Learn21's Weekly EdTech Update

March 13, 2025

Protecting Data Privacy in an AI World: A Guide for Educators

by Stacy Hawthorne, Ed.D.

Generative AI is rapidly transforming education, offering teachers powerful tools to enhance instruction, personalize learning, and streamline administrative tasks. However, with great potential comes great responsibility—especially when it comes to data privacy. As educators integrate AI into their workflows, they must be vigilant about safeguarding student information and ensuring ethical, compliant usage.

Here’s what every educator needs to know about protecting data privacy in an AI-driven world.

1. Do Not Upload Student Work or Personally Identifiable Information

It may seem convenient to input student work into an AI tool for feedback, revision suggestions, or lesson planning. However, educators must remember that student work is not their intellectual property—it belongs to the student. Additionally, many AI platforms retain input data for training purposes, potentially exposing student work to unintended audiences.

Similarly, educators should never input personally identifiable information (PII) about students or their families. Names, addresses, birthdates, disabilities, and other sensitive details should remain off AI platforms to comply with federal privacy laws such as the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).

2. Understand the AI’s Data Practices

Before using any AI tool, educators should take time to review its privacy policy and data usage terms. Key questions to ask include:

Does the AI retain or store input data?
Is data shared with third parties?
Does the platform comply with FERPA and COPPA?
Are there protections in place to prevent misuse of sensitive information?
If I’m using this with students, will the vendor sign the National Data Privacy Agreement?

If an AI tool lacks clear answers to these questions, it is likely not safe for classroom use.

3. Take Accountability for AI-Generated Content

AI tools can generate impressive responses, but they are not infallible. Misinformation, bias, and even fabricated content (such as non-existent citations) are common issues. Educators must take full responsibility for verifying AI-generated content before using it in lesson plans, assessments, or communication with students and families.

A best practice is to fact-check any AI-generated material against reliable sources and to use AI as a supplement—not a replacement—for professional judgment.

4. Stay Compliant with Federal and State Laws

While FERPA and COPPA provide baseline protections, many states have enacted additional student data privacy laws. Educators should stay informed about local regulations that impact AI use in schools. If a district has not yet established AI guidelines, teachers can advocate for clear policies that ensure student data remains protected.

5. Recognize AI’s Limitations and Ethical Considerations

AI models are trained on large datasets that may contain biases, outdated information, or cultural inaccuracies. When using AI-generated content, educators should evaluate it for inclusivity, accuracy, and alignment with their school’s educational values. Critical thinking and professional oversight are essential to prevent the spread of biased or misleading information.

6. Follow District Policies and Encourage AI Literacy

Many schools are in the early stages of developing AI policies. Educators should actively engage in discussions about AI governance within their institutions, ensuring that policies align with best practices in data privacy and ethical use. Additionally, teaching students about responsible AI usage can help them navigate these tools safely and effectively.

Final Thoughts: Use AI Wisely, Protect Privacy Always

AI offers exciting opportunities for education, but data privacy must remain a top priority. By understanding AI tools' data practices, complying with legal requirements, and taking accountability for AI-generated content, educators can harness AI’s potential while safeguarding student privacy.

As AI adoption grows, educators play a critical role in modeling responsible use. The key is to stay informed, ask the right questions, and always prioritize student safety and privacy in an increasingly AI-driven world.

Media Literacy Minute

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This piece from eSchool News examines whether excessive digital media consumption is harming students’ cognitive abilities. The article explores how schools are balancing technology use with traditional critical thinking skills.

Who Falls for Fake News?

A New Study Challenges Assumptions

A recent study published by Earth.com questions previous assumptions about who is most vulnerable to misinformation. The findings suggest that susceptibility to fake news is influenced more by digital habits than by demographics.

📊 Don’t Take Statistics at Face Value

A feature from the Baylor Lariat reminds readers that statistics can be misleading if not interpreted correctly. The article highlights common pitfalls in data representation and urges educators to teach students to question numerical claims in media.

Positive Prompting

by Carly Ghantous

As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to be integrated into education, the way we interact with these tools matters more than ever. Instead of seeing AI as a shortcut for completing assignments, educators and students can use it as a true collaboration partner—enhancing learning without replacing critical thinking.

The Role of AI in Collaborative Learning

AI has the potential to transform how students brainstorm, research, and study. However, responsible AI use requires clear guidelines. Before using any AI tool, students and educators should ask themselves:

Is this safe?
Is this ethical?
Is this allowed?

Understanding the limitations and policies surrounding AI is crucial. Users should avoid sharing personal data and ensure they are complying with school policies and ethical standards. The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction created a useful visual that can help educators teach students how to use AI within ethical boundaries. The 0-4 scale clearly defines for students when and how it is appropriate for using AI in the classroom, and provides guidelines for disclosing the use of AI. When students leave our classrooms, they will be using AI. It’s important that we as educators train them to do so responsibly.

AI as a Thought Partner

Rather than viewing AI as a tool that provides answers, it can be framed as a thought partner that helps students refine ideas, organize information, and explore new perspectives. One way to do that is to teach students how to write prompts that engage in conversation with the AI tool rather than just look for answers. By teaching students to use prompt frameworks, students can better articulate their needs and ensure AI-generated responses align with academic integrity.

The RASCEF framework, a structured approach to prompting AI effectively, is one of those strategies. When using the RASCEF framework, students have to use critical thinking to teach the AI necessary information for completing the task. If students submit their prompt transcripts along with their finished products, teachers can easily see that students understand the content based on the way they prompted the AI tool. In this way, the product creation–not the thinking process–is offloaded to the AI and students are still responsible for the content of their work.

AI for Brainstorming, Studying, and Research

When working with students, it’s important to frame the use of AI as being a partner for collaboration, not a way to copy information. In the absence of human interaction, students can use AI chatbots to deepen their understanding of concepts and streamline their work. Three ways that I often suggest to my students are:

Brainstorming Partner – AI can be used to generate and structure ideas by applying various thinking frameworks, such as those developed by The Prompt Warrior. Encouraging students to use AI in this way fosters creativity and deeper engagement with the subject matter.
Study Partner – AI-created study aids, like flashcards and practice quizzes, can support retention and comprehension. By guiding AI to summarize key concepts, students gain customized resources that reinforce learning. Teachers can also use AI in this way to create resources to use in the classroom like mnemonic devices, study guides, and practice questions.
Research Partner – AI tools can curate and summarize large amounts of information, helping students navigate sources more efficiently. However, fact-checking and critical evaluation remain essential skills in the research process.

Encouraging Ethical AI Use in Schools

AI’s role in education should enhance–not replace–student effort. Educators can model ethical AI use by setting clear expectations, demonstrating responsible prompting strategies, and fostering discussions about the implications of AI-generated content. By doing so, students learn to approach AI with curiosity, responsibility, and a collaborative mindset.

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AI’s Growing Creativity: Are We Nearing True Innovation?

A new research paper explores how artificial intelligence is evolving from pattern recognition to genuine creative problem-solving. By analyzing complex reasoning and innovation in AI-generated content, the study suggests that machine learning models are getting closer to producing original, non-obvious ideas. But does this mean AI will soon match human ingenuity? Or are we just seeing more sophisticated mimicry? The answer could redefine the role of AI in science, art, and beyond.

A Cosmic Mystery: The Ghost Particle’s Galactic Origins

Scientists have traced a high-energy neutrino—often called a "ghost particle"—back to its origins in the Milky Way. Unlike most neutrinos that pass through Earth unnoticed, this one carried enough energy to leave a detectable trace, offering clues about some of the most extreme cosmic events. Could this discovery unlock new insights into black holes, neutron stars, or even dark matter? The universe just handed us a puzzle piece—now we have to figure out where it fits. [AP]

Join the Learn21 Team at the A4L Conference: Exploring SDPC Registry 2.0

Mark your calendars! Kevin Ghantous, Bill Fritz, and Amy Tudor are heading to the A4L Conference from March 17-19, where they'll be leading a dynamic session on the redesigned SDPC Registry 2.0. If you're attending the conference, don't miss the opportunity to explore the future of data privacy management and engage directly with the experts shaping the platform's evolution.

Join our Session!

Monday 1:30pm - 5:00pm ET – SDPC Registry User Group

Our session at the A4L Conference provides a rare opportunity to engage with the experts driving SDPC Registry 2.0, gain hands-on experience, and shape the platform's future. Be sure to join us to stay ahead in data privacy management and ensure your district or alliance is ready for the next chapter of the SDPC Registry journey.

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