"AI isn’t just a productivity tool—
it’s a thinking partner for teachers
and a learning system for schools."
AI chatbots are here to stay, providing instant, 24/7 convenience, improving efficiency by automating routine tasks and saving time, and offering personalized learning based on needs and interests. With their capabilities continuously finding their way into the classroom, learn how individual teachers can get better this week, and how school leaders can move beyond anecdotes and start using actual evidence in planning for professional learning!
To responsibly integrate AI chatbots, schools must move beyond viewing them as simple tools and instead treat them as strategic partners requiring governance, transparency, and human oversight:
Foster a "Trust but Verify" mindset, requiring staff and students to vet all AI-generated citations and data.
Rethink assessment to discourage simple "copy-paste" behaviors and require learners to explain submitted work and explain how AI is used in the process.
Ensure all students have equitable access to AI tools and the necessary training to use them effectively, preventing further widening of educational gaps.
Treat AI ethics as a core pillar in the curriculum so that teachers and students practice ethical ways of using these new tools in learning and productivity.
Designed for all AI users, this session offers practical, ready-to-implement strategies for you and your schools, replacing our work in isolation, not our professionalism.
John Schembari, EdD, is a school improvement consultant and former school/district administrator. Currently, he partners with the Center for Educational Innovation, Fordham University, CUNY/Brooklyn College, New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association, TNTP, and the School Culture and Climate Initiative in this work. He has led previous Worthy Incubators on Teacher Facing Uses of AI and Student Facing Uses of AI, and he is the author of, "Reclaiming AI for Learning: Empowering Students" in the summer 2025 issue of Legacy: Transformation in Action.
Norman Eng, Ed.D. serves as Doctoral Lecturer for the School of Education at Brooklyn College, City University of New York. His work focuses on instructional pedagogy for both K12 and higher education, including how generative artificial intelligence can be leveraged responsibly and ethically in teaching and learning. He is the founder of EducationXDesign and he is author of Teaching College: The Ultimate Guide to Lecturing, Presenting, and Engaging Students, and/or download a free PDF guide, 7 Proven Steps to Planning, Teaching, and Engaging Students, at NormanEng.org.
