In my last article, I shared what I’ve been learning from working with district leadership teams across the country as they navigate questions about artificial intelligence, digital wellness, and purposeful technology use. That work has provided me with insightful information and meaningful opportunities to learn from educators, students, and families.
Throughout these conversations, one message continues to stand out:
We cannot begin, and we cannot stay focused only on the tools and the tech.
We must move forward.
The Shift Schools Must Make Now
In Part II, I emphasized that educator readiness is the foundation of successful AI implementation. Schools that prioritize supporting educators are the ones seeing the most progress. And it starts with leadership and consistency. But readiness alone is not enough.
What I have learned from working with school Task Forces across the country is that they have had many conversations around AI, screen time, and tech use. They have explored the possibilities and understand the urgency with these topics, but they also have a similar question.
What do we do now? And this is where I believe that leadership matters most.
Moving From Conversations to Systems
Across the districts I continue to work with, I see a clear difference between schools that are talking about AI and schools that are leading with AI. I also see a difference between AI in education and AI Education. I recently met with a State Representative in Pennsylvania, and we had this conversation as well. The difference I’ve noticed and that we discussed is not just access to tools. It is about the presence of a system. Schools making meaningful progress are not relying on isolated efforts when they find time. Instead, they are building structures with a lens on consistency, clarity, and sustainability.
The system they are developing is focused on having:
clear expectations for the responsible use of all technology
consistent messaging across classrooms and grade levels
ongoing professional learning opportunities with follow-up support
shared language for students, staff, and families
opportunities for student voice and feedback
When these are part of the conversation, AI implementation becomes less about individual decisions, which leads to inconsistency, and becomes more about a goal for collaborative and collective progress.
Consistency Builds Confidence
One of the most common challenges I have been hearing from both educators and students is inconsistency. I’ve met with student groups, interviewed educators, spoken with parents, and heard similar comments from educators and parents across the country.
In one classroom, the use of technology, and specifically AI, is encouraged. In another, it is restricted. In one classroom or school, the expectations are clear and known to all. In another, they are undefined or inconsistent.
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If your school, district, or organization is beginning conversations or looking to dive in and learn more about AI policy, professional learning, or responsible implementation, I’d welcome the opportunity to support your next steps through leadership workshops, keynote sessions, or strategic planning partnerships.
Preparing people is what makes AI implementation successful.
Contact me to work with you or speak at your event.bit.ly/thriveineduPDSee testimonials about my work via my website.
About Rachelle
Dr. Rachelle Dené Poth is a Spanish and STEAM: What’s Next in Emerging Technology Teacher. Rachelle is also an attorney with a Juris Doctor degree from Duquesne University School of Law and a Master’s in Instructional Technology. Rachelle received her Doctorate in Instructional Technology, with a research focus on AI and Professional Development. In addition to teaching, she is a full-time consultant and works with companies and organizations to provide PD, speaking, and consulting services. Contact Rachelle for your event!
Rachelle is an ISTE-certified educator and community leader who served as president of the ISTE Teacher Education Network. By EdTech Digest, she was named the EdTech Trendsetter of 2024, one of 30 K-12 IT Influencers to follow in 2021, and one of 150 Women Global EdTech Thought Leaders in 2022.
She is the author of ten books, including ‘What The Tech? An Educator’s Guide to AI, AR/VR, the Metaverse and More” and ‘How To Teach AI’. In addition, other books include, “In Other Words: Quotes That Push Our Thinking,” “Unconventional Ways to Thrive in EDU,” “The Future is Now: Looking Back to Move Ahead,” “Chart A New Course: A Guide to Teaching Essential Skills for Tomorrow’s World, “True Story: Lessons That One Kid Taught Us,” “Things I Wish […] Knew” and her newest “How To Teach AI” is available from ISTE or on Amazon.
Preparing Educators for an AI Future Means Preparing Leaders First
In my last article, I shared my thoughts about what I’ve been learning from working with district leadership teams across the country as they navigate questions about artificial intelligence, digital wellness, and purposeful technology use. My work has provided me with tremendous opportunities to learn from educators, students, and families.
Conversations about screen time, purposeful technology use, and digital balance are happening everywhere. What I’ve found most insightful is when students and educators have the chance to sit down and engage in open, honest conversations about these topics and learn from one another. I’ve noticed a common theme in most of these conversations. We have to focus on more than just the technology, especially when talking about AI use in schools. Frequently, the focus is first on specific tools. When talking about artificial intelligence happening in schools, the questions have been:
Which platform should we allow? What should students be permitted to use? What policies do we need?
These are important questions. But they are not the first questions schools should be asking.
The first question schools should be asking is:
How prepared are our educators to lead in an AI-shaped learning environment?
Successful implementation is not about technology adoption.
Introducing AI into classrooms is easy. Supporting educators to understand how to use it meaningfully is the real work. And with support comes confidence.
Educator readiness is the real implementation strategy
Across the districts I have worked with, I’ve noticed that the biggest predictor of successful AI integration is not the access to tools, but whether or not educators feel supported as they navigate the changes happening.
I believe that schools will see more progress and success when there are goals set. Educators must have time to explore. Expectations need to be communicated clearly and with a consistent message. Policies must be in place, and they should emphasize guidance rather than restriction. AI implementation and any technology integration succeed when educators understand not only how to use tools, but why they should use them, and what the impact is on student learning. This is what I am hearing from students around the country.
Across classrooms nationwide, students are using an increasing number of digital tools in their classes. However, I am hearing from them that they are not always consistently guided on how to use them safely, ethically, and responsibly. Students wanting clarity is a powerful insight. Students wanting more purposeful use of technology is an even more powerful insight. How can this happen?
By supporting educators, because it helps to then support students.
Leadership sets the tone
One of the most powerful influences on AI adoption, technology use, and the establishment of standards for communication and screen time in a school system is leadership modeling.
When administrators ask for feedback, communicate transparently, dive in to explore tools with teachers, and acknowledge uncertainty while providing direction, they create a safe environment for innovation. Leadership like this builds trust, and trust makes responsible implementation possible.
Preparing students means preparing adults first
Students will graduate and enter workplaces shaped by automation, intelligent systems, and evolving expectations around collaboration with technology. According to the World Economic Forum, technological literacy is #3 for 2030. #1 is AI and #2 is cybersecurity. Students are not the only ones preparing for that future. Educators need to be prepared so that our students are too.
Professional learning on AI is no longer an option. It is an essential part of instructional readiness. The schools making the most progress right now are engaging in conversations to build systems that help educators adapt confidently as change continues. And that may be the most important preparation strategy of all.
Supporting educators means strengthening entire school systems. This is one of the most important investments districts can make as they prepare students for an AI-shaped, AI-driven future.
Stay tuned for part 3 of this Leading Forward Series.
I help schools and other organizations (law firms, healthcare professionals, business owners) implement AI responsibly through policy guidance, professional learning, and classroom-ready strategies grounded in both instructional practice and legal insight.
My sessions focus on helping teams:
• understand what AI can and cannot do
• recognize responsible-use considerations
• build confidence using emerging tools
•align implementation with organizational priorities
If your school, district, or organization is beginning conversations or looking to dive in and learn more about AI policy, professional learning, or responsible implementation, I’d welcome the opportunity to support your next steps through leadership workshops, keynote sessions, or strategic planning partnerships.
Preparing people is what makes AI implementation successful.
About Rachelle
Dr. Rachelle Dené Poth is a Spanish and STEAM: What’s Next in Emerging Technology Teacher. Rachelle is also an attorney with a Juris Doctor degree from Duquesne University School of Law and a Master’s in Instructional Technology. Rachelle received her Doctorate in Instructional Technology, with a research focus on AI and Professional Development. In addition to teaching, she is a full-time consultant and works with companies and organizations to provide PD, speaking, and consulting services. Contact Rachelle for your event!
Rachelle is an ISTE-certified educator and community leader who served as president of the ISTE Teacher Education Network. By EdTech Digest, she was named the EdTech Trendsetter of 2024, one of 30 K-12 IT Influencers to follow in 2021, and one of 150 Women Global EdTech Thought Leaders in 2022.
She is the author of ten books, including ‘What The Tech? An Educator’s Guide to AI, AR/VR, the Metaverse and More” and ‘How To Teach AI’. In addition, other books include, “In Other Words: Quotes That Push Our Thinking,” “Unconventional Ways to Thrive in EDU,” “The Future is Now: Looking Back to Move Ahead,” “Chart A New Course: A Guide to Teaching Essential Skills for Tomorrow’s World, “True Story: Lessons That One Kid Taught Us,” “Things I Wish […] Knew” and her newest “How To Teach AI” is available from ISTE or on Amazon.
Contact Rachelle to schedule sessions about Artificial Intelligence, AI and the Law, Coding, AR/VR, and more for your school or event! Submit the Contact Form.
Follow Rachelle on Bluesky, Instagram, and X at @Rdene915
Not long ago, artificial intelligence in education felt novel. It was something shiny, experimental, and, for many educators, possibly unsettling at times. When ChatGPT arrived in November 2022, the initial conversations and concerns were more focused on fear. I recall receiving emails, text messages, phone calls, and visits from educators who were concerned about cheating, plagiarism, lost skills, and what instantly felt like an overwhelming pace of change. It was something else to adjust to, not long after the overwhelming feeling that many felt in March of 2020.
But since that initial adjustment to the increased use of AI in our world at the end of 2022 and through 2023, I’ve seen a shift happening. At first, there was skepticism, uncertainty, and hesitation, and not just in the world of education. However, as we’ve continued to adjust to new tools and new ways of working, I’ve noticed a shift from considering AI as a “what if” to the acceptance that AI is here and its use is increasing. It’s embedded in tools educators already use, and if it hasn’t already, then it will potentially slowly but surely become part of the daily routine and workflow of teaching and learning.
I’ve spoken about this shift from novelty to normalcy and how it brings a new challenge: educator upskilling.
A few years ago, I started researching the training available to educators and other professionals in AI. At the end of 2023, 87% of the educators in the United States had not received any training. In my workshops, some attendees are having their first training experience, more than 3 years after ChatGPT made its debut. So I think that we need to focus on an important question, whether in education or not. The question is no longer whether educators need professional learning around AI. Most people agree that they do. The bigger issue is whether we are approaching AI professional development in ways that are deep, sustained, and human-centered, or whether we’re still experiencing the one-and-done sessions that barely scratch the surface. With AI and the pace of change in education and the world, we need to do better and be prepared.
Shifting to Ongoing Capacity Building
When I completed my doctorate nearly two years ago, my research focused heavily on professional learning in emerging technologies, with a strong emphasis on AI. Even then, the message was clear. A single PD session, or even a series of short, tool-based trainings, was not enough, especially if completed early in the year or during a limited time span.
Yet, that is what I am learning about how AI PD is structured today. Through surveys in my sessions and conversations with other educators, there is a common experience happening, which is:
A 30-minute overview.
A 15-minute “certified educator” badge.
A walkthrough of one tool done well.
While these experiences can be helpful, especially for getting started and when time is limited, in the long term, they don’t build AI literacy. They build familiarity, whether with AI concepts or an AI tool. But familiarity is not AI literacy. Not for us as educators, nor for the students we are preparing for a future surrounded by AI and a world of work that seeks employees skilled in AI.
Continue reading the original post on Getting Smart.
About Rachelle
Dr. Rachelle Dené Poth is a Spanish and STEAM: What’s Next in Emerging Technology Teacher. Rachelle is also an attorney with a Juris Doctor degree from Duquesne University School of Law and a Master’s in Instructional Technology. Rachelle received her Doctorate in Instructional Technology, with a research focus on AI and Professional Development. In addition to teaching, she is a full-time consultant and works with companies and organizations to provide PD, speaking, and consulting services. Contact Rachelle for your event!
Rachelle is an ISTE-certified educator and community leader who served as president of the ISTE Teacher Education Network. By EdTech Digest, she was named the EdTech Trendsetter of 2024, one of 30 K-12 IT Influencers to follow in 2021, and one of 150 Women Global EdTech Thought Leaders in 2022.
She is the author of ten books, including ‘What The Tech? An Educator’s Guide to AI, AR/VR, the Metaverse and More” and ‘How To Teach AI’. In addition, other books include, “In Other Words: Quotes That Push Our Thinking,” “Unconventional Ways to Thrive in EDU,” “The Future is Now: Looking Back to Move Ahead,” “Chart A New Course: A Guide to Teaching Essential Skills for Tomorrow’s World, “True Story: Lessons That One Kid Taught Us,” “Things I Wish […] Knew” and her newest “How To Teach AI” is available from ISTE or on Amazon.
Contact Rachelle to schedule sessions about Artificial Intelligence, AI and the Law, Coding, AR/VR, and more for your school or event! Submit the Contact Form.
Follow Rachelle on Bluesky, Instagram, and X at @Rdene915
**Interested in writing a guest blog for my site? Would love to share your ideas! Submit your post here. Looking for a new book to read? Find these available at bit.ly/Pothbooks
************ Also, check out my THRIVEinEDU PodcastHere!
Join my show on THRIVEinEDU on Facebook. Join the group here.
What are GenAI technologies, and what do we want them to become? Right now, GenAI is an educational chameleon, aggressively marketed as an indispensable learning companion, an academic partner, and a labor-saving tool; and at the same time, widely critiqued as a dangerous source of misinformation and biased responses, an environmental degrader, and a privacy invader. Since GenAI is all of these things and more, how do we use these tools appropriately and thoughtfully?
What GenAI is and what it will become depends on YOU – how you think about its roles, use it in your teaching and learning, and describe its functions to others.
Let’s look at two currently popular descriptions and uses of GenAI: 1) GenAI as a companion; 2) GenAI as a productivity-enhancing tool.
First, GenAI is widely described and used as a supportive “companion” or helpful “partner.” The Harvard Business Review (2025) reported that therapy/companionship was the number one way people were using GenAI in 2025. An alarming number of teens acknowledge that GenAI chatbots are their virtual companions, even though this technology can exploit youngsters’ emotional needs in ways that lead to self-harm and other risks (Common Sense Media report, Robb & Mann, 2025). One of the key problems here is that GenAI is NOT human, and it is not even intelligent (at least in the way humans perceive and describe intelligence).
The Key Takeaway: Using terms like “partner” or “companion” to describe GenAI technologies humanizes tools that are not designed to provide the support, guidance, and level of intelligence that actual humans can provide.
Second, GenAI technologies are widely presented as productivity-enhancing, time-saving, efficiency-increasing tools for people to use to improve their lives. “Use ChatGPT to make life easier,” declared a recent email advertisement, where all one had to do was “just tap a chat to start.” Personal and professional productivity is also one of the top ways people are using GenAI technologies – from writing emails and reports, to planning vacations and meals, to studying for exams; and it is certainly true that GenAI technologies can do all these things and so much more really fast. Yet, personal autonomy, creativity, and agency is lost when one uses GenAI technologies to automate activities they formerly did without it.
The key takeaway: Avoid talking about GenAI as automating work and think directly about how it can augment or supplement your activities as a teacher and a learner.
So If not a human-like companion or a productivity-enhancing automation tool, then how can we think about the role of GenAI in education? We believe that GenAI is best used when it augments teaching and learning, kind of like the way a caddie in golf enhances the golf experience. As such, we offer a metaphor of GenAI as a caddie; but again remind you that it is not an actual caddie and we are not trying to humanize this tool.
Professional golfers and their caddies on the LPGA, PGA, and more than 20 professional golf tours worldwide offer a metaphor for thinking about, describing, and using GenAI. Each pro golfer has a caddy who carries their clubs and walks alongside them when they play competitive tournaments. sharing ideas and information about the shots they are playing. For instance, until recently, LPGA player Brooke Henderson’s caddy was her older sister, Brittany; PGA player Xander Schauffele’s caddy is Austin Kaiser (his college golf teammate at San Diego State University).
Caddies have detailed information about the course and provide suggestions and feedback about what shots to hit with which clubs. They help keep track of the pace of play and how conditions of the course may be changing due to wind, weather, and time of day. However, it is the golfer who remains totally in charge of the outcomes of the game. Caddies do not hit the golf ball; golfers do not always do what the caddy suggests. It is the golfer who must make decisions, hit the shots, and deal with consequences, both positive and negative, in terms of performance and score. Caddies are there to augment the golf experience and outcome.
When it comes to teaching and learning, GenAI can be that source of information, ideas, or inspiration like a caddie; and it is the teacher who must determine what to do with that information. They have the expertise; they understand their classroom dynamics and contexts; they know their students, their topic, their grade level, and their community.
The key is for the teacher to resist the temptation to automate their work by turning it entirely over to a GenAI technology, because in this case GenAI is in control of the shots, rather than the teacher. It is as if professional golfers let their caddies choose the club and then hit the ball for them. This is even more problematic when it comes to using GenAI to automate tasks. In our metaphor, the caddie is a human who has expertise and has played golf before; however, GenAI is not a teacher, has never taught, and has no idea what teaching is. Turning over any tasks to a tool that does not have any expertise in education can become really problematic. Teachers must maintain agency and exert control, deciding when to accept, when to reject, and when to modify whatever ideas and information the GenAI provides.
So, returning to our original statement, what GenAI is and what it will become depends on YOU – how you think about its roles, use it in your teaching and learning, and describe its functions to others. What do YOU want GenAI to be?
Nearly 50 years ago, at the outset of the computer revolution in schools, Seymour Papert asked: Will computers program the child, or will educators create the conditions where children program computers? For Papert then, as for us today in the age of GenAI, using technology remains a question of human control and user agency. GenAI can provide amazing resources, but it is essential that you retain your decision-making and personal creativity. Only then will the results be truly yours.
Torrey Trust, Ph.D., is a Professor of Learning Technology in the College of Education at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Her work centers on empowering educators and students to critically explore emerging technologies and make thoughtful, informed choices about their role in teaching and learning. Dr. Trust has received the University of Massachusetts Amherst Distinguished Teaching Award (2023), the College of Education Outstanding Teaching Award (2020), and the International Society for Technology in Education Making IT Happen Award (2018), which “honors outstanding educators and leaders who demonstrate extraordinary commitment, leadership, courage, and persistence in improving digital learning opportunities for students.” More recently, Dr. Trust has been a leading voice in exploring GenAI technologies in education and has been featured by several media outlets in articles and podcasts, including Educational Leadership, U.S. News & World Report, WIRED, Tech & Learning, The HILL, and EducationWeek. www.torreytrust.com
Robert W. Maloy is a senior lecturer in the College of Education at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he coordinates the history teacher education program and co-directs the TEAMS Tutoring Project, a community engagement/service learning initiative through which university students provide academic tutoring to culturally and linguistically diverse students in public schools throughout the Connecticut River Valley region of western Massachusetts. His research focuses on technology and educational change, teacher education, democratic teaching, and student learning. He is co-author of AI and Civic Engagement: 75+ Cross-Curricular Activities to Empower Your Students, Transforming Learning with New Technologies (4th edition); Kids Have All the Write Stuff: Revised and Updated for a Digital Age; Wiki Works: Teaching Web Research and Digital Literacy in History and Humanities Classrooms; We, the Students and Teachers: Teaching Democratically in the History and Social Studies Classroom; Ways of Writing with Young Kids: Teaching Creativity and Conventions Unconventionally; Kids Have All the Write Stuff: Inspiring Your Child to Put Pencil to Paper; The Essential Career Guide to Becoming a Middle and High School Teacher; Schools for an Information Age; and Partnerships for Improving Schools.
About Rachelle
Dr. Rachelle Dené Poth is a Spanish and STEAM: What’s Next in Emerging Technology Teacher. Rachelle is also an attorney with a Juris Doctor degree from Duquesne University School of Law and a Master’s in Instructional Technology. Rachelle received her Doctorate in Instructional Technology, with a research focus on AI and Professional Development. In addition to teaching, she is a full-time consultant and works with companies and organizations to provide PD, speaking, and consulting services. Contact Rachelle for your event!
Rachelle is an ISTE-certified educator and community leader who served as president of the ISTE Teacher Education Network. By EdTech Digest, she was named the EdTech Trendsetter of 2024, one of 30 K-12 IT Influencers to follow in 2021, and one of 150 Women Global EdTech Thought Leaders in 2022.
She is the author of ten books, including ‘What The Tech? An Educator’s Guide to AI, AR/VR, the Metaverse and More” and ‘How To Teach AI’. In addition, other books include, “In Other Words: Quotes That Push Our Thinking,” “Unconventional Ways to Thrive in EDU,” “The Future is Now: Looking Back to Move Ahead,” “Chart A New Course: A Guide to Teaching Essential Skills for Tomorrow’s World, “True Story: Lessons That One Kid Taught Us,” “Things I Wish […] Knew” and her newest “How To Teach AI” is available from ISTE or on Amazon.
Contact Rachelle to schedule sessions about Artificial Intelligence, AI and the Law, Coding, AR/VR, and more for your school or event! Submit the Contact Form.
Follow Rachelle on Bluesky, Instagram, and X at @Rdene915
**Interested in writing a guest blog for my site? Would love to share your ideas! Submit your post here. Looking for a new book to read? Find these available at bit.ly/Pothbooks
************ Also, check out my THRIVEinEDU PodcastHere!
Join my show on THRIVEinEDU on Facebook. Join the group here.
In collaboration with Learning Genie: All Opinions are my own
If there’s one thing I value in education, it’s authentic and honest conversations about what’s really happening in classrooms. The January and February Learning Latte meetups with Learning Genie were exactly that.
These meetups offered grounded, reflective discussions about teacher preparation, real classroom challenges, and how tools like Learning Genie can support, rather than replace, our professional judgment. And with a focus on UDL, Portrait of a Graduate, and Differentiation, Learning Genie offers everything in one solution!
Here are some takeaways:
January: Teacher Preparation, TPA Season & the “Idea Inventory”
January’s Learning Latte meetup focused on the importance of and value in truly listening to educators.
One of the most important parts of the conversation came from Robert Mayfield, who addressed a challenge that many of us have seen and experienced firsthand: pre-service teachers during the TPA season.
If you’ve worked with student teachers, you may notice the impact of getting started and how they feel about it. They can be:
Overwhelmed
Time-strapped
Focused on and worried about meeting rubric requirements
Relying heavily on pre-existing lesson plans
Trying to survive and balance all of the new tasks that come with our work.
Robert highlighted a key concern: When pre-service teachers rely too heavily on ready-made lessons, they may miss the opportunity to build their own instructional toolkit. That’s where the concept of an “idea inventory” comes in.
What Is an Idea Inventory?
An idea inventory is not just a folder of saved lessons over the course of the school year or years. It is a curated, reflective collection of strategies used, activity ideas, differentiation techniques, assessment approaches, and adaptable frameworks.
The inventory includes:
Multiple entry points for learners
Flexible scaffolding ideas
Variations for different readiness levels
Culturally responsive examples
Developmentally aligned strategies
All of this is especially critical in early childhood and elementary settings, where differentiation is foundational.
The January discussion reinforced what I have noticed when working with other educators. New teachers need to understand how to differentiate effectively and have the resources they need to support their work.
This is where Learning Genie can make an impact. It supports reflective planning and enables teachers to connect observations to instruction. It makes differentiation visible, which is essential.
A good question to consider is: “How do we help future teachers think like designers of learning?”
Learning Genie supports that mindset shift. When teachers reflect on student observations and use those insights to plan intentionally, it helps build professional capacity and confidence. And it builds community when educators and companies connect!
Enjoy learning from and sharing feedback with Dr. Gene Shi
February’s Learning Latte offered a clear view and many insights into a lived classroom experience.
February’s meetup included educators Sandy Ferguson and Gina Ogilvie. Sandy began by sharing classroom experiences, grounding the conversation in real practice rather than theory.
I always want to know the stories of other educators, the why behind the choices in activities, strategies, and tools used in their classrooms, and the impact.
Many conversations about edtech center around the features, dashboards, and integrations. But I’ve long said and heard it in their message. What matters is the impact it makes inside the classroom.
Highlights from Sandy and Gina
Authentic Application The conversation centered on how Learning Genie supports educators’ daily work. It helps with lesson planning, documentation, and communication, and it is easy to navigate and use.
Alignment with Developmental Needs In early childhood, especially, the tools we use must align with how children learn best.
Teacher Confidence When educators feel supported in leveraging technology to provide meaningful and personalized instruction, their confidence increases. Teacher confidence impacts classroom climate and positively boosts student engagement and interest in learning.
What stood out is that technology works best when it amplifies teacher expertise, not when it replaces it. Shifting from replacement to the enhancement and transformation potential of these tools is important. And when it enhances our students’ learning opportunities. Check out this video to learn more.
Connecting January and February: A Common Theme
Both sessions highlighted:
The importance of reflective practice
The need for intentional differentiation
The value of building professional capacity over time
The role of tools in supporting rather than shortcutting professional growth
January focused on building the foundation by helping new teachers develop their idea inventory. February provided a clear view of what this looks like in action, with experienced educators using tools to refine their professional practice and deepen students’ learning impact.
Final thoughts
The best educational tools don’t give us answers. I think that they help us ask better questions.
How are we differentiating?
What patterns are we noticing?
How are we building our “idea inventory?”
How are we supporting new teachers before they burn out?
Use these questions as a focus point, and I think you will find that a tool like Learning Genie is a catalyst for transformational and meaningful instruction and learning.
Enjoy sharing about Learning Genie in Pittsburgh and other conferences and school PD sessions!
About Rachelle
Dr. Rachelle Dené Poth is a Spanish and STEAM: What’s Next in Emerging Technology Teacher. Rachelle is also an attorney with a Juris Doctor degree from Duquesne University School of Law and a Master’s in Instructional Technology. Rachelle received her Doctorate in Instructional Technology, with a research focus on AI and Professional Development. In addition to teaching, she is a full-time consultant and works with companies and organizations to provide PD, speaking, and consulting services. Contact Rachelle for your event!
Rachelle is an ISTE-certified educator and community leader who served as president of the ISTE Teacher Education Network. By EdTech Digest, she was named the EdTech Trendsetter of 2024, one of 30 K-12 IT Influencers to follow in 2021, and one of 150 Women Global EdTech Thought Leaders in 2022.
She is the author of ten books, including ‘What The Tech? An Educator’s Guide to AI, AR/VR, the Metaverse and More” and ‘How To Teach AI’. In addition, other books include, “In Other Words: Quotes That Push Our Thinking,” “Unconventional Ways to Thrive in EDU,” “The Future is Now: Looking Back to Move Ahead,” “Chart A New Course: A Guide to Teaching Essential Skills for Tomorrow’s World, “True Story: Lessons That One Kid Taught Us,” “Things I Wish […] Knew” and her newest “How To Teach AI” is available from ISTE or on Amazon.
Contact Rachelle to schedule sessions about Artificial Intelligence, AI and the Law, Coding, AR/VR, and more for your school or event! Submit the Contact Form.
Follow Rachelle on Bluesky, Instagram, and X at @Rdene915
**Interested in writing a guest blog for my site? Would love to share your ideas! Submit your post here. Looking for a new book to read? Find these available at bit.ly/Pothbooks
************ Also, check out my THRIVEinEDU PodcastHere!
Join my show on THRIVEinEDU on Facebook. Join the group here.
Guest post by Dr. Torrey Trust and Dr. Robert Maloy
Welcome to “Students, Teachers, and Chatbots!” In this monthly series, you will find classroom-ready learning plans to use as you explore different civic engagement issues and topics with students. Each learning plan is connected to one of the ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education) Standards for Students.
Agency for learners means each individual is actively involved in what is happening educationally and instructionally in classrooms and schools. Agency, however, is more than paying attention in class, completing assignments on time, and earning high grades on tests. Agency also means students believe they have a voice and choice in what and how they are learning. They believe they can take actions in their lives based on what they are learning in schools.
In social studies education, agency is connected to civic education, and by extension, democratic teaching in democratic classrooms. Teaching about democracy is a cornerstone of civics education, where students learn the foundations of government of the people, for the people, by the people. Democracy offers everyone a voice and choice in making decisions collectively and collaboratively. In theory, the same is true in democratic classrooms. Yet, in the past three decades, the practice of democratic classrooms has faded from view. In school after school, standardized achievement exams have brought with them greater emphasis on teacher control and accountability, large group instruction, and teaching to the test (Ravitch, 2016).
In the current era of mandated curriculum frameworks and high-stakes testing, learning about democracy in many classes is focused on memorizing the branches and structures of national, state, and local government; reviewing the history of the American Revolution and other signature events in U.S. history; and learning the names of well-known historical figures. Democracy is rarely a lived experience for students.
When we asked college students, “What do you remember was your first experience with democracy?” many responded with puzzled expressions. When we clarify that by “first experience with democracy,” we mean when did they first recall thinking they had personal agency, that their voice mattered, that they were part of a collective decision-making process, most recall voting for the first time. But, when pressed to think back to when they were younger, some recall experiences with democracy in family meetings where adults and children shared ideas and made plans; at summer camps and recreation programs where campers had choices about playtime activities; in libraries where young readers made choices about what books to read; on sports teams where coaches let youngsters try many different positions and choose the ones they found engaged them the most. Those we spoke with so valued these experiences because they felt their choices mattered and decisions were respected, if not always agreed to by the adults in charge.
In the following bonus learning plan from our AI and Civic Engagement book, student agency is front and center – students are encouraged to research, design, and work together to create real change that is meaningful to them and their schools.
Chapter 9 (Global Collaborator)
Bonus AI-Enhanced Learning Plan: AI Literacy for All: Collaboratively Crafting an AI Curriculum for Your School
Student Engagement Question: How do you think we should be using AI in our classes and school?
AI technologies play a significant role in the lives of teachers, students, administrators, families, and community members everywhere. As the latest GenAI tools, models, and features are released, all of us are learning more and more about the possibilities and complexities of artificial intelligence and its place in education.
Elected officials and policymakers have ideas for what needs to be done for AI in education. The White House Office of Science & Technology under President Biden issued “A Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights.” The European Union urged developers and users to ensure a safe, secure, and trustworthy AI. Lawmakers in Congress have introduced the AI Literacy Act, intended to address the reality that “communities most often negatively impacted by AI-enabled technologies often have the least access to AI education” (In section 2: Findings). One group of researchers from the National Education Policy Center has urged a pause in the use of AI tools in schools to give everyone time to develop guidelines and regulations about their use for in-person and online learning (Williamson, Molnar, & Boninger, 2024). Organizations, including Common Sense Media and OpenAI, are working together to create AI education guidelines (Kelly, 2024).
But, what do students think about the role of AI in their education? Should they have opportunities to use GenAI in every class, subject, and topic? Should they learn about the ethical issues surrounding the design and production of GenAI tools (e.g., hallucination, bias, environmental labor impact, exploitation of human labor, intellectual property rights)? Should they have opportunities to build their AI-Ready workforce skills?
This learning plan invites students to ensure their voice is heard when it comes to AI in their education. As global collaborators, they can work with others to develop an AI curriculum for their class, school, and/or district.
Learning GoalStudents will collaboratively draft an AI curriculum for their class, school, or district.
ACTIVITY 1: Research AI Curriculum Models and AI Literacy Frameworks/Models with GenAI
Invite students to curate a collection of AI curriculum frameworks, AI literacy frameworks and models, and any other resources and materials that can help them design an AI curriculum for their school or district. GenAI technologies can be a starting point for the research:
Example Prompt: “Create a table of at least 20 AI curriculum frameworks, AI literacy frameworks/models, or other sources to help me build an AI curriculum for my school. Make sure to include research-based frameworks and models. Include the name of the resource (column 1), a brief description of it (column 2), a description of why I should use it as a model or resource for my school’s AI curriculum (column 3), and a link to external sites to learn more information (column 4).”
Ask students to select at least 5 resources from their curation to critically examine and annotate, using the following AI-generated questions to guide their thinking:
What is the stated purpose or goal of this framework or resource?
Who created it, and what expertise or perspective do they bring (e.g., educators, technologists, policymakers, researchers)?
Missing Perspectives: Whose voices are missing from the authorship or the examples used? (e.g., Global South perspectives, Indigenous data sovereignty, non-corporate viewpoints).
What definitions of “artificial intelligence” or “AI literacy” does it rely on? How does this shape the rest of the resource?
What big ideas, concepts, or competencies does this resource emphasize that you think should appear in your school’s AI curriculum? Why?
What specific AI definitions, skills, or knowledge domains does this resource identify as essential? Which of these are non-negotiable for your specific student body?
Who is left out by this framework? Does it require expensive hardware, high-speed internet, or prior coding knowledge that your students may not possess?
How does the resource address ethical, societal, or environmental implications of AI? What elements of this should be included in your curriculum?
Does the resource treat AI as a standalone Computer Science subject, or does it offer strategies for integrating AI literacy into multiple subjects and classes?
What does this resource do exceptionally well? How does it contribute to an informed, balanced, or future-ready AI curriculum?
What is missing from the resource that is important for your school’s context (e.g., student diversity, local community needs, digital divide, civic engagement)?
How well does this resource align with your district’s mission, values, or current technology curriculum?
What adaptations would you make to this resource to ensure your curriculum is inclusive, engaging, and accessible to all learners, including multilingual learners and students with disabilities?
How does this resource compare to the other frameworks you selected? Where do they overlap or diverge?
Then, ask students to work in groups and design their own AI curriculum for their class, school, or the district.
ACTIVITY 2: Collaboratively Design an AI Curriculum with GenAI and School/Community
Ask students to use a collaborative technology to get feedback on their AI curriculum from family members, community members, and educational leaders.
They might do this by sharing their AI curriculum in a Google Doc with commenting features on and asking others to add their thoughts/ideas/suggestions/questions as comments throughout the document; or they could share a link to their AI curriculum document and provide a virtual space like Padlet or IdeaBoardz to collect feedback and ideas.
Then, have students, in their teams, review the feedback they received and make revisions to their AI curriculum.
Ask students to present their AI curriculum to the entire class and get feedback from their peers.
Then, as a class, vote on one curriculum (or multiple curriculums that can be merged into one) to send to the school leadership as an official proposal.
REFLECTION QUESTIONS
What role do you want AI to play in your schooling? Why?
Do you want AI to be taught as a standalone topic/class? Why or why not?
What learning opportunities do you need in school to confidently navigate the Age of AI?
AI LITERACY QUESTIONS
What are the arguments in favor of or against establishing an AI literacy or AI education graduation requirement for students at your school or in your state?
What AI ethical issues did you include in your curriculum? Why did you include those issues?
ISTE Global Collaborator Criteria Addressed:
1.7.b Multiple Viewpoints. Students use collaborative technologies to work with others, including peers, experts or community members, to examine issues and problems from multiple viewpoints.
1.7.c Project Teams. Students contribute constructively to project teams, assuming various roles and responsibilities to work effectively toward a common goal.
1.7.d Local and Global Issues. Students explore local and global issues, and use collaborative technologies to work with others to investigate solutions.
Torrey Trust, Ph.D., is a Professor of Learning Technology in the College of Education at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Her work centers on empowering educators and students to critically explore emerging technologies and make thoughtful, informed choices about their role in teaching and learning. Dr. Trust has received the University of Massachusetts Amherst Distinguished Teaching Award (2023), the College of Education Outstanding Teaching Award (2020), and the International Society for Technology in Education Making IT Happen Award (2018), which “honors outstanding educators and leaders who demonstrate extraordinary commitment, leadership, courage, and persistence in improving digital learning opportunities for students.” More recently, Dr. Trust has been a leading voice in exploring GenAI technologies in education and has been featured by several media outlets in articles and podcasts, including Educational Leadership, U.S. News & World Report, WIRED, Tech & Learning, The HILL, and EducationWeek. www.torreytrust.com
Robert W. Maloy is a senior lecturer in the College of Education at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he coordinates the history teacher education program and co-directs the TEAMS Tutoring Project, a community engagement/service learning initiative through which university students provide academic tutoring to culturally and linguistically diverse students in public schools throughout the Connecticut River Valley region of western Massachusetts. His research focuses on technology and educational change, teacher education, democratic teaching, and student learning. He is co-author of AI and Civic Engagement: 75+ Cross-Curricular Activities to Empower Your Students, Transforming Learning with New Technologies (4th edition); Kids Have All the Write Stuff: Revised and Updated for a Digital Age; Wiki Works: Teaching Web Research and Digital Literacy in History and Humanities Classrooms; We, the Students and Teachers: Teaching Democratically in the History and Social Studies Classroom; Ways of Writing with Young Kids: Teaching Creativity and Conventions Unconventionally; Kids Have All the Write Stuff: Inspiring Your Child to Put Pencil to Paper; The Essential Career Guide to Becoming a Middle and High School Teacher; Schools for an Information Age; andPartnerships for Improving Schools.
About Rachelle
Dr. Rachelle Dené Poth is a Spanish and STEAM: What’s Next in Emerging Technology Teacher. Rachelle is also an attorney with a Juris Doctor degree from Duquesne University School of Law and a Master’s in Instructional Technology. Rachelle received her Doctorate in Instructional Technology, with a research focus on AI and Professional Development. In addition to teaching, she is a full-time consultant and works with companies and organizations to provide PD, speaking, and consulting services. Contact Rachelle for your event!
Rachelle is an ISTE-certified educator and community leader who served as president of the ISTE Teacher Education Network. By EdTech Digest, she was named the EdTech Trendsetter of 2024, one of 30 K-12 IT Influencers to follow in 2021, and one of 150 Women Global EdTech Thought Leaders in 2022.
She is the author of ten books, including ‘What The Tech? An Educator’s Guide to AI, AR/VR, the Metaverse and More” and ‘How To Teach AI’. In addition, other books include, “In Other Words: Quotes That Push Our Thinking,” “Unconventional Ways to Thrive in EDU,” “The Future is Now: Looking Back to Move Ahead,” “Chart A New Course: A Guide to Teaching Essential Skills for Tomorrow’s World, “True Story: Lessons That One Kid Taught Us,” “Things I Wish […] Knew” and her newest “How To Teach AI” is available from ISTE or on Amazon.
Contact Rachelle to schedule sessions about Artificial Intelligence, AI and the Law, Coding, AR/VR, and more for your school or event! Submit the Contact Form.
Follow Rachelle on Bluesky, Instagram, and X at @Rdene915
**Interested in writing a guest blog for my site? Would love to share your ideas! Submit your post here. Looking for a new book to read? Find these available at bit.ly/Pothbooks
************ Also, check out my THRIVEinEDU PodcastHere!
Join my show on THRIVEinEDU on Facebook. Join the group here.
As I reflect on 2025, it feels like a year of recalibration. I think about education, and while things were definitely moving faster, especially with AI and the changes it has brought, I feel like things are moving at a deeper level. After several years of rapid changes, disruptions, and adjustments, many educators, leaders, and systems seem to have shifted from being reactive to proactive, and, more importantly, to focusing more on reflective practices. Some questions I consider are:
What is actually working? What is overwhelming students and teachers? What does “future-ready” really mean, and is it the proper term?
In many ways, 2025 feels more like a time when education stopped trying to keep up with every new trend, took a breath, and began reclaiming its intention.
From Urgency to Intention
The past few years have required schools to operate in what I’ve heard in many conversations as a “crisis mode.” After some thought, I have seen and experienced a shift away from an overwhelming sense of urgency to accomplish everything and toward purposeful decision-making. A word that I have used a lot after reading a book by Kevin Roose called Futureproof is “discernment.” He wrote about the shift from media and digital literacy to digital discernment. I’ve seen this in my own practice as well. Educators have become more discerning about initiatives to invest in, tools to explore, and expectations to set. The question “Can we do this?” shifted to “Should we do this? And “Why?” Which then led to the “How” part.
This shift showed up in conversations around curriculum, assessment, technology use, and student well-being. Schools began reducing or being more selective rather than layering, which helped educators to adjust better to change. Leaders focused more on coherence instead of compliance. And in some conversations I had or articles I read, I noticed respectful pushback on practices that added complexity without improving learning.
I think this is why the recalibration mattered.
AI Moved From Novelty to Normal
Since artificial intelligence and all of the new tools arrived in classrooms, it was an interesting time for educators. Something novel, something cool yet scary at times I’ve been told by educators that I am training, and other times, something to be avoided at all costs. But, what I noticed this year has been a shift. A shift away from the worries about plagiarism and cheating, about the time needed to learn how to leverage AI in our work, to a focus on how to bring it into our classrooms intentionally, purposefully, responsibly. In 2025, AI in education has become more of the norm.
I have noticed a change in the reactions. Now I see more focus on:
Data privacy
Ethical use and attribution
Age-appropriate access
Skill-building over shortcut-taking. (Leaning on versus learning from)
Transparency instead of surveillance
AI has become less about “cheating” and more about helping students and others learn how to think, evaluate, and create responsibly in an AI-infused world. Educators that I have worked with in my own school, at conferences and during professional development sessions that I have provided, have been asking different questions. At first, questions focused on “How can I tell when a student has used ChatGPT?” “Why do I need to teach about AI in the elementary level, they are too young and it is too much technology?” and “How do I find the time to evaluate the tools?” and more. But now, the questions are more targeted. Some examples are “How does this tool support learning goals?” and “When does it enhance or push thinking and when does it replace it?” Questions are also asked about how to connect AI into different grade levels and content areas without it feeling like something extra. I think the key to these questions is keeping the focus on the human aspect of learning and teaching.
We need to become AI literate and help students to develop their AI literacy skills, which do not only require developing technical skills. It also involves essentially human skills such as judgment, empathy, discernment, and reflection. With so much technology, the impact on us as humans is real and brings out the importance of digital wellbeing in addition to digital citizenship.
Digital Wellness
I’ve been working on an initiative through ISTE+ASCD and Pinterest that focuses on digital wellbeing and digital citizenship, both aligned with innovation. Something that I’ve noticed in the conversations at the schools is that educators are realizing that digital citizenship alone is not enough. Conversations about constant connectivity and the cost of it have been taking place and leading to new policies and guidelines in schools.
As a result, digital wellness has emerged as a priority for all, rather than as a standalone curriculum In my work with educators, each group talked openly about:
Attention fatigue
Notification overload
Screen balance
Emotional regulation
Boundaries and agency
Cellphone bans were in place and while some saw the positives, others raised some interesting points. Rather than banning technology outright or ignoring its impact, should we instead focus on intentional use of it and guide students? Questions like “When does technology add value?” and “When should we step away?” became part of the discussions in and out of the classroom.
Focusing on the human connection
I noticed in some schools that I visited, more socialization, more connections being made between students in the classrooms. More time for colleagues to work together and with their students.
There was renewed emphasis on:
Relationships over rigid pacing
Depth over coverage
Dialogue over compliance
Reflection over reaction
Administrators that I spoke with have said they are listening more closely and trust teachers to use their professional judgment. Something else I noticed was an increase in the inclusion of student voice in conversations about learning, technology, and school culture. I have asked students for feedback for many years and value their input as it expands my understanding and helps me to better connect. In some of the schools that I have visited, common questions to students have been:
How do you learn best?
What feels supportive vs. stressful?
How does technology affect your focus and well-being?
What do you want your teachers, families, friends, to understand about your experience?
When students were invited into these conversations, the results were powerful. They wanted agency, not avoidance. They wanted guidance on balance, which could not be learned through complete bans. When students were treated as collaborators or partners in shaping their learning environments, it led to powerful learning and growing as a school community.
The Power of Reflection
I wrote about it, spoke about it, and engaged in reflection myself and with other educators. We often noted the increase in the need for reflection, especially in our field that is constantly changing.
Some areas that I considered:
What I kept doing out of habit
What I needed to let go of for sustainability
What truly mattered in my classroom
What I needed to do to make a difference
Was I involving my students in decisions
What kind of educator I wanted to be
Reflection shouldn’t be about perfection, at least not in my mind. I see it as a way to focus on continued growth, clarity, and purpose in my work.
Some things that I learned in 2025
I had many opportunities to learn and share my learning with others. I provided some keynotes and a lot of training and working with educators from around the world. When I tried to gather my thoughts about innovation, effective technology use, digital wellness, student voice and agency, and reflection, I came to some conclusions…at least as of today. But I will continue to reflect.
Innovation without intention leads to exhaustion.
Technology must serve learning, not dominate it.
Wellness is foundational to continued growth.
Students are capable of thoughtful insight when involved in the conversation.
Reflection is a powerful driver of meaningful change.
Education does not become easier with each passing year but I do find that the conversations become more transparent and honest.
As I close the year on blogs for 2025, I leave you with some questions to consider, that I have considered myself:
Looking Back
What was one moment in 2025 when teaching or learning felt especially meaningful for you? Why?
What was draining or unsustainable this year as opposed to other years?
What practice, tool, or expectation did you decide to let go of, and why?
Technology & Learning 4. Where did technology genuinely support learning this year? How? 5. Where did it lead to distraction, add extra pressure, or increase overload?
Well-being 6. When did you feel most balanced as an educator this year? What contributed to your balance? 7. What helped you to decide when something was “too much”?
You might even choose to engage in conversations with colleagues or a PLC for even more opportunities to learn and connect.
As we move forward into 2026, we must continue to design learning experiences that are human-centered, values-driven, and always reflective. If 2025 could offer advice, it might be to Slow down in order to choose well.
About Rachelle
Dr. Rachelle Dené Poth is a Spanish and STEAM: What’s Next in Emerging Technology Teacher. Rachelle is also an attorney with a Juris Doctor degree from Duquesne University School of Law and a Master’s in Instructional Technology. Rachelle received her Doctorate in Instructional Technology, with a research focus on AI and Professional Development. In addition to teaching, she is a full-time consultant and works with companies and organizations to provide PD, speaking, and consulting services. Contact Rachelle for your event!
Rachelle is an ISTE-certified educator and community leader who served as president of the ISTE Teacher Education Network. By EdTech Digest, she was named the EdTech Trendsetter of 2024, one of 30 K-12 IT Influencers to follow in 2021, and one of 150 Women Global EdTech Thought Leaders in 2022.
She is the author of ten books, including ‘What The Tech? An Educator’s Guide to AI, AR/VR, the Metaverse and More” and ‘How To Teach AI’. In addition, other books include, “In Other Words: Quotes That Push Our Thinking,” “Unconventional Ways to Thrive in EDU,” “The Future is Now: Looking Back to Move Ahead,” “Chart A New Course: A Guide to Teaching Essential Skills for Tomorrow’s World, “True Story: Lessons That One Kid Taught Us,” “Things I Wish […] Knew” and her newest “How To Teach AI” is available from ISTE or on Amazon.
Contact Rachelle to schedule sessions about Artificial Intelligence, AI and the Law, Coding, AR/VR, and more for your school or event! Submit the Contact Form.
Follow Rachelle on Bluesky, Instagram, and X at @Rdene915
**Interested in writing a guest blog for my site? Would love to share your ideas! Submit your post here. Looking for a new book to read? Find these available at bit.ly/Pothbooks
************ Also, check out my THRIVEinEDU PodcastHere!
Join my show on THRIVEinEDU on Facebook. Join the group here.
Making time for reflection as an educator is essential. Education is a field defined by personal and professional growth. Not just for educators, but also for students, the school community, and the systems involved, too. Growth doesn’t happen on its own. It requires intention, curiosity, and ongoing, consistent reflection. By looking back on our experiences, analyzing what worked and what didn’t, and identifying ways to improve, we build a solid reflective practice in our work. Reflection should not be considered as a routine, but rather as a mindset that transforms teaching into a continuous cycle of learning.
Why Reflection Matters
In classrooms filled with continuous changes, such as emerging technologies, alignment to varying standards, and working to best meet the needs of all learners, reflection helps to anchor us. It offers educators a chance to take a moment to pause and ask themselves questions such as, “Why did this lesson work? What could I do differently next time? What did my students need that I missed?How can I improve for tomorrow?
Reflection:
Encourages professional growth and lifelong learning.
Improves instructional decisions through ongoing thinking and self-evaluation
Builds self-awareness and resilience.
Strengthens the connection between teacher and learner experience.
Models metacognitive thinking for students.
As a huge fan of quotes, and having written one focused on quotes, I often think of this quote by John Dewey:
“We do not learn from experience… we learn from reflecting on experience.”
When we take the time to reflect on our experiences as educators, we transform them into opportunities for innovation, empathy, and personal growth.
The Cycle of Reflection
A simple way to frame reflection in education is through Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle, which includes six stages:
Description – What happened?
Feelings – How did you feel about it? How did it impact you?
Evaluation – What was good or bad about the experience?
Analysis – Why did things happen that way?
Conclusion – What have you learned? What impact did it have?
Action Plan – What will you do differently next time?
This framework helps teachers to pause, slow down, and analyze practice systematically, rather than relying solely on intuition or habit. It encourages educators to move from being reactive to becoming more intentional. When we do this, we make a shift and turn each lesson into a source of insight to better inform our practice.
Reflection Strategies for Educators
There are many ways to integrate reflective practice into our daily work. It can vary depending on teaching style, teaching and personal schedule, and even the school environment. Here are a few practical strategies that can help make reflection a part of your professional practice.
1. Journaling or Blogging
A reflective journal, whether digital or handwritten, or starting a blog, offers a space to explore thoughts about teaching, students, or school culture. Writing helps us identify or clarify patterns and challenges that we may otherwise be unaware of.
Try this: At the end of each week, make a note of:
A success from the week
A challenge faced
A surprising moment
One thing you’ll try differently next week
This short routine will help to turn reflection into an intentional practice rather than an afterthought.
2. Peer Observation and Feedback
Invite a colleague to observe one of your classes or co-teach a lesson with you. These opportunities can provide new perspectives that deepen our reflection. While it can be uncomfortable at times, it is necessary. Having someone else with us can be insightful for identifying things we may overlook.
When working with a colleague and engaging in peer feedback, it shifts to a dialogue that, rather than being a solo conversation, becomes a dialogue that moves from focusing on what happened in a lesson to what happened, what it means, and what can I do now.
Try this: After a peer observation, engage in a quick debrief with your colleague. Consider using prompts like:
“What did you notice about student engagement?”
“How did my questioning or feedback shape learning?”
“What assumptions might I have made during that lesson?”
“How was my pace during instruction?”
“Did I provide opportunities for students to lead more?”
3. Engage in Reflective Conversations with Students
I have found that asking my students for their thoughts is very helpful. I ask them what resonated with them, what confused them, how my class made them feel, and what ideas they can share about the impact of the strategies or teaching tools used in class.
Try this: End a unit or project with a student reflection survey:
“What helped you learn most in this unit?”
“When did you feel most challenged?”
“What could I do differently to help you learn better?”
When we gain insights like these, they will not only inform instruction but also empower students to become reflective learners.
4. Video Reflection
Over the years, I have used a few different tools to reflect on my teaching practices. It can be uncomfortable at times, but by using video, it can be eye-opening for us. I have used Edthena Coaching for input, a Swivl, and through these, I have noticed several things. I quickly noticed patterns in my tone, pacing in lessons, student interactions, questioning practices, and more, that I often had overseen while teaching.
Try this: Choose one aspect to focus on, such as questioning techniques, transitions, or body language (I tend to move my hands a lot!), and analyze that specifically. Small, focused reflection leads to meaningful improvement.
Reflection and Innovation
In our age of AI, digital learning tools, and evolving pedagogies, reflection is crucial to integrating innovation effectively. Reflective educators ask:
“Is this tool enhancing learning, or is it too much?”
“How are my students using technology to think critically, not just consume?”
“What role does empathy play in how I use data or AI to personalize learning?”
Reflection ensures that innovation stays human-centered and grounded in purpose, not just as a novelty.
Connecting Reflection to Student Growth
When teachers model reflection, students learn to think about their own thinking, they engage in a process known as metacognition. Reflective learners:
Understand their strengths and challenges.
Set personal goals.
Monitor their progress and adapt strategies.
Build self-awareness
Encouraging students to reflect, whether through the use of portfolios, self-assessments, or classroom discussions, cultivates ownership of learning. Reflection is powerful as it helps students to shift the focus of learning from grades to ongoing growth.
Building a Culture of Reflection
Creating a reflective classroom starts with modeling vulnerability. I’ve spoken about vulnerability a lot and often quote Dr. Brené Brown from her book Daring Greatly, in which she speaks of vulnerability in reference to Teddy Roosevelt’s speech, “The Man in the Arena” from 1910. Vulnerability is not a sign of weakness, but rather a sign of strength and willingness to grow. When teachers openly admit what they’re learning, they normalize growth and imperfection.
Try saying:
“I tried something new today, and it didn’t go as I expected. Let’s think about why.”
Transparency like this builds trust and shows students that reflection isn’t about failure. Reflection is about curiosity and continuous improvement.
When reflection becomes part of the culture, it deepens engagement and innovation at every level, from classrooms to leadership teams.
Reflective practice is at the heart of great teaching. It reminds us that education is an evolving journey that brings with it challenges and successes, both of which require reflection. Through reflection, we discover meaning in our work, develop empathy for our students, and gain clarity in our purpose for the work that we do.
The best educators are not those who have all the answers, but those who keep asking better questions.
About Rachelle
Dr. Rachelle Dené Poth is a Spanish and STEAM: What’s Next in Emerging Technology Teacher. Rachelle is also an attorney with a Juris Doctor degree from Duquesne University School of Law and a Master’s in Instructional Technology. Rachelle received her Doctorate in Instructional Technology, with a research focus on AI and Professional Development. In addition to teaching, she is a full-time consultant and works with companies and organizations to provide PD, speaking, and consulting services. Contact Rachelle for your event!
Rachelle is an ISTE-certified educator and community leader who served as president of the ISTE Teacher Education Network. By EdTech Digest, she was named the EdTech Trendsetter of 2024, one of 30 K-12 IT Influencers to follow in 2021, and one of 150 Women Global EdTech Thought Leaders in 2022.
She is the author of ten books, including ‘What The Tech? An Educator’s Guide to AI, AR/VR, the Metaverse and More” and ‘How To Teach AI’. In addition, other books include, “In Other Words: Quotes That Push Our Thinking,” “Unconventional Ways to Thrive in EDU,” “The Future is Now: Looking Back to Move Ahead,” “Chart A New Course: A Guide to Teaching Essential Skills for Tomorrow’s World, “True Story: Lessons That One Kid Taught Us,” “Things I Wish […] Knew” and her newest “How To Teach AI” is available from ISTE or on Amazon.
Contact Rachelle to schedule sessions about Artificial Intelligence, AI and the Law, Coding, AR/VR, and more for your school or event! Submit the Contact Form.
Follow Rachelle on Bluesky, Instagram, and X at @Rdene915
**Interested in writing a guest blog for my site? Would love to share your ideas! Submit your post here. Looking for a new book to read? Find these available at bit.ly/Pothbooks
************ Also, check out my THRIVEinEDU PodcastHere!
Join my show on THRIVEinEDU on Facebook. Join the group here.
Guest post by Brian Baker. Opinions expressed are those of the guest blogger.
In a sense, the disruption genAI has caused – regardless of whether you see it as a net positive or negative – has held up a mirror to education, giving us new perspectives into known issues and exposing ones that were under the surface.
That opportunity for novel insights and increased awareness spurred 24th Century Education, an Oregon-based consulting firm, to launch the AI Mirror Project. The project seeks to capture the voices of those living this unique moment in education by asking:
What has the introduction of genAI taught us about critical issues within the education system?
The project will progress through three phases:
Hearing from you: Through December 19, 2025, our website will collect submissions from educators, students, caregivers, the most enthusiastic AI evangelists, the most critical skeptics – anyone who is involved in any way with the education system and has reflected on these issues. You are welcome to capture your thoughts in text, images, video, audio, or whatever format allows you to best share your voice.
Analysis & research synthesis: We will look for themes among the perspectives that are shared, then synthesize those with available research to better understand the issues identified.
Final report: 24th Century Education will compile and share our findings, hoping to use this disruptive moment as a means to better understand our current reality and work towards our goal of building a better future.
(Gemini, 2025)
While the education system has learned and is continuing to learn many valuable lessons about genAI since its introduction, this project instead focuses on what the introduction of and reaction to these tools has shown us about existing issues and challenges, such as…
Safety and privacy
Assessment
Human connection
Student engagement and relevance of learning experiences
Individual and systemic bias
The interaction between education and other large systems (government, industry, economy)
Education’s role in maintaining democracy
The influence of tech companies
Media literacy and misinformation
Mental health and digital well-being
Anthropomorphization
The role of education and the balance between preparing students for working in the existing economy versus equipping them to shape a more just system
The vital role of teachers
Student agency
Critical thinking and cognitive offloading
… along with any other topic that genAI’s introduction into education has made you consider.
There are many, often competing narratives about AI’s role in education. 24th Century Education is hoping to cut through that discourse and instead dive deeper into some of the existing challenges that have, in some cases, been highlighted by genAI’s impact, and that in others have been obscured by it.
To accomplish that, please share your voice and let us know how this moment has exposed existing issues within education.
AI’s introduction and use have touched on nearly every financial, instructional, and social-emotional function of schools. It has implications for equity, well-being, and the health of our democracy, environment, and economy. It has vast implications for education, a system that binds today’s learning to tomorrow’s reality.
At 24th Century Education, we are fueled by the belief that humanity needs an environment, economy, and society where all people can thrive, and that we must use education today to help students develop the knowledge, skills, and dispositions that they need to create that tomorrow.
We believe understanding the present is essential to building the better future we envision for the education system, and we hope that this project contributes to that mission.
You can visit and make a contribution to the AI Mirror Project here. If you have any questions, please contact 24th Century Education’s Chief Learning Officer, Brian Baker – brian@24thcenturyeducation.com.
About Rachelle
Dr. Rachelle Dené Poth is a Spanish and STEAM: What’s Next in Emerging Technology Teacher at Riverview High School in Oakmont, PA. Rachelle is also an attorney with a Juris Doctor degree from Duquesne University School of Law and a Master’s in Instructional Technology. Rachelle received her Doctorate in Instructional Technology, and her research focus was on AI and Professional Development. In addition to teaching, she is a full-time consultant and works with companies and organizations to provide PD, speaking, and consulting services. Contact Rachelle for your event!
Rachelle is an ISTE-certified educator and community leader who served as president of the ISTE Teacher Education Network. By EdTech Digest, she was named the EdTech Trendsetter of 2024, one of 30 K-12 IT Influencers to follow in 2021, and one of 150 Women Global EdTech Thought Leaders in 2022.
She is the author of ten books, including ‘What The Tech? An Educator’s Guide to AI, AR/VR, the Metaverse and More” and ‘How To Teach AI’. In addition, other books include, “In Other Words: Quotes That Push Our Thinking,” “Unconventional Ways to Thrive in EDU,” “The Future is Now: Looking Back to Move Ahead,” “Chart A New Course: A Guide to Teaching Essential Skills for Tomorrow’s World, “True Story: Lessons That One Kid Taught Us,” “Things I Wish […] Knew” and her newest “How To Teach AI” is available from ISTE or on Amazon.
Contact Rachelle to schedule sessions about Artificial Intelligence, AI and the Law, Coding, AR/VR, and more for your school or event! Submit the Contact Form.
Follow Rachelle on Bluesky, Instagram, and X at @Rdene915
**Interested in writing a guest blog for my site? Would love to share your ideas! Submit your post here. Looking for a new book to read? Find these available at bit.ly/Pothbooks
************ Also, check out my THRIVEinEDU PodcastHere!
Join my show on THRIVEinEDU on Facebook. Join the group here.
AI isn’t coming—it’s already here. It has been embedded in the various educational platforms we use and the assessments we give. It’s likely involved in both the professional development we participate in and the writing and work that our students are doing.
As an educator, speaker, and advocate for technology integration, I’ve spent a lot of time researching, using, and teaching with AI so that I can prepare students and other educators. In my classroom, from using a variety of AI tools that help me save time so I can spend it working with students to integrating chatbots to support student learning, I see the value and impact of leveraging this technology. If we want our students to be ready for their future careers, we must start teaching them about AI. They need to move beyond being consumers of content and instead become creators and innovators.
Where Do We See AI?
For educators, many AI-powered platforms help us to target instruction, assess students, and find resources for our lessons.
Confidence building: Encouraging students to speak in class can be a challenge. At the end of 2023, I started to use SchoolAI with my students and created a “Sidekick” for them to have conversations in Spanish based on the content that I used for the prompt. They loved it—it not only helped them build language skills and confidence but also showed how AI can support their learning. MagicSchool AI is another great option, with a tutor function that helps students in areas where they need support. Both of these tools also have historical characters that students can chat with and other features to enhance learning. I love that I can monitor student responses, provide additional support, and adjust instruction as needed.
Using Eduaide, teachers can kick off a class debate with pros and cons and an outline to quickly get started, and they can also develop other collaborative and engaging activities for students.
For language learners, confidence matters. Snorkl enables students to practice speaking and receive real-time AI and teacher feedback. The AI gives real-time feedback on fluency and pronunciation, helping students grow as communicators and build confidence. Snorkl can be used with students starting in kindergarten, and it has a library full of ready-to-use activities. Throughout the times I have used Snorkl or one of the chatbots, the feedback provided has been tailored to each student’s responses and offered insights and examples to support their learning.
Continue reading the rest of this post on Edutopia.
About Rachelle
Dr. Rachelle Dené Poth is a Spanish and STEAM: What’s Next in Emerging Technology Teacher at Riverview High School in Oakmont, PA. Rachelle is also an attorney with a Juris Doctor degree from Duquesne University School of Law and a Master’s in Instructional Technology. Rachelle received her Doctorate in Instructional Technology, and her research focus was on AI and Professional Development. In addition to teaching, she is a full-time consultant and works with companies and organizations to provide PD, speaking, and consulting services. Contact Rachelle for your event!
Rachelle is an ISTE-certified educator and community leader who served as president of the ISTE Teacher Education Network. By EdTech Digest, she was named the EdTech Trendsetter of 2024, one of 30 K-12 IT Influencers to follow in 2021, and one of 150 Women Global EdTech Thought Leaders in 2022.
She is the author of ten books, including ‘What The Tech? An Educator’s Guide to AI, AR/VR, the Metaverse and More” and ‘How To Teach AI’. In addition, other books include, “In Other Words: Quotes That Push Our Thinking,” “Unconventional Ways to Thrive in EDU,” “The Future is Now: Looking Back to Move Ahead,” “Chart A New Course: A Guide to Teaching Essential Skills for Tomorrow’s World, “True Story: Lessons That One Kid Taught Us,” “Things I Wish […] Knew” and her newest “How To Teach AI” is available from ISTE or on Amazon.
Contact Rachelle to schedule sessions about Artificial Intelligence, AI and the Law, Coding, AR/VR, and more for your school or event! Submit the Contact Form.
Follow Rachelle on Bluesky, Instagram, and X at @Rdene915
**Interested in writing a guest blog for my site? Would love to share your ideas! Submit your post here. Looking for a new book to read? Find these available at bit.ly/Pothbooks
************ Also, check out my THRIVEinEDU PodcastHere!
Join my show on THRIVEinEDU on Facebook. Join the group here.
Learning as I go: Reflections & lessons learned 