Using AI Tools to Facilitate Better Teaching and Learning

William M. Ferriter

Please have access to a charged device (tablet or laptop recommended). You are encouraged to have a ChatGPT login set up and ready to use.

ChatGPT—one of the most valuable technology tools for teachers and learners—became widely available in fall 2022. Since then, artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT have taken education by storm. 

Teachers use these tools to create new content, differentiate instruction, identify strategies for teaching and reteaching concepts to students, and work efficiently and effectively. Just as importantly, high school students use these tools to improve their understanding of complex ideas, identify new paths of learning in areas of personal interest, and receive targeted feedback on their work products.

Because AI tools are changing how we work and learn, classroom teachers must reflect on their potential and understand their limitations.

Participants in this session:

• Learn what artificial intelligence is and how it works.

• Discuss the potential and limitations of artificial intelligence tools.

• Examine how teachers can use artificial intelligence tools to facilitate meaningful learning experiences.

What Does Answering the Four PLC Questions Look and Sound Like?

Jasmine K. Kullar

You have learned about the foundation and building blocks of a PLC within the three big ideas. Jasmine K. Kullar goes deeper into the work of teacher teams in a PLC.

What does it mean when we say that teams need to collaborate? The collaboration is not about what’s being taught on Monday or Tuesday. It is about the four fundamental questions. Dr. Kullar explores each question in depth so participants get a better understanding of what the work entails for collaborative teams.

Participants in this session:

• Explore the four fundamental questions of a PLC.

• Reflect on the current reality of the PLC work as it relates to the four questions.

• Develop next steps for each PLC question.

Are We a Group or a Team?

Mike Mattos

Collaborative teacher teams are the engine that drives a PLC. When these teams are highly engaged in the right work, student learning accelerates … and when they are not, learning sputters and stalls. Because teachers have traditionally been required to attend grade-level or departmental team meetings, schools often mistakenly assume that merely renaming these gatherings “PLC time” represents teacher collaboration. The act of meeting together does not make a team, but instead, merely a group.

Participants in this session:

• Assess if they are currently part of a group or a team.

• Review the essential work of teacher teams in a PLC.

• Learn how to successfully navigate team disagreements.

• Leave with specific action steps to improve your teacher team.

Proven, Practical, and Doable: Making the Case for PLCs at Work

Mike Mattos

As a profession, we face unprecedented times. Never in our history has success in K–12 education been more vital to every child’s success, and never have educators faced such daunting challenges amplified by a global pandemic and social strife. How we, as educators, respond to these realities will have a profound impact for generations. 

Mike Mattos makes the case that our best hope for overcoming these obstacles and ensuring all students succeed is to become a true PLC. Participants learn the guiding principles and essential actions of the PLC at Work process, assess their progress, and consider next steps in their PLC journey.

Transforming School Culture: New Insights

Anthony Muhammad

Anthony Muhammad addresses the issue of conflicting agendas within schools. A high-performing school has a very clear purpose—high levels of learning for all students. Participants examine the barriers to aligning individual agendas with the organization’s agenda and what all parties must do to develop the synergy necessary to guarantee learning. The theoretical framework developed by Dr. Muhammad in the book Transforming School Culture: How to Overcome Staff Division, 2nd Edition (Solution Tree, 2018) is examined as the basis for developing a collaborative culture.

Participants in this session:

• Learn how staff division develops and how to prevent it.

• Develop strategies that heal old social and professional wounds.

• Examine how to create an environment where every professional can thrive.

Common Assessments: The Key to Uncommon Results for Student and Teacher Learning

Maria Nielsen

The secret is out: Common formative assessments are the key to improving student learning! Formative assessments are powerful when teams of teachers create assessments in common, then share and discuss the results. This collaborative process leads to a dramatic increase in student learning and improved teaching practices.

Maria Nielsen provides proven tools to use common assessments across grade levels and departments and illustrates practical strategies for implementing and using assessments to substantially improve student and adult learning.

Participants in this session:

• Examine the benefits of using common assessment as a grade level or department.

• Understand the balance between formative and summative assessments.

• Gain formative assessment tools to increase student and adult learning.

• Discover quick and easy ways to look at data and drill down to individual students.

Cultivating Educator Wellness for Leading and Living the PLC Life!

Regina Stephens Owens

In an educational landscape marked by increasing demands, recognizing that educator well-being directly impacts student success and teacher retention is essential. Regina Stephens Owens provides an immersive experience designed to equip educators with tools, strategies, and routines that prioritize well-being, leading to improved student outcomes and increased job satisfaction.

Using the research-affirmed educator wellness framework built by Timothy D. Kanold and Tina H. Boogren, this session guides educators of all levels and backgrounds in bringing their best selves to students through daily routines and strategies that impact the achievements of educators and students alike.

Participants gain insight into:

• Foundational research, theory, and practice for daily educator wellness and well-being to enhance student achievement

• A research-affirmed educator wellness framework that can be utilized by individuals, teams, schools, or entire districts as part of their professional development plan

• Simple but powerful routines, strategies, and tools that can be implemented immediately to support the mental and emotional health of all educators 

Small Schools and Singletons: Wired for Rigor and Relevance

Regina Stephens Owens

Singleton teachers are accustomed to seeking solutions and understanding opportunities as they arise. Operating efficiently and effectively within a PLC can be challenging. Team members must collaborate on common denominators, work with peers to improve professional practices and student learning, leverage technology, and authentically engage in the PLC at Work process.

Regina Stephens Owens shows how to use best practices in collaboration, and participants learn how to design action plans supporting the work of schools and singleton teachers in a PLC.

Participants can expect to:

• Gain clarity on connecting in a PLC.

• Seek solutions for successful partnering.

• Learn to function effectively in a PLC.

Transformed People Transform People

Regina Stephens Owens

Becoming a PLC requires that we become learners and embrace collective responsibility as we commit to continuous improvement.

Transformational learning is a matter of belief. What we believe about people impacts every process and procedure we deploy. Educators deserve both a life and a career. Let’s design environments and experiences that ensure they learn. Regina Stephens Owens discusses the essentials required to develop a community of learners and a culture of collective responsibility.

Participants in this session learn to:

• Design a culture based on mission, vision, and values.

• Create learning environments to ensure adults experience transformational learning.

• Learn to coach competency, not just compliance.

Yes We Can! Moving Beyond Labels Through the Partnership Between General and Special Educators

Jeanne Spiller

When teams commit to the PLC at Work process—dedicated to high levels of learning for all students, a critical step is examining personal and systemic beliefs about students, themselves, and learning. Teams must then ensure that all systems align to bring this vision to life.

By focusing on closing gaps between all students and those with identified needs, Jeanne Spiller reviews the core concepts and associated strategies of inclusive practices.

Participants in this session:

• Examine the core concepts and aligned practices that strengthen a collective commitment and the shared ownership required to ensure high levels of learning for all.

• Reflect on practices that do and do not align with the belief that all students can learn at high levels and identify key next steps for moving forward.