Essex County Schools of Technology (ECST) is a premier public school district dedicated to providing innovative, high-quality education to students across Essex County, New Jersey. Our schools offer rigorous academic programs, cutting-edge career and technical education (CTE), and a wealth of extracurricular opportunities to prepare students for success in college, careers, and beyond.
Each month, we proudly showcase the incredible achievements, events, and initiatives happening across our district. Explore our newsletters and stay informed about the latest news, student highlights, and district-wide updates. We are excited to share and bring greater awareness to the impact of ECST!
Introducing your AI Task Force Team
Justin Bevilacqua - PT/NT/WCT Mathematics + Science Supervisor
Carmen Morales - PT/WCT/NT Director of Curriculum and Instruction
Ana Mendes - NT Science Educator
Jessica DiCicco - WCT Media Specialist
Daniel McCarey - PT Media Specialist
Stefanie Freund - NT Media Specialist
Trevor Johnson - NT Science Educator
Zack Arenstien - WCT Mathematics Educator
Vincent Boyce - PT
Web Design Educator
Amy Karydes - PT English Educator
Jackie Shoop - WCT English Educator
A Fun and Innovative Twist to Spark Student Interest!
At our Essex County Schools of Technology West Caldwell Tech campus, we captured a fun moment with two of our students and transformed it into a cartoon using AI! This creative twist brought smiles to their faces and showed just how exciting technology can be in the classroom. Imagine using tools like this in your instruction—have students turn their lab teams into anime characters for a science project, create comic strips to explain math concepts, or illustrate historical scenes in social studies. AI opens the door for interactive, personalized, and deeply engaging learning experiences. How will you use it to bring your lessons to life?
Should I be Using AI for this Specific Task?
Take a moment to explore the decision tree below—consider printing it out and displaying it in your classroom to promote thoughtful and responsible AI use among students!
Resource Recommendations
Discover valuable articles, books, courses, and websites that provide deeper insights into AI in education. Stay informed on the latest trends, tools, and strategies to integrate AI into teaching and learning effectively.
AI is advancing faster than anyone predicted—and it’s already reshaping industries around the world. But what does that mean for education?
A comprehensive platform that uses AI to create personalized learning experiences for students, making education more adaptive and engaging.
Canva is a online design platform that lets you create presentations, posters, infographics, worksheets, classroom décor, and more—all with drag-and-drop ease. It offers thousands of templates and tools specifically designed for educators and students, making it perfect for both in-person and virtual classrooms.
Is there anything you'd like to share with the district?
Have important news, resources, or events that you want to share with the district? Help us bring awareness by contributing to the AI Task Force Resource Collection! Whether it’s an upcoming workshop, an insightful article, or innovative tools, we want to hear from you.
Click the link above to submit your resources and help us keep our district informed and engaged! 🚀🔗
Tips & Best Practices
Implement AI-driven platforms (IXL, Quizziz, Quizlet, Snorkl, MagicSchoolAI, Canva and more...) to provide personalized learning paths, helping students progress at their own pace and receive instant feedback.
Use AI to analyze primary source documents, literature, or historical data. Encourage students to critically assess AI-generated insights and explore different perspectives.
Leverage AI tools that analyze student performance data, helping yourself identify areas where students are struggling, and tailor interventions or instructional strategies accordingly.
Use AI in project-based learning to assist students in designing real-world solutions, whether in tech, engineering, or business fields. AI tools can support collaborative design, coding, or product development.
Incorporate discussions on the ethical use of AI in fields like medicine, education, and technology. For example, in science, students could explore how AI impacts medical research, or in history, how AI is reshaping society and politics.
Q&A or Ask an AI Expert
This form is designed to gather questions, curiosities, and concerns about AI in education. Whether you are new to AI or an experienced user, feel free to submit any questions you have. We will address them and provide answers to help everyone explore how AI can enhance teaching and learning.