Lesson 3: The Golden Rule — Protect Student Privacy at All Times

Most mistakes aren’t about carelessness; they happen when educators move fast without clear decision rules. Our goal is to remove the “Guesswork Gap” so teachers don’t freeze in privacy paralysis or default to risky guessing.

The “Traffic Light” Guidance for NotebookLM

Use this classification system so staff can make quick, consistent decisions without second-guessing.

🔴 RED LIGHT: Never Upload
Keep these out of NotebookLM and any AI tool, every time:

• Student PII: names, student ID numbers, emails, addresses, photos/video, voice recordings

• Sensitive student records: IEPs, 504 plans, SST/MTSS notes, behavior logs, discipline records, health information

• Student work: essays, projects, assessments, writing samples, portfolios

• Staff HR information: evaluations, performance notes, personnel issues

🟡 YELLOW LIGHT: Use Caution
These may be okay only if you follow district expectations and remove identifying details:

• De-identified exemplars: only if your district has an approved process (confirm with IT/admin)

• Meeting notes: acceptable if they don’t name students or staff and remain professional

• Communication drafts: fine if you remove names, student details, and identifying context

• School data summaries: only if fully aggregated and not small-group identifiable (confirm expectations)

🟢 GREEN LIGHT: Safe to Try
These are generally appropriate for AI-supported planning and professional learning:

• Teacher-created materials: lesson plans, rubrics, pacing guides, agendas

• Public or district-published resources: OER, articles, curriculum guides, standards

• Policies and protocols: handbooks, safety procedures, PLC templates, instructional frameworks

• Generic exemplars: teacher-made samples, synthetic samples, template student responses

Quick caution rule for Yellow:
If a document would be inappropriate to project in a staff meeting, it doesn’t belong in an AI notebook.

Removing the Guesswork Gap

If you want AI exploration to actually happen, staff need more than rules. They need permission and language that makes safe decisions normal and respected.

The Three-Sentence Policy (Leader-Provided)

Post this in your PLC slide deck, staff newsletter, and AI resource page. This is the clearest way to reduce confusion quickly:

1. Only use district-approved AI tools on district-approved accounts.

2. Never upload student PII or sensitive student records.

3. When in doubt, leave it out—and use a generic exemplar instead.

Three Power Sentences (Teacher-Facing)

These are the sentences you want teachers to feel confident saying out loud without feeling dramatic or overcautious:

1. “I’m not sure if this counts as protected information, so I’m leaving it out.”

2. “I’m going to use a generic exemplar instead of a real student sample.”

3. “I’m going to check our District Privacy Compact before I upload this.”

Leader Tip: In your first PLC, physically show teachers how to “strip” a document of identifying information. Demonstrate replacing a specific student’s name with “Student A,” removing dates, deleting class period references, and removing any details that narrow identity. This small act of modeling turns a rule into a skill.

The 10-Second Decision Filter

Teach teachers this quick mental checklist so decision-making stays fast and consistent:

Before you upload anything, ask:

1. Could this identify a student? If yes → Red.

2. Is this a sensitive record or evaluative note? If yes → Red.

3. Is this public, teacher-created, or district-published? If yes → Green.

4. If I’m unsure, do I have a district-approved exemplar option? If yes → Yellow with caution. If no → Leave it out.

This reduces debate, removes hesitation, and reinforces that privacy protection is part of the workflow—not an extra step.