Summary of "Mitie - Term 3, Live from MLC School"

Summary of Main Ideas and Concepts

The event is hosted at MLC School, a K-12 independent girls’ school with over 1,400 students and 500+ staff spread over five campuses.
The focus is on technology and AI in education, with a large community of ICT professionals and educators attending.
Acknowledgement of traditional land owners and housekeeping information was provided.

MLC’s IT team structure:
- Two main pillars: Operations & Infrastructure and Business Systems.
- Business Systems includes Power Platform development to automate manual processes.
- Data strategy includes moving data into a lakehouse and leveraging AI tools.
Infrastructure highlights:
- Use of Aruba Central for network management, replacing manual switch configuration.
- Ring Central cloud PBX system integrated with Microsoft Teams.
- MDM management with Jamf for Macs/iPads and Intune for Windows devices.
- AV systems standardized with Vivy and smartboards.
- Reduction of physical servers from hundreds to 38, with file servers migrated to SharePoint.
- Backup strategy includes immutable backups and air-gapped systems for ransomware protection.
- Security tools: CrowdStrike, Microsoft Sentinel, Abnormal Security for email spoofing prevention.
- Use of Microsoft 365 Copilot for staff productivity and upcoming student access.
Key projects:
- Migration to cloud telephony.
- Fiber optic network overhaul.
- Co-curricular management consolidation using Clipboard.
- Ongoing CIS (student information system) review with business analyst involvement.
- Adoption of NIST security framework.
- Data strategy focusing on medallion architecture for data processing and AI interrogation.

AI adoption in schools is complex with varying attitudes:
- Some fear AI, others are skeptical, some are interested but busy, and a few are fully engaged.
AI is rapidly evolving, impacting workforce, education, and society broadly.
Examples of AI use in education:
- Differentiation of learning (e.g., generating multiple teaching approaches).
- Administrative tasks like report writing, meeting minutes, grant applications.
- Parent engagement and communication.
- Diverse learning support.
- Risk assessments and HR application screening.
Challenges:
- Ethical concerns about cheating and academic integrity.
- Mistrust due to AI-generated content loops.
- Need for clear policies on AI use for staff, students, and parents.
Practical activities:
- Using AI to brainstorm (e.g., paperclip uses).
- Simplifying complex concepts for different audiences (e.g., “Explain like I’m 5”).
Importance of building healthy AI habits, not expecting immediate fixes.
AI literacy and training are essential for all stakeholders.
AI agents and tools are increasingly capable but require governance and awareness.
Emotional and social aspects of AI: AI companionship and mental health support are emerging and raise new concerns.
AI is pervasive and unavoidable; schools must engage proactively.
Students already use AI in social and academic contexts, often on platforms like Snapchat.
Encouragement to start small with low-risk AI applications and build from there.

Role: Head of AI at Anglican Schools Corporation (18 schools).
AI is a journey, not a destination; rapid change requires ongoing adaptation.
AI is not just a calculator moment; it’s a fundamental shift akin to the printing press or the internet.
Key skills for future workforce: creativity, analytical thinking, lifelong learning, technical literacy, and AI literacy.
Continuous improvement and evaluation of AI tools are necessary due to rapid feature changes.
Importance of vetting AI tools for compliance with:
- COPPA (Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act)
- FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act)
- GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation)
- SOC 2 (Service Organization Controls)
- Australian Privacy Principles
- ST4S (New Zealand’s security certification with AI module)
Microsoft Copilot and Google Gemini are major AI ecosystems with different approaches:
- Microsoft repurposes enterprise products.
- Google builds education-specific AI from the ground up.
Microsoft Copilot banned for staff due to data privacy concerns with free ChatGPT; instead, staff use Microsoft’s secure Copilot environment.
Schools increasingly adopt hybrid ecosystems (Microsoft + Google) to leverage best AI tools.
Custom AI apps can be built without coding (e.g., meeting minutes formatting, lesson planning, parent complaint simulators).
Emphasis on transparency, governance, and ethical AI use.