AI in the Classroom Consulting Services
The advent of artificial intelligence (AI) in our schools presents unprecedented opportunities and challenges. We invite you to join a vibrant community of educators to explore the multifaceted impacts of AI.
CES Curriculum and Instruction Specialists work with schools, districts, and educators to provide professional development, educator and organizational consulting, and useful frameworks and tools to address emerging questions in this quickly moving landscape. We assist disttricts and schools in developing policies and protocols around AI, and provide training and coaching with educators and administrators around the use and decision-making about available AI applications.
NEW! Generative AI: A Critical Engagement Toolkit
Take advantage of this free, downloadable CES Toolkit. As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes more ubiquitous in the world around us, schools can be a crucial site where students learn how AI works, gain the skills to effectively use AI-based technologies (or choose not to), design AI systems, and critically examine AI and its effects. Questions about how AI might support or detract from teaching and learning, influence the nature of assessment, and impact the future of work are being asked urgently.
A CES team of specialists including Rebecca Mazur, Casey Daigle, Sahara Pradhan, and Suzanne Judson-Whitehouse has been working to understand relevant research and practices, and to develop tools to support educators and administrators in their efforts to address these questions. They have created a toolkit to help students and teachers engage in dynamic processes of reflection and action as they explore generative AI.
Join a CES AI Community
AI in the Classroom PLC
A professional learning space where educators with any level of AI experience or acceptance can explore artificial intelligence as a topic as well as develop their own practices around the use of generative AI in classrooms with students. Educators can find their own access point, deepen their understanding of how AI tools work through exploration and collaboration, consider how they can be leveraged for various aspects of teaching, and design student learning experiences and assessments that are enhanced by AI (rather than subverted); and/or -thoughtfully explore selected AI tools and align them to promising instructional practices.
AI Community of Practice for School Leaders
These sessions will support superintendents and district level administrators to develop district policies, guidelines, recommended practices and professional development around the use of artificial intelligence (particularly generative AI) in schools and classrooms. We will work together to create a space where participants can anticipate and proactively navigate potential challenges of AI as well as examine the range of benefits for teachers and students. This community of practice will give school leaders the tools and resources to create thoughtful and supportive cultures for engagement with AI in their schools and districts.
Bring our Specialists to your School or District
CES can delivery a wide array of cost effective in-district professional development tailored to your school or district needs, audiences, and timeframe. Scroll down to see a few of the many targeted professional development offerings designed and led by CES facilitators. These courses and workshops are designed to empower educators across all disciplines with the knowledge and skills to navigate the evolving landscape of AI. Dive into critical discussions and find valuable insights and practical solutions on how AI can reshape educational policies, influence creativity, and integrate into teaching practices while maintaining a focus on equity and bias.
Some workshops have open enrollment dates scheduled, and these will be listed in Upcoming Events.
Creating Your AI School Policy
Is it time for your district to consider establishing AI policies and procedures? In this workshop we’ll use the CES AI Policy Creation Guide for School Districts to draft policy language customized to each participant’s unique settings.
Generative AI: Critical Engagement Toolkit
Participants will explore the CES Generative AI engagement toolkit designed to support critical thinking and reflective engagement with multiple technical, social, socio-emotional and ethical dimensions of generative AI.
Understanding and Commanding AI: Playful Prompt Engineering
Novices or advanced beginners will learn what AI is good at — its strengths and limitations — and how to decide when AI is a good tool. They will also learn how AI “thinks”, and tailor commands accordingly. This is called prompt engineering, and we’ll cover several techniques for getting the most out of AI.
AI and Equity in Schools
This workshop will explore the important topics of AI and equity as we consider the ways that AI is interacting with and impacting education. Participants will build a high level understanding of how AI works, and how bias and discrimination show up in AI tools and their deployment, particularly in educational contexts. We’ll cover ways to use AI to support equity, and develop a set of guiding principles for equitable and ethical use of AI.
Cite-Seeing With AI: A Perplexity Adventure
Most students & educators want to use Chat GPT as a research assistant, but it isn’t always a good solution because it provides zero transparency about the source of its answers. In many cases, This prevents users from the critical inquiry and reflection that AI requires. Also, Chat GPT users must be over the age of 16 and they’re required to provide access to significant amounts of personal data. Perplexity.ai is free to use, requires no login, and provides sources for all of the information it produces.
Using genAI to Spark Creativity
What happens at the intersection of human creativity and AI tools? In this fully asynchronous, four-week, online course, participants will explore genAI as a tool to spark their own creativity and as a classroom tool to infuse their lessons with laughter, fun, and joy. Participants will understand how generative artificial intelligence (genAI) functions, with a focus on image generating tools; and use genAI to spark creativity in their chosen area of expression (writing, visual arts, crafts, etc).
Meet the AI in the Classroom Team
Casey Daigle
Casey has been co-creating with educators and edtech for 14 years. As the Digital Learning Manager for the Collaborative for Educational Services (CES), Casey's work explores how we invite connection and imagination through technology. Her expertise centers on program development, instructional design, change management, facilitation, and the creation of learning experiences that are differentiated and personalized with fidelity to the content. She works with PreK-12 teachers, administrators, and edtech leaders across Massachusetts and beyond, to explore how tech can transform teaching and learning, better connect us as humans, and create more equity and inclusion.
Casey revels in learning alongside those she works with. Her personalized approach to professional development supports learners to explore possibilities as they discover how Google and other tools and a little imagination can revolutionize their work. She prioritizes flexible learning design with meaningful hands-on, confidence-building activities that can be adjusted to learner preferences and experiences.
Casey is an ISTE Certification Authorized Provider, ISTE Certified Educator, Google Certified Trainer. She is a Board Member for MassCUE, appointed 2023-2025.
Learn more about:
Among Casey's recent presentations and professional development have been
- Co-presenting with Bethany Emery at the MassCUE Spring Leadership Conference in 2023, on Worcester Public Schools Teacher Leaders Moving the Needle on Innovation and Integration (video available)
- Co-presenting with Jen Thomas the MassCUE Digital Citizenship Summer Webinar Series, 2023
- Co-presented with Suzanne Judson-Whitehouse and Carrie Rogers-Whitehead on Leveling Up DigCit Skills with AI, an edWeb.net webinar in January of 2023; available on the edWeb.net website
- Presenting Grading for Equity Book Study course
- Co-presenting with Shawn Fortin, Belchertown Public Schools, Dazzling Digital Doom Delayers, at MassCUE Fall Conference 2023
- Co-presenting with Rebecca Mazur, Ph.D.; André Morgan, Ph.D., EdLD; Todd Gazda, Ed.D., JD; Is Virtual Reality Right for Our District? at the 2023 MASC/MASS Jt. Conference
"There are not many PDs that give us knowledge to add directly to our teachers' tricks suitcase, which yours always do; and I always am looking for that in PD. Let me just say this from the heart, you make me a better teacher, and I appreciate that priceless gift.”
–Teacher, Belchertown Public Schools
Position: Digital Learning Manager
Email: cdaigle@collaborative.org
Phone: (413) 588-7050
Suzanne Judson-Whitehouse
Suzanne Judson-Whitehouse is the CES Online Learning Manager. In this role, she leads the development of online courses with a focus on inclusive practices for online course development, faculty training and multi-media and production services in support of online (synchronous and asynchronous) instructional programs offered through CES. She works collaboratively with Subject Matter Experts and educators to create engaging and accessible online learning experiences. Suzanne is also part of the ISTE Certification Team at CES. This blended course is part of the ISTE Certification process which focuses on the use of educational technology for learning in meaningful and transformative ways. She has expertise in adult learning theory and practice, Google Workspace for Education, Universal Design for Learning, Media Production, and multiple learning management systems.
During her time with CES, Suzanne has provided one-on-one coaching in technology integration for K-12 teachers, graduate-level program faculty and professional development consultants, including webinar support and development. She led blended educator preparation programs as the CES Director of Licensure and Credentialing; and she has facilitated and co-facilitated workshops in:
- Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- Canvas
- Google Workspaces for Education
- Project-based learning with a focus on technology integration
- Design thinking and Makerspaces
- Gamification
- Copyright & Clearances for Educators
- ISTE Standards for Students & Educators
She has a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of New Hampshire, a Master’s Degree in Technology Integration from Marlboro College Graduate School and a Social Media Certificate from Drury University (Missouri). Suzanne’s interests lie in the fields of blended learning, technology integration in K-12 schools, makerspaces and creativity in education, games and gamification, and adult pedagogy.
Learn more about:
CES Educational Technology Services
Suzanne’s recent presentations include
- AI: Impact on Education, Virtual Panelist, MassCUE Better Together, April 2024
- Copyright in the Age of AI as part of the MassCUE Digital Citizenship Summer Webinar Series and at CUE Camp West, 2023
- Copyright, Fair Use, Creative Commons in the age of AI in the MassCUE Digital Citizenship Summer Webinar Series, 2023
- Copyright for Educators in a Digital Age, one-day workshop for teachers and school librarians, April 2018
- Co-presented: Mythbusting the ISTE Standards (ISTELive 2023)
- Co-presented: Deepening Digital Citizenship: Building Capacity to Change School Culture (ISTELive 2023)
- Co-facilitated: Grading for Equity Book Study course, 2022-2023 School Year
- Co-presented: Leveling Up DigCit Skills with AI, edWeb.net webinar in January of 2023
- Co-presented: Transform Your Practice With the ISTE Standards, VT-Fest Conference, November 2021
- Introduction to Educational Technology, one semester graduate level course for preservice and in-service educators (taught since 2016)
Position: Online Learning Manager
Rebecca Mazur Ph.D.
Rebecca Mazur, PhD is an educational researcher and evaluator, and a former high school librarian. She has designed and conducted studies investigating a variety of educational phenomena including system factors that support or constrain student learning outcomes, teacher support networks, instructional interventions for adolescent learners, and organizational collaboration. Her scholarship has been published in a number of respected peer-reviewed journals including Educational Administration Quarterly, Evaluation and Program Planning, and Educational Management Administration and Leadership.
Rebecca is part of a CES team that has completed extensive work to research emerging educational technologies including virtual reality and artificial intelligence, and provides consultation, professional development to K-12 educators, administrators, schools, and districts.
Position: Senior Evaluation Research Specialist
Email: rmazur@collaborative.org
Sahara Pradhan M.Ed.
Sahara Pradhan is an experienced researcher and evaluator with a focus on qualitative methods and applied social research. She is currently completing a PhD at the College of Education at UMass-Amherst, and just completed a term as managing editor of Comparative Education Review. She is also pursuing a graduate certificate in feminist studies and draws on interdisciplinary theories and methodologies to inform her research.
Sahara is part of a CES team that has completed extensive work to research emerging educational technologies including virtual reality and artificial intelligence, and provides consultation, professional development to K-12 educators, administrators, schools, and districts.
Position: Research and Evaluation Specialist
Email: spradhan@collaborative.org
Angela Burke, M.Ed.
Angela Burke, M.Ed, oversees CES Professional Services teams that include Professional Development, Licensure, Research and Evaluation, and Healthy Families and Communities. Burke has over 20 years of experience in managing technology across K-12, Higher Education and Fortune 100 settings. She has extensive experience in K-12 curriculum and professional development planning. She has been the Director of Technology for school districts in Ohio and Massachusetts, Associate Director of Academic Computing at Barnard College and Help Desk & Acquisition Services Manager for Johnson Controls and a middle school classroom teacher/team leader.
Angela has a Master’s Degree in Adult Education and Curriculum, is a Google Certified Educator and has been an adjunct faculty member in the Schools of Education at Miami University of Ohio, University of Dayton, Wright State University and Westfield State University.
Position: Director of Professional Services
Email: aburke@collaborative.org