Summer Conference

Dr. James D. Basham, interim chair and professor, Department of Special Education, University of Kansas

AI adoption in schools is dramatically outpacing formal policy, leaving individual teachers to navigate complex data privacy landscapes alone. In fact, research shows that while 85% of teachers used AI professionally last year, fewer than half received any district guidance or preparation. When a teacher pastes student information into an unvetted generative tool, sensitive data, including legally protected IEP and accommodation records, can be incorporated into public training models. 

This Edutalk moves the AI conversation from individual "hacks" to school-wide governance. We will explore a practical "Before, During, and After" framework to help school leaders and educators systematically evaluate AI tools, protect student privacy under FERPA and IDEA, and maintain human oversight. You'll leave with a concrete 8-question checklist and free guide to bring back to your school’s leadership team immediately.

Doug Hohulin, board member and humanities chair, Kansas City AI Club

As AI Tools are rapidly reshapes the global economy, AI literacy is no longer an optional tech skill—it is a foundational workforce requirement. This session explores the urgent AI skills high school and college graduates need to successfully enter the modern job market. Educators will discover how to transition from traditional teaching models to becoming "prompt or agent cultivators"  who foster critical thinking, adaptability, and AI fluency. 

The talk will highlight how building robust AI education directly intersects with vital life skills, such as lifelong learning, problem solving and health literacy, ensuring students are fully prepared to navigate both their professional futures and their personal well-being.

Hanna Mick, elementary school counselor and National School Counselor of the Year finalist

A student was two weeks behind on a classroom wax museum project. Her classmates were moving forward, her teacher was running out of ideas, and the student’s anxiety was growing. She did not need a shortcut. She needed a way back in.
 

In this presentation, Hanna Mick explores how artificial intelligence can support social-emotional learning by helping students access tasks, reduce overwhelm, build confidence, and experience themselves as capable. Through a real school counseling story, this talk reframes AI not as a replacement for educators, counselors, or human connection, but as a thoughtfully guided scaffold that can help students practice the skills they need to grow.

Grounded in responsible use, this session challenges both panic and hype. AI is not the relationship, the teacher, or the counselor. But when used with care, it can help students rehearse brave moments: asking for help, getting unstuck, trying again, and believing they can do hard things.
 

Dr. Maggie Mosher, chief AI consultant, Center for Reimagining Education (CRE); assistant research professor, Achievement & Assessment Institute (AAI), University of Kansas

Dr. Lisa Dieker, Williamson Family Distinguished Professor, Department of Special Education, University of Kansas; director, FLITE Center

Supporting diverse learners, managing time, and designing high-quality instruction remain persistent challenges for all educators. This 10-minute Edutalk explores how AI can serve as a practical and accessible co-teacher that supports any educator, regardless of role or setting. Rather than focusing on traditional co-teaching structures, this session highlights how AI can partner with teachers to strengthen planning, elevate instruction, and streamline assessment.

Participants will experience how free and low-cost AI tools can help generate lesson ideas, differentiate materials, provide real-time instructional supports, and assist with designing meaningful assessments without adding to workload. The session will also address important considerations such as accuracy, bias, and student data privacy. It will conclude with a collaborative tabletalk segment that encourages educators to reflect on how AI can function as a thought partner in their own practice.

Dr. Lisa Dieker, Williamson Family Distinguished Professor, Department of Special Education, University of Kansas; director, FLITE Center

This highly interactive one-hour session invites educators to explore how simulation, artificial intelligence, and multimodal data are transforming how we learn to teach. Teaching is both a science and an art, yet most educators have limited opportunities to safely practice and refine their craft before stepping into high-stakes classrooms. This session introduces simulation as a powerful way to rehearse instructional decision-making, classroom management, and responsive teaching in a supportive environment. Come meet our interactive avatars at the elementary, middle, and high school levels.

Participants will engage with the work of FLITE STEM Coaching and Project RAISE to learn how emerging innovations such as AI-driven avatars, multimodal data, and biometrics are providing new insights into both teaching practice and student learning. These tools offer opportunities to examine elements of teaching that were previously difficult to measure, including attention, engagement, stress, and instructional responsiveness.

Through hands-on activities and reflective discussion, participants will consider how simulation and data-informed feedback can support continuous improvement for leaders and educators. The session emphasizes practical application while encouraging critical thinking about the ethical, instructional, and human dimensions of integrating AI and biometrics into education.

Participants will leave with concrete ideas for using simulation to practice teaching, as well as a deeper understanding of how emerging technologies can serve as partners in professional growth and student success.

Rick Ginsberg, dean and professor, School of Education & Human Sciences, University of Kansas

Dr. Maggie Mosher, chief AI consultant, Center for Reimagining Education (CRE); assistant research professor, Achievement & Assessment Institute (AAI), University of Kansas

Exhausted by the lack of planning time and the pressure to meet every student's needs? It’s time to reframe AI from a feared competitor to a fatigue-reducing co-creator. This session cuts through the tech hype to give you a practical blueprint for your classroom with your own developed generative or agentic AI. Learn how to offload heavy lifting, like drafting emails, merging schedules, and lesson planning, so you can focus on what matters: connecting with students. 

Discover the “Break-Down-Barriers Approach” to purposefully selecting and building AI tools that solve real classroom problems, helping you collaborate seamlessly with peers, even when common plan time is non-existent. Build your own ultimate co-creator with the newest AI tools within a secure FERPA & COPPA compliant platform, safely personalizing learning for every student without burning out.

Dr. Trey Vasquez, operating officer, Achievement & Assessment Institute (AAI), University of Kansas; professor, Department of Special Education

In this hands-on Playground session, educators will learn how to create simple, useful AI chatbots using ChatGPT, Gemini, and Anthropic Claude. Participants will explore how custom chatbots can support lesson planning, student feedback, differentiated instruction, parent communication, tutoring, and professional learning. 

The session will focus on practical design steps, including defining a clear purpose, writing effective instructions, adding source materials, testing responses, and refining chatbot behavior for classroom use. Participants will leave with a working prototype and a clear process for building AI assistants aligned with strong teaching and student success.