Supporting Literacy Through Creativity Using AI-Powered Tools - Jessica Peck...

I attended a workshop run by Jessica Peck at ISTE in Denver in 2024 so I knew that she was a presenter I wanted to lookout for. This workshop on Supporting Literacy Through Creativity Using AI-Powered Tools did not disappoint. One of the biggest hurdles I face when teaching a reading lesson is getting my students who struggle to understand the complexities of texts we unpack at our Year 7/8 level without diluting the content. This session focussed on 5 ways I could rethink how I do this and I can't wait to trial these in my classroom. I also realise form this session that I need to create posters for my classroom and class site that show how to use AI effectively - eg: How to prompt AI to create images, because once students understand how to create the task the cognitive load shifts from how to do the task to a focus on content. 

Click here for my notes from the workshop. All the resources shared can be found at this padlet

Gobs of Goodies from Google - Wanda Terral ...

Wanda Terral led this session. The focus was on the nuts and bolts of google apps, extensions and add-ons. The bullet points below capture what Wanda shared.This link bit.ly/googlegoodies opens the copy of this doc and will be updated so check back periodically to see updates

• Modify URL of doc to make a copy - Sir Links Alot - preview/template/force copy/PDF

• Customise chrome toolbar

• Reading mode removes ads etc on sites and just gives the text

• Create QR code

• Google translate

• Send to another device - other device needs to be signed into chrome to work

• Split view - opens 2 tabs at same time in split view - allows you to choose another open tab - can open 2 versions of same tab open at same time if need to make adaptations without copious scrolling - can adjust size of split

• Preview allows you to look at a doc or slides without opening it

• Shortcuts - ⌘ + /  in sheets/slides/docs allows you see the specific shortcuts available 

• www.googleforeducommunity.com 

• https://blog.kathyschrock.net/ - have a look at the ideas shared here

• Extensions

• Grabbit will get actual links from other sites etc

• Chrome capture and screenshot creates a 12 second animated GIF - has no audio so can be inserted into a google doc

• Magnifying glass will help enlarge text when you hover over it

• Screen Mask allows you to mask the text you are not using

• Search tools put in topic followed by these highlighted text below to narrow your search

• To find resources on a topic: [topic] intitle:resources inurl:resources 

• To find PDFs about a topic: [topic] filetype:pdf

• Vibe code - write code within gemini canvas

• Google Sheet Macros - Huge timesaver and intro to Google Apps Script.

• File Versions for Drive Files - Change content of a PDF in Drive without changing the URL - lets you make changes without breaking the original PDF link

• Google Earth Flight Simulator - Explore > Tools > Flight Simulator - use the arrows to navigate your flight over an area - good for maths eg: directions 

• Google Workspace Learning Centre - explore this

Google Demo Slam - Eric Curts - Gemini Gems...

 

This session was fast paced and really informative! I love using Gemini gems and use them regularly in my classroom. This session was a fantastic and I came away affirmed in what I was already doing an I came away with a wealth of prompts for a very wide variety of learning experiences. The resources shared are listed below:

• Creating and Sharing Gemini Gems
• EduGems Collection of Gemini Gem Prompts
• EduGems

Profile of an AI-Ready Graduate (iste + ascd)...

The Profile of an AI-Ready Graduate highlights six essential human roles: 

Learner, Researcher, Synthesiser, Problem-Solver, Connector, and Storyteller. 

It outlines specific skills students need in order to use AI to thrive in each role. These are skills that teachers will need to model, and students will need the opportunity to practise, in order to develop proficiency by the time they graduate from high school or college. 

To see the full document, visit iste-ascd.org/aiready.This is a website that explains each role in detail.

Learner

Students know how to use artificial intelligence (AI) to set learning goals, create plans for learning new skills, identify strategies to get unstuck, and seek targeted feedback to improve performance and understanding.

• Self-directed Goal Setting and Planning

• Getting Unstuck

• Seeking Feedback

Researcher

Students know how to use AI to strategically investigate and analyse topics, evaluate claims, and compare sources of information. 

• Planning the Inquiry 

• Evaluating Sources and Claims

Synthesiser

Students know how to use AI to synthesise, remix, and refine information into formats and levels of complexity that best meet their unique needs and capabilities. 

• Remixing to Gain Deeper Insights 

• Finding Patterns

Problem-Solver

Students know how to use AI as a brainstorming partner to clarify challenges, generate new ideas, explore a wide range of possibilities, and evaluate potential solutions. 

• Refining Problems 

• Generating and Evaluating Ideas

Connector

Students know how to use AI to increase human collaboration, including overcoming language barriers and finding common ground among divergent perspectives. 

• Expanding Perspectives and Networks 

• Improving Team Collaboration

Storyteller

Students know how to use AI to craft compelling narratives and communicate complex ideas through text, image, audio, video, and other media. 

• Sharpening the Message 

• Creating Visual and Audio Content

ISTE+ASCD 2026 Orlando...

 

Having just returned form an amazing learning experience at ISTE 2026 in Orlando, the posts that follow are my record of learning. ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education) is a conference that is open to educators worldwide. We had the opportunity to meet, learn alongside and chat with people from all over the globe. I would like to thank our Panmure Bridge School Board for affording me this incredible opportunity. Travelling with our Principal, Richard Johnston allowed for some great opportunities to explore ways we can bring our learning back to empower both our staff and our learners.

Bursts and Bubbles 2025...

My concern that the rigor Structured Literacy brings would unintentionally lead us back to the uninspired consolidation tasks of the "duplicated worksheet" era was my why behind this inquiry. This was a time that stifled creative expression and deep, transformational demonstrations of learning, so my goal was to ensure creativity thrived alongside the new structured literacy framework.

To explore this I compared the planned Create opportunities across our kura between Terms 2 and 4 by analysing teacher planning, staff feedback, class sites and student blogs. I wanted to see not just what was planned, but what was actually happening in classrooms. 

Early observations showed very quickly that our junior team already excels in hands-on, collaborative creativity. This insight prompted me to shift my focus to the senior team. However, it soon became clear to me that no one needed added pressure from me when they were implementing new learning for the first time. So I decided to refine my focus to my own Year 7 and 8 classroom, where I could explore creative practice with our most confident readers.

In my classroom, the introduction of AI tools such as Gemini Gems, alongside our established follow-up challenges, enabled students to build on prior knowledge and engage in richer, more independent learning conversations.

By narrowing my focus or, as I like to call it, “taking a selfie”, I was able to demonstrate that maintaining a creative emphasis within a structured curriculum is not only possible, but highly effective.

The findings were encouraging and I was able to see that Create oportunites are firmly embedded at PBS without explicit intervention from me. They just needed to be viewed in an alternative way.

The greatest challenge throughout this process has been adapting to the various course changes my inquiry has taken. My journey has reminded me that Create must be purposeful and engaging. It is not an optional add-on; it is a vital vehicle through which students construct, represent, and deepen their understanding.

I will move into 2026 recognising that: 

Create extends beyond digital tools; hands-on, collaborative approaches are equally powerful.

And finally, student agency drives academic rigour; when learners have creative choice -  engagement and independence increase, because this is when learning becomes truly transformative.

Unpacking Qualitative Data - My Journey to Balancing Rigor and Transformation...

My central motivation for this inquiry stems from a concern that the necessary rigor of the Structured Literacy framework could unintentionally stifle creative expression and deep demonstration of learning. 

My perspective is rooted in my own educational experiences from a time dominated by repetitive, uninspired reading consolidation (the classic ‘duplicated worksheet’ era) where genuine engagement was rare. The moments that truly stood out were interactive like using the listening post or, more enjoyably, performing plays, especially when we could create our own costumes or masks.

This pattern continued early in my teaching career. I often defaulted to guided reading worksheets that, despite having diverse texts, asked the same predictable questions, which stifled independent thought. While I attempted to introduce new ideas, limited classroom technology and a lack of accessible Professional Learning and Development (PLD) hindered my sustained pedagogical growth.

When I joined the Manaiakalani cluster I was introduced to a culture of continuous learning and innovation that prioritises student engagement. This culture intensified my fear that the required intensity of Structured Literacy might accidentally regress our practice back to those days of ‘boring repetition.’

This concern drove my inquiry into effectively utilising the 'Create' component within our kura. A core goal of our previous PLD was moving teaching and learning 'above the line' of Dr. Ruben Puentedura's SAMR model—a framework that pushes technology use from simple enhancement (Substitution and Augmentation) toward transformation (Modification and Redefinition). My primary focus for this year was to ensure our literacy instruction maintained its rigor without sacrificing this transformational practice.
Initially, I looked at creative opportunities school-wide, quickly realizing the junior team excels in this area. For early readers, creativity is best fostered by hands-on, collaborative fun, rather than only with digital tools. This realisation saw me pivot for the first time as I couldn't limit my study to only digital affordances if I wanted to fully understand and strengthen 'Create' within Structured Literacy.
My next step was to narrow the focus to the senior team. However, I soon realised that a team embracing new PLD needs time to build confidence and implement change. Feedback from team meetings told me they certainly didn't need me critically observing the create opportunities in their reading lessons. This led to my final pivot of focussing exclusively on my own practice in my Year 7/8 classroom.

Focusing on my own Year 7/8 students (our most capable readers), provided an advantage. Given my existing literacy PLD, I wasn't entering the Structured Literacy framework completely cold. I challenged myself to incorporate the affordances of AI, alongside my well established kete of follow-up challenges, to encourage students to build on prior knowledge when showing their understanding of the new texts we unpacked.

A clear example is the inclusion of Gemini Gems in our guided reading follow-up (unpacked in an earlier post). The resulting change has been significant as student responses now feature more extended, student-initiated, and student-led discussion.

Ultimately, when 'Create' is properly embedded, it becomes a purposeful and engaging opportunity for tauira to demonstrate understanding. As educational theorist Elwyn Richardson observed, research shows students learn by actively constructing knowledge—a process that involves breaking down, rearranging, selecting, and demonstrating their understanding so that visualised thoughts were given an opportunity to be created.