Leadership Programs - CIDDL

Reflecting on AERA 2025: Conversations Around AI and the Future of Education

CIDDL team attended the 2025 American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Meeting in Denver, where we presented our work, State Artificial Intelligence Guidance for Students with Disabilities in K-12 Education. Throughout the week, it became increasingly clear that AI is not just a trending topic but a critical focus for the future of education. Across paper sessions, posters, and roundtables, scholars engaged deeply with the opportunities and challenges AI presents for teaching, learning, and educational systems. In this post, I would like to reflect on a few major themes that emerged and consider what they suggest for researchers, teacher educators, and practitioners moving forward.

CIDDL Office hours: What are your burning hot topics in AI today?

On April 15, 2025, CIDDL hosted another CIDDL Office Hour, bringing together educators, researchers, and technology advocates to discuss the latest artificial intelligence (AI) developments in education. The conversation focused on real-world applications, emerging research needs, and inclusive strategies for integrating AI tools into classrooms, especially for students with disabilities. The session offered insights for the CIDDL community and beyond, from student self-regulation to AI ethics and family engagement.

Navigating the AI State Guidance in Education

As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to expand and influence various fields, educators are increasingly interested in learning how AI can and should be integrated into K-12 classrooms. The Center for Innovation, Design, and Digital Learning (CIDDL) recently hosted the AI Office Hours on April 1st, 2025, and explored this very question. Led by Yerin Seung and Dr. James Basham from the University of Kansas, the session focused on the current state of AI guidance at the state level, highlighting what themes are emerging, where the gaps lie, and how the field can move forward.

Empowering Collaboration with Technology: What Special Education Personnel Should Know

One of the key themes at CEC 2025 is collaboration, Which is essential to effective special education and ensures students receive the best support from a coordinated team. However, collaboration in special education is often complex, involving teachers, paraeducators, therapists, administrators, and families—all of whom must stay aligned on student goals, instructional strategies, and interventions. Technology has the potential to streamline communication, enhance data sharing, and create more efficient collaborative systems, ultimately improving student outcomes.

Getting to Know NCADEMI

NCADEMI is a new Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) Technical Assistance center focused on improving the quality, accessibility, and timely delivery of digital educational resources and teaching for students with disabilities from preschool to high school. This new center is a partnership between Web Accessibility in Mind (WebAIM) and the Technical Assistance for Excellence in Special Education (TAESE) within the Utah State University’s Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities’ Institute for Disability Research, Policy, and Practice (IDRPP).

CIDDL Tech Alliance: University of Maine

Integrating emerging technologies in special education teacher preparation is a pivotal advancement that can enhance teaching effectiveness and student outcomes. However, embedding technology into teacher education programs remains fraught with challenges (CIDDL, 2024). The recent study by Howorth et al. (2024) explores how the University of Maine’s Special Education Teacher Preparation Program addresses these barriers through collaboration with the Center for Innovation, Design, and Digital Learning (CIDDL) Tech Alliance. This initiative highlights the potential and the limitations of leveraging digital tools to prepare future educators for the evolving demands of special education.

A Brief Review of AI Survey Results

The landscape of AI in education is constantly changing. It is hard to believe that ChatGPT and the generative AI explosion that followed started only two years ago. In this short time, many states have drafted their own policies on AI, the U.S. Department of Education released its report on the Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Teaching and Learning, and countless new AI tools explicitly designed to support teachers and the variability of learners have been released. And, while it is easy to get lost in the allure of AI, the real question isn’t what AI can do, but rather, what is the current state of AI in education? To answer this question, we will highlight several recent surveys on AI and education in this blog post.

Integrating Technology into the High-Leverage Practices in Special Education Teacher Preparation

CIDDL’s latest recorded webinar series highlights researchers integrating technology into the High-Leverage Practices (HLPs) in special education teacher preparation. HLPs are important for special education teachers to support student learning outcomes. These 22 practices, divided into four domains—collaboration, data-driven planning, instruction in behavior and academics, and intensifying and intervening as needed—should be integrated into teacher preparation programs. While HLPs don’t rely on technology, innovations like AI, virtual field experiences, and mixed-reality simulations are used to prepare teachers and apply these practices. This recorded webinar series explores innovations to enhance further the application and knowledge of HLPs in special education teacher preparation.

ChatGPT generated cartoon image of a classroom

Planning Together: A Playbook for Student Personal Device Policies

The widespread use of Personal Electronic Devices (e.g., smartphones, smart watches, handheld games) and their related social media (e.g., Instagram, X, TikTok) in schools has sparked significant debate due to their dual role as tools for learning and sources of distraction. Several research studies highlight the negative impacts of unregulated personal electronic device use on students’ concentration, mental health, and academic performance. This concern prompts schools to explore policies that balance access with focus. The U.S. Department of Education’s “Planning Together: A Playbook for Student Personal Device Policies” offers a structured, research-informed approach to designing equitable and collaborative policies. Centered on co-design with students, educators, and parents, the Playbook provides a four-step framework to build inclusive teams, set clear goals, understand device usage, and iteratively refine policies based on data.

girl cheering with arms up in front of laptop

CIDDL’s Dr. Marino Shares Insight on the Potential of AI in Education with Edweek

CIDDL co-principal investigator, Dr. Matthew Marino, was recently interviewed by EdWeek about AI’s Potential in Special Education. Dr. Marino discussed how AI can personalize learning for students with disabilities and ease administrative tasks for educators. He emphasized the need to integrate AI with traditional teaching methods to maintain the human element in education, cautioned against over-reliance on technology, and stressed the importance of protecting data privacy. This blog post will highlight key points from his interview and explore relevant and emerging research on this topic.

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