Thinking, Teaching and Learning With AI

Wednesday, July 16, 2025

8:30 AM to 12:30 PM HST

At the Hanahau‘oli School Professional Development Center, located at 1922 Makiki Street, Honolulu, HI 96822

$100 per person

How can artificial intelligence (AI) encourage students to think critically, rather than let machines think for them? K-6 teachers, curriculum developers, and school leaders will explore this question and position themselves at the forefront of educational innovation at this interdisciplinary, interactive, and hands-on half-day workshop. Learn how powerful AI tools such as Gemini and Google Teachable Machines can enhance both teaching and learning. Guided by the AI4K12 Framework, participants will gain practical skills for using these technologies to promote student thinking, while simultaneously learning how to model and teach the ethical and responsible use of AI in the classroom. Through engaging activities and discussions, participants will discover real-world classroom integration strategies and acquire resources and confidence to bring AI into elementary settings in a thoughtful, student-centered way, fostering digital citizenship and ethical decision-making in AI.

Note: While the workshop will be geared toward elementary educators, secondary educators who are also new to AI and looking to build foundational knowledge may also find the content adaptable and useful.

WORKSHOP OBJECTIVES

Participants will:

Develop a foundational understanding of artificial intelligence, the AI4K12 framework, AI literacy, and its evolving roles in education
Apply their understanding of AI and the AI4K12 framework to develop an interdisciplinary lesson that:
1. meaningfully integrates AI in a thoughtful and student-centered approach
2. fosters digital citizenship among students and explores meaningful ways to integrate AI into elementary classroom instruction across various subjects and grade levels
Engage in interactive, hands-on activities that demonstrate how AI tools can enhance teaching and learning experiences
Examine ethical considerations and responsible AI use in the classroom

WORKSHOP AGENDA

8:30-9:30 Thinking with AI

Overview of AI
AI Literacy
AI Ethics
Reimagining teaching and learning through the Ai4k12 framework

9:30-9:45 Break

9:45-11:00 Teaching with AI

AI Tools to enhance teaching
Prompt Engineering

11:00-11:10 Break (10 min)

11:10-12:20 Learning with AI

AI in Curriculum
AI in YOUR Classroom

12:20-12:30 Closing

ABOUT THE FACILITATORS

Dr. Waynele Yu is an Assistant Professor in the School of Teacher Education at the University of Hawai‘i, Mānoa. She left a career in Information Technology in Silicon Valley to pursue her passion for teaching, and taught computer classes in K-12 settings. Her Ph.D. in Learning Design and Technology along with her experiences in the STEMS^2 program, shaped her commitment to use technology to build community, advance equity, and nurture students’ sense of place in teaching and learning. For the past 2 years, she has been collaborating with colleagues on providing AI professional development for teachers.

Dr. Stacy George is an Assistant Professor in the School of Teacher Education at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. Her passion for technology and education began early, starting with a degree in computer science before transitioning into a career in teaching. With 26 years in elementary classrooms, she has consistently blended STEM innovation with practice through her work in computer science, robotics, and elementary STEM instruction. For the past seven years, she has worked with pre-service teachers, drawing on 15 years of mentoring experience that continues to shape her approach to teacher preparation. Dr. George completed training through the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) K-12 AI Explorations program and piloted the ISTE AI Next Level Skills for Educators initiative. She was also selected as a Faculty Research Fellow in AI with ISTE and presented at numerous conferences on integrating artificial intelligence in both K-12 classrooms and her methods courses in the teacher preparation program.

Shane Ige has been an elementary classroom teacher at August Ahrens Elementary School (AAES) for 10 years, including work as a STEM teacher and robotics coach. Shane currently works as a Curriculum Coordinator at AAES and serves as the AAES school liaison for the Professional Development School (PDS), which is in partnership with the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa School of Teacher Education. While he continues to grow in his understanding of AI, Shane has been actively involved in supporting its integration in education, including presenting at an AI professional development workshop at Waipahu High School for Waipahu Complex teachers and UH Mānoa teacher candidates. In addition to his work at the elementary level, he also incorporates AI into his role as an Adult Education faculty member, helping learners understand and apply AI tools to enhance instruction and learning.

THIS WORKSHOP IS INTENDED FOR

This workshop is designed for elementary educators, curriculum designers, and school leaders who are new to AI and interested in building foundational knowledge and exploring how to integrate artificial intelligence into their teaching practices. This workshop is ideal for K–6 teachers, as the content is tailored to elementary classrooms. Taking an interdisciplinary approach, the workshop will be interactive and hands-on, providing a beginner-friendly introduction to AI. The workshop will be perfect for educators who are curious about using AI in their practice, passionate about interdisciplinary teaching and learning, and want to use AI to foster student thinking in their classrooms.