For more than a decade, I’ve led in-person and virtual professional learning for educators around technology integration. All with the hopes of making EdTech, or educational technology, a little bit easier for teachers. In the past, this focused on ways to use digital tools to promote creativity, check for understanding, and curate high-interest digital resources to share with students.
As you’ve probably already experienced in your own work, the past few years have been particularly interesting (and fast-moving) as it relates to EdTech and the use of classroom technology. With artificial intelligence on the scene, the number of tools at teachers’ fingertips have increased.
Whether in the form of chatbots like ChatGPT or Gemini, or AI-powered tools for educators like Brisk Teaching or Kira Learning, there are lots of options to leverage Generative AI for instructional planning (and prepare students to use AI tools, too).
In my work with educators the past few years there are plenty of things I’ve learned from hosting in-person workshops and informal conversations before and after a keynote presentation. A webinar is a special kind of interaction where some participants are more active or more passive, might join live or watch a replay, and the feedback from the group is different than picking up on cues when you’re all together in the same space.
What I’ve Learned from Hosting Webinars About AI
With artificial intelligence on the mind, I wanted to share five things I’ve learned from hosting webinars about AI that you can take into your own teaching, coaching or leadership practice.
Provide time to try
Webinars and online workshops don’t have to be a one-way, all talk experience for participants. Although AI tools like ChatGPT feel like they’ve been around for awhile now, provide time for the group to try out a chatbot. If you’re concerned that the group you’re working with has a wide range of experiences (ex. Brand new to pretty well-versed) provide a few “next level tips” for the more experienced folks to try out.
Consider a series (instead of a one-time event)
There are many reasons why a single webinar might be the best fit for a group. However, if you can host a few sessions this is a great way to break down a big topic and provide additional processing time. When I host a workshop series I find that the questions during our second session or third session together often stem from what participants tried out after the first time we connected.
Include something low stakes
You can address the very valid concerns connected to the use of artificial intelligence (ex. Environmental impact, bias in responses) while still including an activity for participants that is low stakes. For example, if I’m introducing tips for using AI-generated media as a supplemental resource for students, I will often encourage participants to take part in an activity where they create an image with a school mascot or favorite animal as the subject.
Provide options for exploration
As I mentioned earlier, I like to provide opportunities for participants to try something out right away. Sometimes a group I’m working with has already set up an account for a popular tool. And other times participants are understandably hesitant to create one more login to remember. I try to provide options to explore that don’t require them to login. Same things goes with creating an account to a new tool. For example, DuckAI and PadletTA are two tools you can use without signing in.
Make resources available (and interactive)
Depending on the webinar session or series I host, I usually make an interactive document (like a Google Doc) with any prompts and links I share with the group. This makes it easy for someone to “make a copy” and then add their own favorites or takeaways. Usually I share this resource with the group at the end of the session. This way I can add in any last minute links or resources that come up in our conversations or Q&A.
What have been your biggest takeaways from virtual learning experiences like webinars? What have you learned about AI use you are taking into the school year? Send a note my way, just reply to my Monday newsletter (sign up here) or reach out on Instagram.
