higher order thinking and collaborative problem-solving.  Teachers selected for the Baldwin eMINTS program participate in approximately 231 hours of face-to-face training over a two-year period during the summer and after work hours.   Thirty-four Baldwin County teachers are eMINTS trained.

eMINTS is a nationally recognized program.  In 2004, the U.S. Department of Education recognized eMINTS as a success story for Leadership and Teacher Training.  In 2005, the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) awarded eMINTS its Seal of Alignment award, signifying that eMINTS professional development is correlated to all ISTE's National Educational Technology Standards for Teachers.

The eMINTS Project is supported with grant funds:  Enhancing Education through Technology Competitive Grant and the Alabama Public School and College Education Incentive Fund Council Grant: 21^st Century Skills: Teaching the Alabama Technology Course of Study.

Purchasing information can be found on the Employee Portal at my.bcbe.org. Log in and then click on Education Technology at the top.

Use the link below to begin the work order process: Technology Work Order System

BCBE employee e-mail can be accessed remotely via the myBCBE Employee Portal.

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Use this form to submit tech support questions use this form is not for general questions. Only questions related to tech support will be answered. Frequently asked questions will be posted below. For phone tech support, call 251-967-5333. Phone will be answered Mon-Fri as staff is available. 

7.17.1 Executive Summary 

The rapid advancements in technology have led to an exponential increase in data creation. This data deluge has enabled companies with access to large volumes of data, funding. and computing power to accelerate the development of Artificial Intelligence (Al) tools. 

The following Al policy is based on the Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE) Al policy and templates. The Board reserves the right to amend these policies and procedures based on ALSDE guidance or other local factors .. 

The permeation of Al into various aspects of our lives, along with the advent of Generative Pre-Transformers (GPTs), Reinforcement Learning (RL}, and Large Language Models (LLMs), has led to the development of sophisticated conversational Al tools since November of 2022. 

The primary goal of the Baldwin County Board of Education's Al policy is to integrate Al into the PreK-12 education system in a way that responsibly maximizes its benefits while mitigating its risks. The use of Al in PreK-12 schools aims to cater to individual learning and teaching methods, enabling students to think critically about Al applications and use them for research and problem-solving. It also aims to empower students to make significant societal contributions and equip educators to cater to the unique learning preferences of their students. 

The Al Pillars created and utilized in this policy serve as benchmarks for integrating Al in BCBE schools without usurping the most important factor in education - the human element, which is critical in teaching. These pillars place students and educators at the core of the initiative by ensuring that Al systems supplement. Rather than replace, human instruction. 

The integration of Al in education, facilitated by both students and educators, will promote digital literacy, equip the next generation with the skills needed to navigate in an AI-driven world, and continue to keep BCBE at the forefront of this important area for learning. 

7.17.2 Terminology 

1. Artificial Intelligence: 15 U.S. Code§ 9401 defines Artificial Intelligence (Al) as "a machine-based system that can, for a given set of human-defined objectives, make predictions, recommendations or decisions influencing real or virtual environments." 

2􀀀 Al Systems: Al Systems are defined as software programs that have Al built into them. or software programs that are fully Al. or an Al product. model. algorithm. or any similar computational construct. This includes Generative Al. 

3􀀀 Contractor: Contractor is defined as the vendor providing Al Systems. including any of its partners or affiliates. 

4. Users: Users are defined as parents/guardians, students. educators, administrators, and management. 

7.17.3 Purpose 

The primary goal of BCBE's Al is to pave the way for an education system to harness the benefits of Al while mitigating its risks. This will be achieved by focusing on Al governance, accountability, safety, procurement and implementation, data privacy and security. data quality concerns. bias, responsible use. transparency. access. efficacy. Al knowledge. skills. education. and training. With these considerations in place. The use of Al in Baldwin County Public Schools has the potential to unlock everyone's potential by catering to individual learning and teaching methods. It will allow students to think critically about Al applications and use them as an aid for research and problem-solving. It will empower our students so they can make significant contributions to society and be change-makers. It will enable educators to cater to the unique learning preferences of each student and guide them to foster a sense of responsibility and empathy toward the ethical use of Al. This holistic development in Al education, facilitated by both students and educators. will not only benefit the individuals involved but also have a positive impact on society at large. Moreover, it will promote digital literacy and equip the next generation with the skills needed to navigate in an Al-driven world. 

The template's pillars serve as benchmarks for integrating Al in PreK-12 schools. placing students and educators at the core of the initiative. The Al Pillars are classified into Strategy. Governance, Data Privacy and Security, Procurement, Implementation. Competency Development, Risk Management, and Utility and Effectiveness. 

7.17.4 Al Strategy 

The Baldwin County Public Schools will develop an Al strategy that aligns with our education and technology strategies. In our strategy document. We plan to clearly define the Al strategic direction and the goals and objectives we plan to accomplish. 

7.17.5 Al Governance 

The Baldwin County Public Schools will establish an Al Governance structure that will clearly articulate the purpose of Al, principles of Al, Al strategic direction, and its integration into the existing product portfolio. It will address explainability, accountability, responsibility, and fairness in the implementation and use of Al, and involve all users. Additionally, we will delineate the evaluation processes, relationship management. communication management. risk management. decision-making process, change management. and reporting procedures. To provide Al Governance, we will establish an Al Governance Committee or include Al Governance as part of our Data Governance Committee. 

7.17.6 Al Data Privacy and Security 

1. Baldwin County Public Schools are committed to complying with federal. state, and local laws, rules, and regulations, and other entities that provide standards for compliance to ensure data privacy and security are maintained for data used in Al systems. We will ensure that the 

Contractor's Al systems comply with all applicable federal, state, and local laws, rules, and regulations, and other entities that provide standards for compliance. 

2. Baldwin County Public Schools are dedicated to ensuring data to be used in the Al systems will meet the data quality standards established by our Data Governance Committee. 

3. Baldwin County Public Schools will provide teachers with training about vetted resources and guidance on acceptable data privacy and security practices. 

4. Use of user's data to train new Al Systems: Baldwin County Public Schools will include in our procurement and contract document(s) verbiage dedicated to usage of intellectual property and/or data, to which the Contractor shall attest when submitting their proposals and any contract executed to perform the work. 

5. No personally identifiable information (PII) shall be used in creating accounts or using software that has Al components without approval. 

7.17.7 Al Procurement 

Baldwin County Public Schools will conduct a detailed needs and capability assessment before procuring an Al system. Teachers/schools are prohibited from purchasing/using unapproved Al systems with BCBE students. We will evaluate the Al system for its effectiveness, ease of use, and compatibility with existing systems. In the procurement process, we will consider cost. data privacy, security, and human-in-the-loop development. algorithm bias, model cards, system cards, interoperability, service-level agreements, key performance indicators, customizability, configurability, scalability, legal compliance, and contractor support. 

Baldwin County Public Schools will obtain a written statement from each contractor that: 

1. The Al model(s) have been pre-trained and no data is being used to train a model to be used in the development of a new product. 

2. Have been responsible for the development of the Al systems by using human-in-the-loop during model development: have taken steps to minimize bias to the extent 

possible in the data selection process and the algorithm development: and the results have met the expected outcomes. 

7.17.8 Al Implementation 

BCBE shall establish performance metrics to evaluate Al system effectiveness; improve user experience by gathering feedback and making necessary adjustments; monitor Al outputs for accuracy and addressing errors or misinformation; and ensure regular system maintenance and long-term sustainability through clear oversight responsibilities. 

7.17.9 Al Competency Development 

Baldwin County Public Schools will develop an education and training program to explain how Al works, including grasping the underlying fundamentals in academic fields, and knowing how to use Al safely, effectively. and responsibly. We will also train the teachers and staff with the necessary knowledge and skills to support users using Al systems. 

7.17.10 Risk Management 

1. Baldwin County Public Schools will manage Al system risks. 

2. Baldwin County Public Schools will provide a report to the LEA leadership and Contractor(s) identifying the risks, risk type, and the timeframe within which the risk needs to be mitigated. 

3. Baldwin County Public Schools will make sure that the Contractor provides a Corrective Action Plan that includes, but is not limited to, the mitigation strategies, persons responsible for mitigating the risks, roles, and responsibilities, and the timelines for mitigating the identified risks. 

7.17.11 Utility and Effectiveness 

Baldwin County Public Schools will ensure all staff have access to and training on using the district-managed Al Systems responsibly. We are committed to using human judgment during the implementation and use of Al systems and will develop a process as to why and when a human will be involved. Our commitment extends to the effective implementation and enforcement of this Al System policy, which will be achieved by ensuring users' awareness and comprehension of the policy's provisions. 

7.17.12 

Procedures for the appropriate use of Al systems in the context of PreK-12 education will be governed by the Baldwin County Public Schools Al strategic plan 

Click to download the BCBE District AI policy as a PDF.