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Background
West Vancouver Schools recognized the growing importance of AI in education and became an early adopter of MagicSchool. The district launched a case study in 2024 to examine how educators with varying tech proficiency and teaching levels could integrate AI into daily instruction. Their goal was to establish best practices for safe, effective AI use across all K–12 grade levels.
Challenges
When West Vancouver Schools began their AI integration journey, they were met with several critical challenges. First, they needed to ensure that the tools they introduced were not only powerful but also safe, age-appropriate, and equitable for every student—from third graders crafting silly songs to high schoolers tackling complex projects.
As Superintendent Chris Kennedy noted,
“Our goal was to provide teachers and students with an AI tool that is safe and specifically designed for the K–12 environment.”
But having the right tool was only part of the equation. The district also faced the reality of varying comfort levels among educators. Some teachers were excited early adopters, while others felt unsure or overwhelmed.
“We wanted to determine if their practices could evolve into best practice guidelines or serve as a model for other teachers,” the team explained, highlighting the district’s commitment to scaling best practices thoughtfully.
Equally important was the need to bring the entire school community along on the journey—not just teachers. West Vancouver understood that AI literacy had to reach all staff roles to truly transform how the district operated.
“We believe that AI literacy is essential for everyone, not just teachers,” said Cari Wilson, Vice Principal of Innovation and Technology. “By hitting all positions, we aim to create a cohesive and informed community.”
Solutions
To overcome these challenges, the district selected MagicSchool, a platform purpose-built for K–12 education. Its lack of age restrictions and intuitive design made it an ideal choice for educators looking to engage students safely and effectively. The district launched with a small, diverse group of pilot teachers, each with different backgrounds and comfort levels. Their classroom success stories became sparks of inspiration.
One Grade 6/7 teacher started with a simple question: “Why does a prompt work? How can you change your prompt?”. She quickly deepened her students’ understanding of AI. In a Grade 3 classroom, students used MagicSchool to generate jokes and songs, which Superintendent Kennedy described as “low-risk activities” that made the learning process “fun and engaging.”
High school teachers also found new ways to deepen instruction. “Using MagicSchool to provide formative feedback lets me go into more depth than I usually have time for,” said one teacher. Another added, “AI tools give students a boost when they’re stuck, helping them overcome the hurdle of starting an assignment.”
To support adoption, the district rolled out professional development not just for teachers but for administrative assistants, classroom aides, and other support staff. “This inclusive strategy highlights the importance of AI literacy for the entire educational ecosystem,” said Wilson.
Tracking usage via a real-time dashboard revealed a steep adoption curve: “Initially, only a few teachers were using it, but now over half of our teachers have started exploring its features.” That data helped the district identify which tools were gaining traction and where more support might be needed.
West Vancouver’s thoughtful, inclusive approach—and the energy of its early adopters—created a wave of enthusiasm.
“I love that MagicSchool can save hours by keeping everything in one place,” said one teacher. “From translating documents to generating questions for videos, it’s a game changer.”
