aiEDU

🗣️ aiEDU's own Alex Kotran weighs in with some takeaways after last week's executive order focused on AI and education. 🗣️ Read more below for how Alex is thinking about the important work ahead. As he notes: the executive order is an important validation of the importance of focusing on AI readiness in education ... but it is "the starting line, not the finish line." ↩️

𝗔𝗜 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗦𝘆𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘂𝗺 | 𝗠𝗶𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝗼𝗳𝘁 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗦𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗠𝗮𝘆 𝟯𝟬, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 𝗛𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 The Urban Assembly, Inc. & Amplify & Elevate Innovation We’re honored to convene 75 of the most forward-thinking district leaders from across New York City, New York State, New Jersey, and Connecticut for a powerful, one-day experience on responsible AI leadership in public education. This is not a showcase of tools. It’s an invitation-only opportunity to explore how AI can strengthen planning, communication, instruction, and family engagement — all in service of equity, clarity, and connection. We extend heartfelt thanks to Microsoft for generously opening up their iconic Times Square space for this gathering, and to aiEDU and Alex Kotran for their partnership and expertise in AI Literacy. 𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱? ☑️ 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 ☑️ 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 ☑️ 𝗗𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 ☑️ 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁:  • Hands-on, guided sessions using AI tools  • Real leadership challenges and real solutions  • Tangible work products you take back to your district  • Dialogue with peers, technologists, and policy experts  • A closing VIP reception to deepen connection and collaboration 𝗪𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱? There is no public registration link. To request an invitation, district leaders should contact: - David Adams (CEO, The Urban Assembly, Inc.) via email at ai@urbanassembly.org - Brett Roer (CEO, Amplify & Elevate Innovation) via DM on LinkedIn 𝙎𝙥𝙤𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙢𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙙, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙚 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙛𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙦𝙪𝙞𝙘𝙠𝙡𝙮. This is your seat at the table — not just to witness the future of AI in education, but to shape it.

What a wonderful conference experience, Running Remote! 🔥 I thoroughly enjoyed meeting so many other thought leaders in this space and hearing so many progressive discussions around how we can all continue to build more inclusive and engaged remote workforces. 💕 What drew me to aiEDU in the first place was it’s strong stance on a distributed workplace. No offices and no plans for back to office, ever. 🙏🏼 But what has troubled me over the last year has been how to keep our folks happy and connected to one another when we work across many timezones and calendars. Cue the Running Remote conference. 😎 I am leaving Austin feeling energized and equipped with some fresh and exciting ideas for 2025! ⚡️

🚀 Teamwork in action! The @NorthPointESC crew with the help of aiEDU is hard at work setting up for tomorrow’s NW Ohio AI Summit! Excited to welcome over 300 educators, innovators, and AI enthusiasts from across the region! Let’s make #OhioAISummit2025 unforgettable! Ohio Educational Service Center Association (OESCA) #InnovateOhio #OESCA #aiEDU #ChampioningEducation #NorthPointESC

O-H-AI-O! At last week’s Ohio AI Summit in Cincinnati, Geoff Smith told me, “I almost didn’t come… but then I saw your LinkedIn post about how hard everyone worked to set it up, and I’m so glad I came.” That was the nudge he needed. Who knows who will come tomorrow because of this post making sure another incredible ESC team gets their flowers? The NorthPoint ESC and aiEDU crews put in serious work today at the Glass City Center, setting the stage for tomorrow’s NW Ohio AI Summit — with a stunning view of the Toledo Mud Hens stadium! PS: Toledo is gorgeous. From really funky public art, rooftop views of the river, exploring this city was such a highlight. One of Ohio's Great Eight cities lives up to the hype! Big shoutout to ESC Lead Christine Danhoff for all of her incredible efforts in making sure 300+ educators and innovators are set for an unforgettable experience tomorrow! #NorthPointESC #aiEDU #OESCA #InnovateOhio

So excited to finally be able to announce one of the most exciting projects that aiEDU has ever embarked on: we're teaming up with The Burning Glass Institute and Salesforce to launch a $1M initiative to conduct quantitative and qualitative research to further align our AI Readiness Framework to labor market information so that we can better connect our competencies to the skills of the future. This is a big deal: it's going to help us level up our AI Readiness Framework into something that provides ed leaders with a finger on the pulse of the rapidly evolving demands of the workforce. I'm so excited to be working with Emily Anthony, Stuart Andreason, Carlo Salerno and the rest of the team at BGI. Stay tuned. Release is below! https://lnkd.in/gRJabMPw

🚨 Big news! aiEDU is teaming up with the The Burning Glass Institute and Salesforce to launch a major new initiative that helps schools and students prepare for the AI-driven workforce of tomorrow. With $1 million in support from Salesforce, we’re combining: 📊 Cutting-edge labor market research (led by BGI) 🧠 Practical, K–12-ready guidance (developed by aiEDU) ⚙️ Real-world alignment between what students learn and the skills employers need The initiative kicks off with a national study on how generative AI is reshaping skills across industries. These insights will power the next generation of our AI Readiness Framework—a blueprint to help schools build AI literacy and align instruction with emerging job demands. 🗣️ As our CEO @Alex Kotran put it: “In a world where AI is everywhere, one of the most important things we can understand is how it will affect people’s careers and the skills they need to thrive.” You can read more about the work on aiEDU's blog here: https://lnkd.in/gRJabMPw

🧐 Is this… real? How can I tell? If you’re a teacher, you’ve probably heard this question about deepfakes and disinformation. At aiEDU, we get it a lot too. That’s why our latest professional learning session is all about the REAL Approach—a practical, classroom-ready framework to help students (and educators!) spot what’s fake and what’s not. 💬 Here’s what teachers are saying about it: “Concrete… so easy for teachers to use!” “I can’t wait to share what I learned with colleagues.” “We need to keep at it!” 📣 Good news: there’s still time to register for TONIGHT’S session! Worried about deepfakes? Unsure how to help your students recognize what’s real? REGISTER HERE: https://lnkd.in/gdjkmTtx Join us. You’ll walk away with something you can use tomorrow.

Action shots from last week's AI Summit in Southwest Ohio. 400+ superintendents, assistant supes, and ed leaders from across the state (plus a badass delegation from NYC to boot!) Grateful to have the support and welcome from Ohio Dept. of Education and Workforce, and the team at Ohio Educational Service Center Association (OESCA), Montgomery County Educational Service Center, Brett Roer, Candice Sears, Craig E. Burford, Shannon Cox.

O-H-AI-O! You can’t always get 150 education leaders and educators across Southwest Ohio to agree on much, except that you must try Skyline Chili when you’re in Cincinnati. But right after our summit, the first 150 educators across Southwest Ohio to provide feedback were nearly unanimous on these key points: 💡 94% gave a perfect 5 out of 5 that the summit improved their understanding of AI. 💡 93% gave a perfect 5 out of 5 that the sessions were directly relevant to their educational work. 💡 96% gave a perfect 5 out of 5 that the content was well-organized and easy to follow. These AI Summits are incredibly hard work, and it takes so many organizations, partners, and individuals working together to make them worth an educator’s time. Taking a full day away from their classrooms and communities is a big decision, and it is not something any of us take lightly. That is why this feedback means so much, and why we are so committed to continuing to raise the bar. Some of my favorite quotes from attendees: 🗣️ “This was the best PD I’ve attended all year, engaging, current, and relevant.” 🗣️ “I now feel like I understand what AI can do for my students.” 🗣️ “It wasn’t just about tools, it was about mindsets and vision.” 🗣️ “I’m walking away with something I can apply in my classroom tomorrow.” One of my personal peak moments was joining the National Panel on AI in Education: Shaping the Future of Learning with Innovation and Responsibility alongside Candice Sears from Montgomery County Educational Service Center, Alana Winnick from Pocantico Hills CSD, Alex Kotran from aiEDU, Arman Jaffer from Brisk Teaching, and David Adams from The Urban Assembly, Inc. for a conversation that brought together voices from across nonprofit leadership, EdTech innovation, and K-12 education leadership. Being part of a powerhouse panel like this was truly humbling. 💡 Lightbulb Moments from Sessions: 💡 AI offers a real opportunity to give educators time back for high-impact work, but we must thoughtfully define what that time should prioritize. 💡 Foundational AI literacy is critical for safe, ethical, and transformative student experiences. 💡 Reimagining assessment around creativity, problem-solving, and deeper learning is essential. Next Stop: Toledo, Ohio on Thursday, May 1st! O-H-AI-O! Steven Iglesias Michael Conner, Ed.D. Eric Curts Shannon Cox Craig E. Burford #aiEDU #AmplifyAndElevate #AIinEducation #EducationInnovation #FutureReady #EdTechLeadership #MCESC