A Principal’s Playbook For Diversity And AI

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AI is already in your students’ hands, so the real question is whether schools will pretend it isn’t there or learn how to use it well. From the SCASBE conference in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, we sit down with Dr. Felicia Williams, principal of Lake Marion Middle School in Orangeburg County Schools, for a grounded conversation about what school leadership looks like right now and what educators are asking for as classrooms change.

Website: spotlight4succcess.com 

Episode Transcript

SPEAKER_01 (00:06):
Welcome to Spotlight for Success by American Book
Company.
I am Devin Pintozi, your host.
We are here in sunny MyrtleBeach, South Carolina at the
Scabsey Conference.
And we are joined here by ourspecial guest, Dr.
Felicia Williams.
Good morning.
Dr.
Williams.
No problem.

(00:26):
Dr.
Williams uh joins us.
She is the principal at LakeMarion Middle School in
Orangeburg County Schools inSouth Carolina.
Um Dr.
Williams, uh can you let usknow, uh introduce the audience
to what you're what brings youhere to SCABSE today?

SPEAKER_00 (00:42):
Good morning.
So what brings me to SCASBE isthat I'm a believer in
diversity, and SCASB does agreat job at um introducing
diversity, but also I receive somany tips and uh strategies here
at SCASBE.

SPEAKER_01 (00:59):
Oh, that's wonderful.
And uh can you tell us a bitabout your work at the uh at
Marion Middle School?

SPEAKER_00 (01:05):
Well, at Lake Marin Middle School, I am the proud
principal of Lake Marion MiddleSchool, um, where I do a number
of things, uh instructionalleader, teacher, uh guidance
counselors, uh I do everything.
Um, even though we have peoplefor those roles, I play a lot of
them.
Um so that is what I do on adaily basis.

SPEAKER_01 (01:27):
Oh wow, wonderful.
And so here at Scabsey, arethere certain uh uh takeaways
you want to get, certain thingsyou're looking for?

SPEAKER_00 (01:35):
So actually, I'm looking for um different ideas
on how to utilize AI.
This year's um um theme is aboutAI.
So I'm really looking at umlearning and gleaning more
information about how to use AI,but as well as teach our

(01:55):
students how to use AI as wellas our teachers.

SPEAKER_01 (01:59):
That is such a big concept right now.
Absolutely.
Everybody's trying to find a wayto instead of fighting AI, let's
bring it into the classroom andfigure out how to take advantage
of this great new technology.

SPEAKER_00 (02:09):
Certainly, well, um the way to get around usually a
challenge is to embrace it.
So I am going to embrace AI uhas much as I can.

SPEAKER_01 (02:19):
Oh, that's awesome.
Yeah.
Um I understand uh you've you'vehad some uh good experiences
using uh ABC materials in theclassroom.

SPEAKER_00 (02:26):
Absolutely.
Um my school purchased umscience, math, as well as um
geometry and statistics uh andreading books this past year.
And we've used it inintervention as well as homework
support.
So um we've seen a lot of growthuh with our students using um

(02:48):
ABC books.
The ABC Books it gives asnapshot of the standard um with
activities.
So uh I was really excited aboutum using AI um ABC uh books, but
my teachers were even moreexcited because it gave them
another resource to use.

SPEAKER_01 (03:07):
Oh, that's wonderful.
Uh happy to hear that.
And uh uh so um what are some uhthings that you uh would is
there anything you'd like toshare with the SCABSE community?

SPEAKER_00 (03:18):
Well, I'd just like to share, uh just keep doing
what you're doing and um keepintroducing diversity and making
sure that you know um we areheard.
Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 (03:29):
Oh, that's wonderful.
Uh well Dr.
Williams, it was a pleasurehaving you on today.
Thank you for joining us.

SPEAKER_00 (03:34):
Uh you're welcome.
Thank you for having me.