7:00 PM • Room A • Tess Butler-Ulrich This session shares results from a recent study on how individuals on social media describe emotional and social relationships with ChatGPT and how these interactions shape perceptions of care, authenticity, and presence. The findings illustrate how social media users, many of whom are youth, are redefining what is important to them in social relationships and the perceived benefits of using AI. There is a distinct lack of resources that address this issue of using AI as a social support. Therefore, this session introduces the R U REAL framework (Reflexivity and Understanding in Relational Engagement for AI Literacy), which provides a way to critically address emotion, trust, and reflection in teaching and learning about technology. The framework encourages educators to engage with the social and ethical dimensions of students’ experiences with digital systems and to create opportunities for relational reflection.

Session Recording and Slides

<p>This content is available to registered attendees of the explorAItion! 2.0 conference.

Tess Butler-Ulrich is a doctoral student and educational researcher who studies critical and innovative technologies in education, with a focus on STEM and artificial intelligence. Her work explores how educators and learners can think critically about their interactions with technology and develop more reflective, informed, and empowered approaches to working with it.

7:00 PM ET • Room B • Míchílín Ní Threasaigh

Unauthorized Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) use first entered my classroom in April 2023, mere months after the launch of ChatGPT. Since then I have been thinking deeply about how my literacy pedagogy needs to shift in response to the biggest revolution in communications technology since the Internet, and how to prepare my students for a GenAI-saturated future. This session will describe how I’ve begun tinkering with my critical media literacy lessons to incorporate foundational GenAI skills and foster critical thinking about this technology, how I’ve begun honouring my students’ request to be taught how to use GenAI as an organization/learning/reading/research/writing assistant, and how I’ve shifted my A&E practises to I free myself from the whack-a-mole approach to policing unauthorized GenAI use that is burning teachers out.

Session Recording and Slides

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Míchílín is an Adolescent Literacy Specialist; English/Media/ESL, Indigenous Studies, Social Studies, and Special Education Teacher at the Toronto District School Board; and a Director of the Association for Media Literacy. A Master’s student in the Social Justice Education Department at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), University of Toronto, her teaching and research interests are at the intersection of critical digital multiliteracies, citizenship, technology and social and environmental justice.

7:00 PM ET • Room C • Lynn Thomas

Learn how to create interactive activities for your class using Canva Code! With Canva’s AI Code Generator, you can build, style, and publish interactive experiences for websites, presentations, docs, and more—no coding needed. Teachers will be able to transform abstract concepts into hands-on interactive experiences that capture student attention and keep them engaged—no coding experience required. From drag-and-drop games to interactive widgets and timelines, or even classroom management tools like countdown timers or mental health checks, the classroom applications are endless and exciting!

Session Recording and Slides

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Lynn Thomas is a 30-year veteran secondary school teacher currently working as the Teacher Consultant of eLearning for the Grand Erie District School Board. She has a strong background in educational technology having served as a Digital Lead Learner for 10+ years. A committed educator, Lynn supports other educators in their learning through her work in various organization including the HP Teaching Fellows, and as President of ECOO (the Educational Computing Organization of Ontario). Lynn writes a blog at www.wordsgrow.com where she shares how she makes learning relevant, incorporates mental wellness & social-emotional learning, collaborates globally, & uses ed-tech to transform, engage and increase accessibility & inclusivity. Lynn’s areas of expertise in addition to teaching include Curriculum Design, Educational Technology, AI in Education, Accessible & Inclusive design, E-Learning, Digital Media and Citizenship, Global Collaboration, Blended Learning Models, Project-Based Learning, and public speaking.

8:00 PM ET • Room A • Melissa Oliver

Unleash Canva’s AI power! Learn how to use bulk fill info to a design. Create class sets in minutes, translate worksheets, auto animate in one click, single prompt slideshows and then convert them into posters, infographics or flashcards. Canva has a lot of power let me show you the magic.

Session Recording and Slides

This content is available to registered attendees of the explorAItion! 2.0 conference.

Melissa Oliver is an educator of 20+ yrs with a Master’s in International Education specializing in assistive technology. She is the Chair of Information Technology at her high school and leads the ICT Specialist High Skills Major program. As the founder of @thatTech.teacher, Melissa supports educators in learning how to use AI tools to save time, streamline lesson planning and engage students. Her focus is on making AI technology practical and transferable, giving teachers across all subjects including French the confidence to bring AI into their classrooms. @thattech.teacher

8:00 PM ET • Room C • Janet Kurusanather

In this session, I’ll talk about my experiences using Flint AI to facilitate & evaluate 1-on-1 conversations in a Grade 12 English classroom. I will provide (1) tips for setting up the activity, managing the data, and sharing results with students, (2) reflections on what worked well, and (3) applications for professional development.

Session Recording and Slides

This content is available to registered attendees of the explorAItion! 2.0 conference.
Dr. Janet Kurusanather (she/her) is the Department Head of English at Appleby College (Oakville, Ontario). She has taught AP English, AP Seminar, and AP Research for 10+ years. Her PhD work examined teachers that take up social justice education in “elite” private schools, her SSHRC-funded Master’s research focused on ethical encounters with “the Other” in literature, and her Hons. BA culminated with a double major in English and History. Janet has a special interest in research methods, research ethics, applying critical lenses to English literature studies, and reimagining English curriculum and pedagogy in new & changing contexts. Outside of education, Janet enjoys long walks, video games, Dungeons & Dragons, concerts, and reading (of course).