Office Hours

Beyond AI Adoption: Why Asking Better Questions About Privacy and Security Matters

Artificial intelligence (AI) has quickly become part of conversations about teaching and learning. Much of the discussion has focused on what AI can do for education—personalizing instruction, increasing accessibility, reducing teachers’ workload, or supporting student learning. As these opportunities continue to expand, schools are increasingly faced with another challenge that receives far less attention: How do we know whether an AI tool is trustworthy enough to use with students?

CIDDL AI Studio poster: 'Humans, Machines, and the Mess In Between' with a network background, promoting a six-week study on AI in education.

CIDDL Office Hours: Introducing CIDDL AI Studio: A Space to Build, Think, and Solve Together

The May 19 CIDDL Office Hour highlighted the CIDDL AI Studio, a free six-week collaborative experience designed to deepen AI literacy.

CIDDL Office Hours: CIDDL Needs Assessment

During this CIDDL Office Hour session, Cheryl Lemke, President and CEO of The Metiri Group, shared early findings from CIDDL’s 2026 Needs Assessment, offering a timely look at how higher education faculty and preparation programs are thinking about educational technology, artificial intelligence, and assistive technology. As CIDDL begins a new five-year cycle, the needs assessment provides an important snapshot of the field’s current priorities and emerging concerns. A central message from the session was clear: faculty are no longer simply asking which tools to use, but are asking deeper questions about pedagogy, student learning, accessibility, ethics, and how to prepare future educators for increasingly AI-rich K–12 environments.

Teacher leads a discussion in a bright classroom, standing beside seated students with laptops open on the table.

AI and Educational Assessment 101

One of the most common inquiries CIDDL receives is about Artificial Intelligence and assessment. The integration of AI throughout the education system is affecting nearly everything educators do daily, from small tasks such as emailing students to planning instruction. But one of the largest concerns educators often have about AI is how to design effective assessments. Well, just like nearly everything else with this powerful technology, the key is to understand the basics and then design to support the most effective human interaction.

Let's Talk AI and Special Education with Host Joe Sabado.

CIDDL Office Hours: The Future of AI Integration

CIDDL’s most recent Office Hours featured Joe Sabado, Deputy CIO at UC Santa Barbara and an influential practitioner-scholar in AI governance and digital leadership (Please check his website, Campus AI Exchange, and our blog post about it). With more than 30 years of experience supporting students and building institutional systems, he offered a powerful and human-centered perspective on the future of AI adoption in higher education, emphasizing responsibility and stakeholder engagement.

CIDDL Office Hours: Smarter Data Analytics with AI

During this CIDDL Office Hours session, Cheryl Lemke, President and CEO of the Metiri Group, a consulting firm dedicated to advancing effective uses of technology in education, walked participants through a practical, seven-step workflow for using generative AI to analyze open-ended student and educator responses. The session highlighted how AI can streamline thematic analysis, accelerate reporting, and support evidence-based decision-making, while still relying on human judgment to ensure accuracy and fairness.

Countdown to TED 2025: Getting Ready Together

This year, the Teacher Education Division (TED) of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) will be meeting in Kansas City, right in CIDDL’s backyard! The CIDDL team is excited to share its upcoming sessions, engage with colleagues from across the country, and continue conversations about innovation, accessibility, and the future of educator preparation in the age of artificial intelligence (AI). This CIDDL Office Hours offered a sneak peek into what to expect at TED 2025 and how attendees can make the most of their time at the conference.

Let's Talk AI and Special education with hosts Sean Smith and Samantha Goldman. Topic: Using AI for Grading.

CIDDL Office Hours: Harnessing AI for Grading and Progress Monitoring

The latest CIDDL Office Hours featured Dr. Sean Smith and Dr. Samantha Goldman from the University of Kansas, who presented their U.S. Department of Education–funded Stepping Up Project, introducing AI SCORE, an innovative AI-based writing assessment and feedback platform. The session explored how AI can enhance writing instruction by providing real-time, formative feedback that maintains data privacy and supports struggling writers.

Let's Talk AI and Special Education with Hosts Olivia Coleman and Danielle Waterfield. Topic: AI and IEP Development. Tuesday, September 30 at 3pm CT.

Using AI to Support IEP Development: Insights from CIDDL’s AI Office Hours

At CIDDL’s most recent AI Office Hours, the conversation focused on one of the most pressing questions in special education today: Can artificial intelligence (AI) meaningfully support the development of Individualized Education Programs (IEPs)? Dr. Olivia Coleman, assistant professor at the University of Central Florida, and Danielle Waterfield, doctoral candidate at the University of Virginia, led a thoughtful discussion on both the opportunities and the risks of integrating AI into IEP practices.

Let's Talk AI and Special Education with Host James Basham. Topic: Starting to Discuss AI Literacy.

CIDDL Office Hours: Exploring AI Literacy in Education

The latest CIDDL Office Hours brought together educators, researchers, and technology developers to discuss the growing importance of AI Literacy in education. Led by Dr. James Basham, Professor at the University of Kansas and Director of CIDDL, the session explored how educators can integrate AI responsibly into classrooms and prepare students for an AI-driven future.

Category: Office Hours