Curious about AI but not sure where to start? This session is for you! Discover how artificial intelligence is transforming science classrooms and helping do the heavy lifting of teaching. This session will empower you to use AI to personalize learning, boost engagement, and streamline NGSS-aligned lesson planning and assessment—without replacing the essential role of the teacher. Participants will explore examples of how AI can help teachers adapt high-quality instructional materials to local contexts, effectively manage assessment and feedback, and differentiate learning activities to support student sensemaking. The session also will include strategies for how to critically evaluate AI tools to ensure technology integration promotes equitable access to rigorous and meaningful science instruction. Whether new to AI or ready to go deeper, educators will be equipped to integrate AI into their teaching practices responsibly, ensuring alignment with student needs and educational goals.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will be equipped with practical strategies and tools to use AI responsibly in middle level science classrooms. They will be able to use AI to adapt NGSS-aligned science learning activities to personalize student learning and streamline lesson planning, assessment, and feedback.

SPEAKERS:
Michelle Forsythe

AI is already shaping the future our students will live and work in—but how can science classrooms harness AI tools today to deepen 3D learning? In this session, explore practical, classroom-tested strategies for using AI to support scientific inquiry, creativity, and personalized learning without losing rigor or equity. Learn how AI can enhance phenomenon-based investigations, model development, and data analysis, while helping students ask better questions, communicate their thinking, and engage critically with technology. We'll highlight free or accessible AI tools that align with real NGSS practices and provide examples of how students can use AI ethically to extend their scientific curiosity and voice. Walk away with sample prompts, lesson ideas, and a vision for integrating AI thoughtfully and powerfully into your science teaching.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn practical ways to integrate AI tools into 3D science learning to support inquiry, data analysis, modeling, and critical thinking, while keeping student creativity, rigor, and ethical use at the center.

SPEAKERS:
Elizabeth Radday

Ready to take your STEM lesson planning to the next level? Join us for an interactive and inspiring session where you’ll discover how artificial intelligence—specifically ChatGPT—can become your new favorite teaching assistant. Explore how preservice teachers in a pilot program used ChatGPT to blend South Dakota Science Standards with Engineering and Technology standards to design innovative, classroom-ready STEM lessons and kits. Learn how to craft effective prompts, refine AI-generated content, and apply human feedback to ensure every lesson is developmentally appropriate and tailored to your students' needs. Whether you're new to AI or looking to deepen your practice, this session will give you practical tools and real-world examples to boost creativity, save planning time, and spark student engagement. While we’ll focus on STEM, the strategies shared can be adapted to any grade level or content area. Come curious- leave inspired!

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will leave with practical strategies for using ChatGPT to streamline lesson planning, align with science and engineering standards, and design engaging, grade-appropriate STEM lessons and kits—tools they can immediately apply in any classroom setting.

SPEAKERS:
Betsy Schamber

Generative AI is an emerging technology that has made its way into the classroom and cannot be ignored. I developed and will share a summative assessment for a Biodiversity class aimed at promoting proper usage of GenAI while developing technological and ecological literacy. Traditional assessments can inadvertently disadvantage students who excel in areas beyond rote memorization. Incorporating AI into an assessment can promote equitable classroom practices by offering multiple means of representation and expression. This proposal attempts to integrate all 3 dimensions of the NGSS: application of scientific and engineering practices, by using GenAI, disciplinary core ideas in ecology, and crosscutting concepts. The AI assessment supports NGSS’s overarching goal to develop scientifically literate citizens. I will discuss the rationale for the assessment, its development and implementation in the class, how students engaged in the activity, and will share examples of the students' work.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will experience one example of how we can integrate AI into the science curriculum, fostering curiosity and engagement with technology, while promoting proper use of AI. This type of assessment can be applied to a variety of science topics.

SPEAKERS:
Rita Margarida Quinones De Magalhaes

Interested in using AI to elevate your teaching? Learn how Awardees of the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) are transforming their instructional planning and classroom management using AI tools. This session will demonstrate practical strategies for leveraging AI to streamline your daily preparation while maintaining pedagogical rigor and authenticity. Discover how AI can reduce routine workload, allowing you more time to focus on student relationships and high-impact teaching moments. Expert practitioners will share their frameworks for generating instructional materials, addressing bias concerns, and integrating digital citizenship concepts into your planning process. You'll see firsthand how to craft effective prompts that support curriculum development, customize AI tools for your specific classroom needs, and use AI to enhance assessment and data analysis tasks.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn practical AI skills to make classroom planning more efficient, authentic, and sustainable.

SPEAKERS:
Marni Landry

Explore how AI can empower educators to create diverse transdisciplinary STEM learning experiences. The session will showcase AI tools that help identify and address potential bias and generate culturally responsive material, differentiated instruction, and inclusive assessment strategies within STEM contexts.

TAKEAWAYS:
AI can empower educators to create equitable, representative transdisciplinary STEM learning for all students by addressing biases and enabling inclusive materials and strategies.

SPEAKERS:
Tahsin Khalid, Jana Gerard

Discover how Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools can revolutionize your STEM classroom, fostering transdisciplinary learning and empowering both teachers and students. This session will explore concrete examples of AI applications that bridge science, technology, engineering, math, and even humanities, enabling students to tackle real-world problems with innovative solutions. Learn practical strategies for integrating AI into existing curricula to enhance personalized learning, automate tasks, and cultivate future-ready skills.

TAKEAWAYS:
Students are empowered to tackle real-world problems with innovative solutions while simultaneously benefiting teachers through personalized learning support and streamlined workflows.

SPEAKERS:
Pepper Thiels

This hands-on workshop explores how to introduce the hot topics of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to students using low-cost and open access SmartMotors. Participants will explore program design and engage in a hands-on SmartMotors activity and will be provided with resources for implementation. The program was co-designed with teachers to use Novel Engineering to solve cross-disciplinary, real-world problems, aligned with NGSS standards. As part of a 4-year, NSF-funded study, the program has been implemented with over 400 diverse students (grades 2–6) and 18 educators. Students and teachers demonstrated gains in STEM self-efficacy, ML attitudes, and strong program satisfaction and usefulness, while student content knowledge gains varied by year. This session supports educators in creating developmentally appropriate, equity-focused AI/ML learning opportunities and preparing students to be informed users and future creators of emerging technologies.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to design and implement developmentally appropriate, equity-focused AI/ML learning opportunities for elementary students. They’ll engage in hands-on activities, explore research findings, and receive resources to teach AI/ML concepts in both formal and informal settings.

SPEAKERS:
Steve Coxon, Dustin Nadler

Artificial intelligence (AI) tools have transformative potential within STEM education. The ability to efficiently plan, personalize, and adapt learning experiences offers profound opportunities for enhancing student-centered learning environments and alleviating demands on educators. However, these advancements also present challenges, making it imperative for educators to engage in professional learning that keeps pace with emerging technologies. In this workshop, we will explore a variety of AI tools to learn more about how they can support NGSS-aligned instructional practices and differentiation to meet all students’ needs. We will provide examples and guided exploration opportunities for participants. Examples will focus on integrated STEM education at the upper elementary levels (grades 3-5), but all are welcome to join. Participants should bring laptops or other devices to engage fully with the hands-on activities.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will explore artificial intelligence (AI) tools that can support integrated NGSS-aligned STEM lesson planning and instruction to meet all students’ needs. They will learn about a variety of AI tools and gain firsthand experience using these tools through guided exploration.

SPEAKERS:
Jeanna Wieselmann

In today’s world, false information spreads faster than ever—thanks in part to powerful artificial intelligence tools that make it easy to create and share fake content. From wild health claims to viral conspiracy theories, students are wading through a convoluted information environment. It’s more important than ever to help young people build sharp critical thinking and disciplinary literacy skills, so they can sort fact from fiction and take better care of themselves and their communities. In this hands-on session, you’ll explore The News Literacy Project’s free resources, including the Checkology® platform, dive into the “Evaluating Science-Based Claims” lesson, and try out the FLOATER toolkit — a fun, easy way to test the credibility of health and science claims. Then we’ll put the toolkit to the test on some buzzworthy but sketchy health trends. Are these trends helpful or hype? You get to decide!

TAKEAWAYS:
Discover how to help students build the critical thinking skills they need to make sense of science-based claims in today’s confusing, AI-powered information world. Explore NLP’s free resources, like the Checkology® virtual classroom, while digging into popular—but questionable—health claims.

SPEAKERS:
Brittney Smith