The AI Toolbox: Best AI Tools for Schools - Eric Curts...

What a fantastic session! Eric Curts shared so many amazing resources - all of the links are in my notes. I really liked the fast pace of this session that had great visuals and clear explanations. Eric is very generous with his resources and is happy for anyone to make a copy. As he says 'All tools shared have a robust free version and are educationally sound'. Some of the extensions are blocked at the moment for our kura but as soon as I'm back at school I will be asking for these to be unlocked, especially trafficlite that shows students what is needed for different levels of AI use when creating DLOs to show their understanding of a task. The learning in this session will definitely be something I share with our PBS team.

Click here for my notes from the session.

Stop the robotic reading: 5 strategies to promote fluency - MeQuel Bolden...

This session was presented by MeQuel Bolden. Our session began with MeQuel reminding us that we've all seen students racing through a text like they’re trying to win a drag race, blurring words together just to hit a high 'Words Per Minute' target. Reading fast is not reading fluently. When we treat reading like a speed sport, we do our students a massive disservice. True fluency isn't about beating a stopwatch; it’s about creating a bridge to comprehension. We need to unpack what reading fluency actually is, and look at how we can explicitly build this crucial skill in our classrooms.

To get to fluency, students need to be explicitly taught.

• Phonemic Awareness: The ability to isolate and segment individual sounds in spoken words.

• Decoding: Cracking the alphabetic code to turn print into speech.

• Vocabulary: Knowing what the words actually mean.

• Automaticity: Instant, effortless word recognition.

When a reader has these skills, they build sight word recognition and retain words in their long-term memory. Why does this matter? It comes down to brain power. Fluent readers have the cognitive space to think about the text and its purpose. Non-fluent readers spend 100% of their mental energy just working out the words. For them, unpacking meaning is a bridge too far. Because of timed assessments, deep misconceptions have crawled into modern reading instruction. 

• Myth 1: Fluency means reading fast. * Reality: If you read too fast or too slow, meaning is lost. Think of a powerful quote read too fast, it loses its punch; read at a just right pace, it carries expression, power, and emotion. Fluency is more than speed. Refer to the activity below on how to do this.

                                     

• Myth 2: Fluency is age-related. * Reality: It doesn't just "develop" as kids get older. If the skills aren't there, a high schooler will struggle just as much as a Year 3 student. Fluency is needed across the entire curriculum, not just in English or literacy time.

• Myth 3: More independent reading time fixes it. * Reality: Simply telling a struggling reader to "go and read a book" won't fix a broken control panel. We must use diagnostic assessments (like phonemic awareness tests) to see exactly where the breakdown is happening, and then teach the missing skills explicitly.

Old Skool Instructional Steps (That Still Work!)

Building fluent readers requires a predictable, scaffolded routine. These classic programming steps provide the ultimate safety net for learners:

1. Modelling: Students must see and hear what fluent reading looks and sounds like.

2. Assisted Support: Scaffolding the reading so skills can safely evolve.

3. Echo Reading: The teacher reads a line, and the students echo it back. Because they just heard what it should sound like, they are highly motivated to try.

4. Choral Reading: The whole class reads together. This acts as a beautiful safety net for struggling readers to practise without fear of being singled out.

5. Wide Reading: Exposing students to a variety of text structures to build background knowledge and vocabulary.

6. Repeated Reading: Reading a text more than once. To be effective, it must include feedback—whether from a teacher, a peer, or self-feedback via an audio recording.

7. Rhythm and Phrasing: Teaching students to scoop words together for flow, responding to punctuation, and channelling character personalities. Prosody is expression; if a student ignores punctuation, meaning is lost.

We can upgrade our practice by focusing on five key elements:

• Quality of Text: Does the text support the purpose? Is it worth reading over and over, or is it too easy?

• Oral Reading: Opportunities to read aloud are an absolute must!

• Feedback: Teach students that feedback is not criticism—it's coaching. Use rubrics so teachers, peers, or the students themselves can measure growth.

• Repetition (Without Boredom): To keep repeated reading fresh, give students a different focus each time they read the same text (e.g., “This time, focus entirely on how the punctuation changes your voice.”).

• Engagement: Involve students by letting them set their own fluency goals.

Every student will need their own photocopy of the text to annotate.

• Step 1: Prep the Text. Unpack tricky vocabulary and activate prior knowledge.

• Step 2: Teacher Intro. The teacher reads aloud. Students listen and follow along with their eyes.

• Step 3: Clear the Hurdle. Open the floor for questions: “Any tricky words? Anyone need anything explained?”

• Step 4: Choral Read. Read the text together. Give group feedback on the class effort. (Keep engagement high through trust—never single a student out).

• Step 5: The Monday/Friday Check. Have students record their reading on Monday, and record it again on Friday using a tool like the totem camera. The growth they hear will blow their minds.

Every classroom has porcupines or prickly, struggling students who find reading frustrating and push back against instruction. They struggle to connect with the expected norm, but they shine brilliantly in the areas where they do connect. Our job isn't to flatten their quills, it’s to build their creative muscles and hug them. Imagination in reading is nothing less than exploring someone else’s daydreams. When we build trust, elevate our reflection time, and keep going without giving up, even our most reluctant readers will find their voice. Fluency takes time and needs the skills needed to be taught explicitly. 

Click here for session resources

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.