Ready Aim Fire - AI at MTS

BY ANDREW DAVIS

I can’t stop talking about AI. Just ask my family. They’d probably tell you I bring it up at the dinner table more than I should. But AI is changing everything, and that’s why I keep pushing our faculty and staff to dive in. Knowing my interest—obsession?—Kelli Willis, our registrar, recently said, “I have been thinking of taking a class on using AI.” My response? “Yes! And, just start using it!” Every day, I encourage MTS procomm members to start using generative AI. Obsessed much, Andrew?

My persistent encouragement for adults to use AI stems from a nascent AI strategy: Ready. Aim. Fire. This three-word phrase, originating from the musket-armed infantry of the 18th century (thanks, Gemini, for the etymology), might be a fitting guideline for how we introduce AI at MTS.

During a recent conversation with MTS community members working in the AI space, there was both excitement and hesitation about using AI with our youngest students. Yes, AI can do so much, but we don’t yet know its long-term impacts. Given both the promise and uncertainty of AI, we should introduce it thoughtfully, especially to our youngest students. That means following the traditional sequence: Ready. Aim. Fire. Just as 18th-century soldiers prepared their muskets methodically, we should take our time ensuring that we, as educators, have prepared ourselves and our students. We must vet the tools we plan to use and confirm that they offer benefits beyond analog learning and existing digital platforms. Ready... Aim... Use AI.

With older students, however, the order might be different: Ready. Fire. Aim. Learning by doing is essential and older students have a greater ability to be self-reflective about their learning. The best way to understand AI’s potential and pitfalls is through direct use. We experiment (“fire”), then refine our approach (“aim”). Last week, I demoed Riff, a Stanford d.school platform that encourages student self-reflection. While the tool was impressive, I was even more struck by the accompanying teacher slides, which included an explanation of the platform and four “Rules of Engagement.” My favorite slide, though, was “Rule N – This set of rules is not exhaustive. As you interact with Riff, let’s create any new rules as needed.” Using AI in this way can deepen student understanding while explicitly teaching responsible technology use.

But it’s not just our students who need to engage with AI. Our teachers, administrators, and staff should also explore its possibilities—both professionally and personally. I encourage all uses—whether it’s a math teacher generating custom word problems with Magic School AI or someone finding the perfect recipe for pork chili verde. The more we use generative AI—both for work and for life—the more we will be ready, and the more accurate our aim will be.

Embracing AI responsibly isn’t easy. We could either ban it or fully embrace it—but neither extreme serves our students best. Instead, we’ll balance innovation with the hallmarks of MTS: human connection and intentional technology use. We will live our mission—Learning is Revered and Education is Joyful. One framework that will help us navigate this challenge is Ready. Aim. Fire.

Speaking of diving into AI, I highly encourage you to try ChatGPT for recipes! That pork chili verde was delicious.

TGIAM is the blog of Andrew Davis, Head of School. TGIAM = Thank Goodness It's Almost Monday.