2026 AI Educator Summer Institute

AI is not just a shortcut or a search box—it can function like a tireless teaching assistant, thought partner, editor, tutor, and brainstorming companion. This session will introduce practical ways educators can adopt an “AI First” mindset: asking where AI can save time, deepen learning, personalize support, or improve the quality of your work and save time on manual tasks. Designed for non-experts, the session will focus on real examples rather than technical theory, showing how AI can help draft materials, refine assignments, generate feedback, support student inquiry, and strengthen day-to-day productivity. Participants will leave with a deeper appreciation of what AI can do, how to use it responsibly, and how to begin building AI into their teaching practice with curiosity, judgment, and confidence.

Apply an “AI First” mindset by recognizing moments when AI can save time, improve quality, or expand instructional possibilities. Identify practical classroom and workflow uses for AI as a teaching assistant, planning partner, tutor, editor, and productivity tool. Craft more effective AI prompts to generate stronger lesson ideas, feedback, rubrics, examples, explanations, and student supports. Leverage AI’s multimedia capabilities, including text, images, audio, documents, and data, to support instruction, communication, and daily productivity. Understand the major AI model options and recognize which tools are best suited for different teaching and productivity tasks.

This session explores practical AI applications for educators, from foundational concepts to real-world classroom use cases. Presenters will introduce core AI ideas, discuss responsible adoption strategies, and examine how AI is reshaping teaching, learning, and academic integrity. Through real-world examples and live demonstrations, attendees will see how AI tools can enhance productivity. The session will also highlight approaches to AI enablement, including ambassador programs and cross-functional best practices. Participants will leave with actionable ideas and a clearer understanding of how to begin using AI effectively and thoughtfully in educational settings.

After participating in this session, attendees will be able to:
1. Explain core AI concepts and their relevance to teaching and learning.
2. Identify practical ways AI can support instruction, productivity, and classroom engagement.
3. Apply strategies for integrating AI into education and use by educators.