Educators learn to use AI tools at Niswonger School Success Symposium

Yahoo

14-06-2025

KINGSPORT, Tenn. (WJHL) – At this year's Niswonger Foundation School Success Symposium, teachers from around East Tennessee gathered to learn more about changing technology in the classroom, including the uses of AI.
Niswonger Foundation CEO Steve Barnett said the topic of the symposium was chosen by the teachers attending. This year, Barnett said teachers decided to learn about how AI tools can be used in the classroom.
'It's emerging and it's going to continue to change over time,' Barnett said. 'And we want to make sure that it's something that teachers feel comfortable with because they see your students use it, teachers can use it and we want to make sure everybody has what they need to be able to be successful with our use of AI in the classroom.'
2024 National Teacher of the Year Missy Testerman spoke to over 600 teachers about how even though AI will change things, human connection with students will always be needed. Testerman said, for example, AI tools will not help students who may be nervous about a test.
'It is something that we're going to have to embrace because we want our students to be prepared for the future,' Testerman said. 'We just have to figure out a way to take in all the advantages that we can of ed tech while we maintain that spirit of humanity.'
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Beth Zeisenis, also known as 'Beth Z, Your Nerdy Best Friend,' was this year's keynote speaker for the symposium.
'Teachers have such a tough time right now with the whole concept of AI and so what I tried to do was give them some tools that they can use right away, plus some bigger concepts about how it works and where it's going,' Zeisenis said.
Zeisenis went through many AI programs including Chat GPT and Magic School Plus. She said teachers can use AI tools to complete small tasks such as making lesson plans.
Zeisenis also said teachers need to have conversations with students about how to properly use AI instead of trying to stop students from using it altogether.
'We need to go into conversations with our students about trusting each other and about learning this together, because if we go in with a defensive posture, if we go in distrusting each other, then you have a challenge because it's there all the time,' Zeisenis SAID.
'It's going to be like calculators in our pockets. They're going to have it for the rest of their lives. So how can we teach students and each other how we can use that rather than being afraid of it or feeling like it's an affront to what's going on?'
Zeisenis and Testerman both encourage East Tennessee teachers to talk to school administrators about the ways AI can be used in the classroom.
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