This year, ISTE came at the perfect time - coinciding with the last week of school! That was sarcasm, but in all seriousness, this conference provides a timely opportunity to wrap up the school year, reflect on our accomplishments, and appreciate the collaborative efforts within our own districts and our valued partners. ISTE serves as a showcase and culmination of the year, bridging the gap between the school year and a well-deserved summer break.
During this year's conference, I had the privilege of connecting with educators from around the world - some familiar faces and some new ones. Below are my standout moments and key takeaways (listed in no particular order):
Putting the A in STEAM
Heading into ISTE, I was most excited for Ethan Mollick's keynote. To my surprise, one of my biggest takeaways came from Dr. Merritt Moore, a professional ballet dancer AND an accomplished quantum physicist with degrees from both Harvard AND Oxford - yes, you read that correctly! After her keynote, she performed a beautiful piece that combined ballet and robotics. Remarkably, she had only met and programmed the robot the day before. This performance truly exemplified the integration of art into STEAM!
What resonated with me most was the harmonious relationship between humans and technology. This reinforced my belief that when we use technology for good and preserve our unique human qualities, we can greatly enhance creativity and innovation. I had the pleasure of connecting with Dr. Moore afterward, and I am thrilled to announce that she has agreed to be a guest on the podcast - stay tuned for more!
The Generative Age: An AI Symposium
I had the absolute pleasure of moderating a star-studded panel featuring Carl Hooker, Ken Shelton, Vicki Davis, Donnie Piercey, Tim Needles, and Matt Miller. The questions tackled tough, often overlooked topics and showcased the panelists' expertise in areas such as academic integrity, intellectual property, safety and monitoring, anthropomorphizing, bias and discrimination, and cultivating a culture that supports failure and innovation.
This lively, gamified discussion had panelists competing to earn points, while audience members voted on the best responses to each question. The panelists had no idea what they were in for (aside from one question provided in advance), making the discussion even more exciting. Participants left with practical, actionable insights gathered from the panelists. See below for one participant's sketch notes. If you missed it, you need to check out the recording; which has been posted as a podcast episode - it's a must-watch!
Shine Bright Like a Diamond
Another highlight from ISTE was exhibiting our elementary students' stellar work at Camp Creativity! This project was a collaborative effort involving the classroom teacher Marina Pisto-Lombardo (pictured above), the library media specialist, the art teacher, and myself. It beautifully combined writing, research, art, and artificial intelligence (both text-based and image-based).
I am extremely passionate about providing students with opportunities to share their work beyond the confines of their classroom walls. By offering authentic, "AI-proof," learning experiences, we motivate them to step up and shine - and they certainly rose to the challenge! Learn more about the project and check out the student's work.
Empowering Leaders to Adapt to the AI-Driven Future
During this session, I had the privilege of discussing insights from my book's key chapters. I participated in an engaging discussion with leaders worldwide, including participants from as far as Singapore! Key takeaways included the importance of embracing AI rather than banning it, and recognizing that neglecting to teach students AI skills perpetuates a new form of digital divide, one that's unrelated to socioeconomic status. AI continues to drive transformative change, prompting us to rethink the future of teaching, learning, and assessment. The session was recorded by ISTE, so feel free to go back and watch and take my resources back to your own district!
AI Arcade
I had the honor of leading two sessions in the AI arcade and thoroughly enjoyed the "model lesson" format. It provided participants with an immersive learning experience and equipped them with the knowledge and tools needed to bring the lessons back to their schools/districts. We debugged creativity and innovation and uncovered inherent bias and discrimination embedded in AI models, revealing their true colors firsthand. Thank you to all who contributed!
Tech and Learning's ISTE Pre-Summit
It was a delight to connect with and learn from colleagues nationwide at one of my favorite events of the year: Tech&Learning's ISTE Pre-Summit (at the Denver Zoo)! A standout moment was seeing a group of students I mentor (ages 8-17) shine on a panel at the event. The 8-year-old student received applause for her comment: You need to teach us about AI. How else will we learn? If you don't prepare us, we will not be successful when we are older.
Additional ISTE Highlights:
- Participating in ISTE's AI Innovation Slam and gaining insights from some remarkable educators.
- Honoring Tim Needles for winning ISTE’s prestigious Making it Happen Award and celebrating his birthday at the Denver Zoo!
- Celebrating fellow NYSCATE Board members Sean Arnold and Jackie Patanio for winning ISTE’s 20 to Watch Award.
- Drawing inspiration from ignite talks, including our very own NYSCATE TED-Style Talk program mentors Marina Pisto-Lombardo and Tim Needles, along with participants Stacy Hawthorne and Alyssa Sabbatino.
- Partnering with WeVideo and SchoolAI to highlight creativity and innovation, amplifying student voice through technology.
- Being immersed in the Poetry Slam - one of my favorite after-hours events of the conference!
- ...and so much more!
After the action-packed conference, I definitely needed a break. I decided to completely disconnect and explore the breathtaking state of Colorado- take a look at this reel I made! I spent several days unwinding, reading a (paper) fiction novel at the historic Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, famously known as The Shining Hotel, where Stephen King found inspiration for his book. Fun fact: although the movie wasn't filmed there, Dumb and Dumber was! One night, I even stayed in a "spirited" room! During my time in Colorado, I explored the majestic Rocky Mountain National Park where I spotted a moose and touched snow... in July! I also visited Grand Lake and Boulder, concluding my trip with an unexpected highlight after my flight was canceled: an unforgettable performance by Nas and The Colorado Symphony (yes, Nas with a symphony!) at the legendary Red Rocks Amphitheater- talk about turning lemons into lemonade! This is a reminder to take time to detach, unwind, and do things that inspire you this summer.
Spotlight 🔦
Education Meets AI
The School Administrators Association of NYS (SAANYS) recently released its magazine in collaboration with NYSCATE titled Education Meets AI. In the featured article, "A is for AI: Generative AI is Transforming the World. Here’s How Schools Are Next" (pages 5-8), I was fortunate to be quoted, discussing the transformative potential of AI in education, along with examples of "AI-proof" assignments successfully implemented in my district.
Additionally, I had the privilege to contribute an article titled "Empowering Leaders to Adapt to the AI-Driven Future" (pages 13-15), where I explored strategies to prepare educational leaders for the evolving landscape influenced by AI. It's exciting to see how AI is shaping the future of education, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to share insights within this important dialogue alongside esteemed leaders in New York State.
Tech & Learning, in partnership with PowerSchool, brought together school district experts to share advice on:
Part 1 - Implementing AI guidelines and best practices, as well as communicating the facts and myths about how the right AI tools can be used to support teaching and learning.
Part 2 - Training your staff to be comfortable with the integration of AI tools, as well as supporting students with using the AI tools that can help with their success.
Speaking and Customized PD 🗓️
I'm now booking summer engagements throughout the country! Next up: Tennesse, New Jersey, and Washington State - I have some availability... could you be next?! If you're interested in having me work with your teachers or administrative team, please reach out or reply to this email. Here are some of the topics I've been booked for recently:
- Empowering Leaders to Adapt to the AI-Driven Future: Exploring the role of AI in education, its applications in administrative tasks, and methods for evaluating AI use in teacher observations.
- The Future of Teaching, Learning, and Assessments: Adapting to a world with AI in education.
- Breaking Bias: Addressing (and teaching about) AI bias and discrimination.
- Debugging Creativity and Imagination: The intersection of AI and creative writing.
- ...and much more!
Feel free to contact me to discuss how I can support you and your team!
Catch me if you can 🗓️
7/12 @ 1:15 EST- NAMLE - (National Association for Media Literacy Education) - Breaking Bias: Media Literacy in The Generative Age (Virtual)
7/17 @ 9:30 CDT- United: The National Conference on School Leadership (Powered by NAESP and NASSP) - Bot or Not?! Decoding Dishonesty, AI Ethics, and Promoting Academic Integrity (Nashville, TN)
7/17 @ 2 pm EST - SWBOCES DEI Summer Institute - Breaking Bias: AI/Media Literacy in The Generative Age (Virtual or Live - Westchester, NY)
7/18 3:00 EST- WeVideo's PD Palooza - Enhance Your Lessons and Lift Student Voice In the Elementary School Classroom (Virtual)
8/1 @ 8:30 - 1:00 EST - NYSCATE's Integrating AI for Success: Transforming Education Through AI - Featured speakers include Ken Shelton, Holly Clark, and more! (Virtual)
Catch up on recent episodes 🎙️
- Shades of Gray + AI in the Language Classroom with Matt Miller
- Student-Facing AI in the (Elementary) Classroom with Holly Clark
The Generative Age Book 📚
My book The Generative Age: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Education is now available on Amazon and Barnes and Nobel! If you've already bought a copy, thank you! If you're interested in a bulk discount, reach out or reply to this email.
Until next time!
Alana Winnick
