"What the Heck is AI and How Do I Use It?"

I've presented at the North Carolina Technology in Education Society (NCTIES) conference two years in a row — and both times reinforced why I care so deeply about making education research accessible to the people actually in classrooms. In 2023, I joined a panel on teacher retention — "Attracting the Next Generation of Educators: Lessons Learned from an Undergraduate Intern Program" — collaborating with school leaders on strategies to support and keep great teachers. But the one I'm most proud of came in 2024. I led my own working session: "What the Heck is AI and How Do I Use It?" The room had 100 educators in it. We broke down what AI actually is, cut through the hype, and explored real, practical ways to use it in the classroom. Every attendee left with a resource guide they could use the next day. No jargon. No fear. Just tools. That's the kind of work I want to keep doing.