Effective Student-Facing AI Strategies
Presenter: John Ashworth and Justin Howell
Description: As student-facing AI tools become more common in classrooms, educators need practical strategies for using them in ways that are safe, purposeful, and instructionally sound. This session explores how teachers can integrate AI to support student learning through study assistance, tutoring, feedback, and preparation for unit and state assessments. Participants will begin by examining key concerns and safety considerations, including privacy, accuracy, student dependency, and appropriate guardrails for use. The session will then highlight a range of student-facing AI approaches, including external education AI providers, internally developed tools such as chatbots and voice bots, and classroom-ready implementation strategies. Educators will also engage in a guided activity designed to help them create and train their own chatbot for a specific instructional purpose. Attendees will leave with practical examples, planning ideas, and a clearer framework for leveraging AI to expand student support while maintaining strong instructional oversight.