Teaching Generation AI-Z

Advancing Schooling, Skills, Relationships, and Learning in a Distracted, Uncertain, AI Age

February 13 - 15, 2026

Fairmont San Francisco or Virtually via Zoom

Pre-Conference Workshops

Register Now

Friday, February 13

8:00 AM – 11:00 AM

Cost per person: $169
By advance registration only.
Add $30 fee if you are not attending the conference.

All pre-conference workshops will be offered LIVE in San Francisco only. There is no virtual option.

1) From "Brainrot" to Brainpower: A School Psychologist’s Guide to Engaging Gen Z and Gen Alpha

Today’s students are growing up in an AI-saturated, distraction-heavy world that can leave them checked out in class. In this interactive, research-based workshop, veteran school psychologist, Dr. Rebecca Branstetter, will share practical, brain-based strategies for helping our generations of students re-engage with learning, strengthen executive functioning, and build resilience. Walk away with ready-to-use tools that foster focus, motivation, and authentic connection, even in the age of constant scroll.
Rebecca A. Branstetter, PhD
Rebecca A. Branstetter, PhD, Licensed School Psychologist; Founder, The Thriving Students Collective; Contributor, Greater Good Science Center, University of California, Berkeley; Former Clinical Psychologist, UCSF Autism Clinic, University of California San Francisco; Creator, “How to Teach Executive Functioning” course to support neurodiverse learners; Author, Small Habits Create Big Change (2024), The Thriving School Psychologist (2020), The Conscious Parent’s Guide to Executive Functioning Disorders (2016), The Conscious Parent’s Guide to ADHD (2015), and The Everything Parent’s Guide to Children With Executive Functioning Disorders (2013)

2) The AI Road Map: Improving Human Learning in the Age of Smart Machines

The A.I. Revolution is here. For some, it’s exciting. For others, it feels terrifying. Still others feel baffled and confused by it. Many of us feel a mix of all three emotions. But one thing is clear. It’s here and it’s not going away. In this workshop, you will explore how educators might adapt and change as we navigate the new terrain of an AI world. Explore the human skills students will need in a world of smart machines. Ultimately, you will be reminded of the hope and humanity we continue to have in a time of epic change.
John T. Spencer, EdD
John T. Spencer, EdD, Assistant Professor of Education, George Fox University; Technology Specialist; Former 6-8th Grade Teacher; Co-Founder/ Tech Developer, “Write About”; Author, The A.I. Roadmap (2023) and Vintage Innovation: Leveraging Retro Tools and Classic Ideas to Design Deeper Learning Experiences (2019); Co-Author, New Teacher Mindset (2024), Empower: What Happens When Students Own Their Learning (2017), and LAUNCH: Using Design Thinking to Boost Creativity and Bring Out the Maker in Every Student (2016)

3) TechnoStress: Empowering Students to Overcome Anxiety in the Age of AI

Discover strategies to mitigate student stress, constant distractions, and promote academic achievement amidst the challenges of AI. This workshop will offer practical neuroscience-based strategies to help students thrive academically. Drawing from classroom examples and interactive activities, you will learn how to foster self-regulated learning, build strong neural connections, and create a classroom that empowers students to thrive. You will leave with actionable strategies you can implement immediately to help students not only adapt to the challenges of AI, but also cultivate the resilience needed to navigate uncertainty and thrive in the new AI age.
Lauren Price, MEd
Lauren Price, MEd, Director, Academic Indepence Coaching Educational Consultant; Former Director of Association and Membership, Houston Tutorial Association; Creator of a digital program to increase executive functioning and self-regulation skills

4) Intelligent Humans and Machines: Using AI to Enhance, Not Replace, Student Thinking

Artificial intelligence is now part of classrooms, but how educators choose to use it will determine whether it strengthens or weakens student learning. This workshop will equip you with strategies for designing instruction that leverages AI to deepen critical thinking, rather than short-circuit it. Through case studies, group activities, and guided discussions, you will explore ways to integrate AI in ways that foster reasoning, creativity, and collaboration while addressing the risks of AI overreliance and ethical blind spots. 
Priten Soundar-Shah, MEd
Priten Soundar-Shah, MEd, EDUpreneur; Chief Executive Officer, Pedagogy Ventures; Chief Technology Officer, ThinkerAnalytix; Faculty Instructor, College Unbound; Founder/Board Chair, Academy 4 Social Civics; Author, Ethical Ed Tech: An Educator’s Guide to AI, Cellphones, and Surveillance in K–12 Schools (Forthcoming), “AI May Be Making Teacher Burnout Worse” (2024, Education Week), “AI’s Transformative Role in STEM Education: Opportunities, Challenges, and the Future” (2024, Encorps), and AI and The Future of Education: Teaching in the Age of Artificial Intelligence (2023); Co-Editor, Chat(GPT): Navigating the Impact of Generative AI Technologies on Educational Theory and Practice (2023)

5) Tech-Infused Literacy: Engaging Students in All Types of Reading in the Digital Age

In this interactive workshop, Dr. Monica Burns will guide you through practical, hands-on strategies for engaging students in all types of reading in the digital age. You will explore ways to use AI to design instructional materials and supplemental resources tailored to their students’ needs, and discover how EdTech tools can support differentiated instruction for a variety of reading levels and interests. This workshop will also highlight creative, tech-infused reading response activities that inspire students to think critically and communicate effectively. You will leave with a curated collection of digital tools that empower readers to engage as both consumers and creators, along with actionable ideas that can be implemented immediately.  Discover AI-powered tools to create customized instructional materials and supplemental resources that enhance reading engagement across different content areas and grade levels.
Monica Burns, EdD
Monica Burns, EdD, EdTech and Curriculum Consultant; Apple Distinguished Educator; Founder of ClassTechTips.com and Blog; Host of the "Easy EdTech" Podcast; Author, Using AI Chatbots to Enhance Planning and Instruction (2023), EdTech Essentials: The Top 10 Technology Strategies for All Learning Environment (2021), and Tasks Before Apps (2017); Co-Author, EdTech Essentials (2023), Engaging Students to Read All Types of Text (2020), and Taming the Wild Text: Literacy Strategies for Today's Readers (2017)

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