2026 AI Educator Summer Institute

Session #1 -- Opening Keynote: AI is a powerful resource for educators, but if we stop there, we miss the full potential of this game changing tool... helping our students. With AI we can provide personalized support for every learner with tutoring, enrichment, feedback, review, conversations, reflection, accessibility, and more. This individualized instruction meets every student where they are and helps them grow and achieve. In this keynote, we will learn about the tools and techniques to help level up every learner and adapt to our changing roles as educators.

This Source Code Session is for educators wishing to learn the what, how, and why of A.I. This is an overview introduction to the technical and practical aspects of A.I. We will study the types of A.I., the basic underlying premise behind machine learning, and the ethical considerations we face as a society when interacting daily with A.I.

Participants will...
1. consider the appropriateness of using A.I. in certain situations;
2. measure the strengths of A.I. versus human intelligence;
3. evaluate the benefits and costs of A.I.;
4. define large language models, machine learning and the four types of A.I.;
5. examine bias and ethical considerations of LLM;
6. discuss instructional strategies for introducing ML and AI into their classrooms.

*The expansion afternoon pack workshop for this session is called: Artificial Intelligence in the Classroom: Beginner's Guide *

Artificial Intelligence can be used in so many different ways in schools to improve teaching, learning, creativity, productivity, support, and more for educators and students. Explore dozens of uses for generative AI including brainstorming, creating educational content, altering content, processing information, supporting all learners, grading and feedback, student engagement and much more. 

Participants will develop a proficiency with a variety of educational AI tools such as Google Gemini, NotebookLM,  as well as exposure to other tools such as Brisk, Snorkl, and others, and will understand the benefits and uses of each.Participants will explore practical ways to use AI tools for brainstorming, creating educational content, altering content, processing information, supporting all learners, assessment, grading, feedback, student engagement and more.

*This is a cohort session. All participants who attend the morning session are invited to attend an accompanying afternoon expansion pack session each afternoon this week to apply your morning learning to the Special Education classroom.*

Special educators carry an extraordinary load. Differentiated instruction, IEP documentation, progress monitoring, parent communication, and the daily work of meeting every student exactly where they are. AI tools cannot replace the human expertise at the heart of that work. But they can extend it.

This session builds a practical, critical framework for using AI in inclusive classrooms and special education contexts. We explore what AI does well, including generating differentiated materials, audio versions of text, scaffolded activities, and adapted assessments. We also examine where it fails. From hallucination to awareness of bias and privacy risks that matter, especially when working with vulnerable students.

Participants work hands-on with Google Gemini and NotebookLM to adapt reading levels, generate modified materials, and explore AI-assisted documentation. Data privacy, FERPA, and keeping human judgment at the center of every decision are woven throughout, not added at the end.

Following the Rise of the Machine: An Introduction to A.I., this session will build on our understanding of the what A.I. and machine learning are to explore the why, when and how of integrated A.I. instruction in your classroom. In this session we will explore why is it essential that we address the mechanical elephant in the room and teach students the best practice around A.I. use. A.I. does not have to make us lazy and stupid, if we use it right. We will then explore some common tools and ways to integrate A.I. into any content area. We will share ideas and brainstorm. Participants will leave with a toolkit and specific ideas for how to bring A.I. into their classrooms safely, effectively, and appropriately.

During the workshop time the participants will be able to apply the tools from the morning to their specific subject area to create content for their classes. This will include opportunities to: narrow in on specific Gemini Gems from my EduGems website and create practical content for their classes. Add course content to NotebookLM and generate teaching and learning materials. Try out other AI tools such as Brisk, Snorkl, or others to generate learning materials for their classes.

*This is a cohort session. All participants who attend the morning session are invited to attend an accompanying afternoon expansion pack session each afternoon this week to apply your morning learning to the Special Education classroom.*

The 3-hour afternoon workshop gives participants dedicated creation time to apply the morning's framework to real materials from their own classrooms. It is structured as a creation studio rather than a continuation of the lecture.

Hour 1 (1:00–2:00) — Identify and Design: Participants select one real instructional challenge. A lesson that needs differentiation, a text that needs to be adapted for a lower reading level, an assessment that needs scaffolding, or a documentation task they want to streamline. Small groups form around shared challenges. Special educators learn as much from each other as from any presenter. Introduction to the creation workflow: original material → AI prompt → draft → critical review → revision.

Break (2:00–2:15)

Hour 2 (2:15–3:15) — Create: Hands-on creation using Gemini and NotebookLM. Facilitator circulates with targeted coaching. Structured peer feedback in pairs: Does this serve the student? What did the AI miss that a human expert would catch? What needs to be fixed before this goes near a classroom?

Hour 3 (3:15–4:00) — Share, Critique, and Plan: Small group shares. Not just "look what I made" but "here's what the AI got wrong and how I fixed it." Whole-group reflection on AI as a tool for inclusive practice versus a shortcut that bypasses expertise. Individual action planning to identify one specific thing I will try with students in fall 2026.

Participants leave with a real, usable adapted resource and a realistic, critical framework for continuing independently.

Following the Rise of the Machine: An Introduction to A.I., this session will build on our understanding of the what A.I. and machine learning are to explore the why, when and how of integrated A.I. instruction in your classroom. In this session we will explore why is it essential that we address the mechanical elephant in the room and teach students the best practice around A.I. use. A.I. does not have to make us lazy and stupid, if we use it right. We will then explore some common tools and ways to integrate A.I. into any content area. We will share ideas and brainstorm. Participants will leave with a toolkit and specific ideas for how to bring A.I. into their classrooms safely, effectively, and appropriately.

During the workshop time the participants will be able to apply the tools from the morning to their specific subject area to create content for their classes. This will include opportunities to: narrow in on specific Gemini Gems from my EduGems website and create practical content for their classes. Add course content to NotebookLM and generate teaching and learning materials. Try out other AI tools such as Brisk, Snorkl, or others to generate learning materials for their classes.

*This is a cohort session. All participants who attend the morning session are invited to attend an accompanying afternoon expansion pack session each afternoon this week to apply your morning learning to the Special Education classroom.*

The 3-hour afternoon workshop gives participants dedicated creation time to apply the morning's framework to real materials from their own classrooms. It is structured as a creation studio rather than a continuation of the lecture.

Hour 1 (1:00–2:00) — Identify and Design: Participants select one real instructional challenge. A lesson that needs differentiation, a text that needs to be adapted for a lower reading level, an assessment that needs scaffolding, or a documentation task they want to streamline. Small groups form around shared challenges. Special educators learn as much from each other as from any presenter. Introduction to the creation workflow: original material → AI prompt → draft → critical review → revision.

Break (2:00–2:15)

Hour 2 (2:15–3:15) — Create: Hands-on creation using Gemini and NotebookLM. Facilitator circulates with targeted coaching. Structured peer feedback in pairs: Does this serve the student? What did the AI miss that a human expert would catch? What needs to be fixed before this goes near a classroom?

Hour 3 (3:15–4:00) — Share, Critique, and Plan: Small group shares. Not just "look what I made" but "here's what the AI got wrong and how I fixed it." Whole-group reflection on AI as a tool for inclusive practice versus a shortcut that bypasses expertise. Individual action planning to identify one specific thing I will try with students in fall 2026.

Participants leave with a real, usable adapted resource and a realistic, critical framework for continuing independently.