Ask students to think about moments when technology made something better or worse.

Questions to ask:

• How did that choice affect others

• What would you do differently next time

This builds awareness and self-regulation.

Present short scenarios such as:

• A group chat message that feels unkind

• A viral video shared without permission

• A comment posted without full context

Ask students to discuss possible responses and consequences.

Have students reflect on what their online presence says about them.
This can be done through drawing, journaling, or discussion.

Focus on identity and responsibility rather than fear.

Connect digital citizenship to news and media by asking:

• Is this information trustworthy

• Is it fair to share

• Who could be affected

This reinforces habits students can apply daily.

Show students a headline without the article.

Ask:

• What do you think this story is about

• What words stand out
  Then read the full article and compare.

This helps students see how headlines influence understanding.

Provide short statements from a news article. 

Have students sort them into:

• Fact

• Opinion

• Interpretation

This works well across grade levels and subject areas.

Choose a news source and explore:

• Who created it

• Why it exists

• Who its audience might be

This builds awareness of purpose and perspective.

Show a news image without context.

Ask students what they notice, what they wonder, and how images can influence emotion or interpretation.

Great for visual literacy and media analysis.

Teach students a simple pause strategy:

• Stop

• Question

• Check another source

• Decide whether to share

This habit is powerful and easy to remember.

Ask Gemini to help outline a lesson once you know the standard or objective.

Example prompt:
“Create a lesson outline for a 45-minute class focused on ___.”

Review the structure, revise, and adapt to your students.

Gemini can help create open-ended questions that promote critical thinking.

Try asking:
“Write five discussion questions that encourage students to analyze ___.”

Choose the questions that best fit your classroom.

Gemini can generate multiple versions of activities or explanations.

Examples:

• Simplified explanations

• Extension questions

• Sentence starters

This saves planning time while supporting diverse learners.

Use Gemini to draft slide text, examples, or guiding questions in Google Slides.

Then refine language, add visuals, and adjust pacing to fit your instructional style.

Gemini can generate quick reflection prompts tied to your lesson goals.

Examples:

• “What is one thing you learned today and one question you still have?”

• “Explain today’s concept in your own words.”

These help close lessons without additional prep.

Share a short AI-generated response and a human-written source on the same topic.

Ask students to compare accuracy, tone, and clarity.

Provide multiple AI responses to the same prompt.

Discuss how wording, examples, or assumptions change.

Have students label work as:

• Created by me

• Created with AI support

• Inspired by AI and revised

This reinforces honesty and ownership.

Present short scenarios such as:

• Using AI to summarize an article

• Using AI to write a paragraph

• Using AI to generate images

Ask students to decide what is appropriate and explain why.

Use AI to draft parent emails, newsletters, or announcements.
Then edit for tone and context.

Tools to try:

• MagicSchool AI

• Gemini in Google Workspace

Ask AI to generate a few warm-up or reflection questions tied to your lesson objective.

Try prompts like:

• “Create three bell ringers for a lesson on ___.”

• “Write an exit ticket that checks for understanding of ___.”

AI can quickly generate multiple versions of a task at different levels of complexity.

Examples:

• Scaffolded discussion questions

• Sentence starters for writing

• Extension challenges for early finishers

This saves time while supporting diverse learners.

AI can help draft feedback language that you personalize before sharing.

Uses include:

• “Glow and grow” comments

• Next-step suggestions

• Rubric-aligned feedback phrases

Always review and adjust to keep your voice front and center.

AI can help brainstorm lesson ideas, learning targets, or activity sequences.

Try using it to:

• Outline a lesson framework

• Generate examples or scenarios

• Suggest real-world connections

This works best when you already know your goal and standards.

AI is no longer a future topic. It is part of how information is created, shared, and evaluated. In 2026, the focus continues to shift from using AI tools to understanding how they work and how to use them responsibly.

What this looks like in practice:

• Teachers using AI to support planning and differentiation

• Students learning how to question AI-generated information

• Clear expectations around transparency, ethics, and responsible use

AI literacy is about judgment, not shortcuts.

Media literacy continues to move from an event to a mindset. Students are expected to evaluate sources, understand perspective, and recognize bias across subjects and grade levels.

Libraries and classrooms are becoming places where students learn to:

• Ask better questions about information

• Compare multiple sources and formats

• Understand how media shapes opinions and decisions

This work supports critical thinking and civic responsibility.

Students are being asked to show what they know in more flexible and meaningful ways. Creativity is not an extra. It is a pathway to deeper understanding.

We are seeing more:

• Choice in how students demonstrate learning

• Digital storytelling, design, and reflection

• Projects that value process, growth, and voice

When students create, learning becomes personal.

As technology continues to expand, so does the need for balance. Schools are paying closer attention to screen time, focus, and digital well-being.

This includes:

• Mindful technology use

• Clear expectations around devices

• Teaching students how to unplug and recharge

Healthy tech habits support both learning and well-being.

Technology is increasingly being used to connect ideas, people, and disciplines rather than isolate them.

Examples include:

• Cross-curricular projects

• Collaboration between classrooms and libraries

• Real-world connections through research, storytelling, and problem-solving

Learning feels more meaningful when students see how it all fits together.

Ask students to create a single page that answers three questions:

• Something I learned

• Something I improved

• Something I am proud of

Tools to try: Canva, Google Slides, Adobe Express, or Book Creator.

Students record a short message reflecting on their semester. Prompts might include:

• A challenge I overcame

• A project I enjoyed

• A skill I want to keep building

Padlet works well for collecting and sharing reflections in one place.

Collect student work on a shared slide deck or Padlet. Allow students to explore classmates’ work and leave kind or thoughtful comments.

This works especially well in media centers or during flexible learning time.

Students select two or three pieces of work from the semester and add a short reflection for each.

This is a great introduction to portfolio thinking without creating a long-term system.

Invite students to revisit a favorite project and make a small improvement or update.

This reinforces growth mindset and reflection rather than starting something new.

Invite students to choose a “What if” question connected to your content area.  Examples:

• What if two historical events happened in a different order

• What if animals could speak

• What if a natural resource suddenly disappeared

Students gather a few facts, create a short explanation, or design a simple visual to share.

Assign a topic and have students create a single page showing what they discovered.  Tools to try:

• Canva

• Google Slides

• Book Creator
  
  

Encourage them to include one main idea, one surprising fact, and one question they still have.

Set up three short stations:

• A short video clip

• A news article or image

• A website to explore

Students rotate, gather notes, and compare how different types of media present information.

(Perfect for Media Coordinators)

Students select a scientist, artist, athlete, or figure from your curriculum. They answer five guided questions, such as:

• Who is this person?

• What problem did they solve?

• What challenges did they face?

• Why do they matter today?

They can present in a short video, a slide, or a small poster.

Students choose something they know well. They research one new piece of information about the topic, then create a visual explaining it to others.

This is great for building confidence and encouraging voice and choice.

Choose something that makes your planning easier. For example:

• Ask MagicSchool AI to draft a parent email.

• Use Gemini to generate three bell-ringers for a topic you are teaching.

• Try SchoolAI to create a warm-up question or vocabulary review.

Success comes from starting small and choosing tasks that save time.

Pick something you normally write, such as a rubric line or an exit ticket question. Then compare your version with an AI-generated version. Ask yourself:

• What did it get right?

• What did it miss?

• How would you improve it?

This helps build your “AI judgment,” which is a key part of literacy.

Follow the WCPS AI Guidelines. These reminders are essential:

• Never enter student names or personal information.

• Always review and edit AI content before using it.

• Be transparent with students when AI assisted in creation.

AI works best when teachers remain in control of the decisions.

Once you are comfortable, try using AI in instruction. Here are ideas that require very little preparation:

• Generate differentiated questions for a reading or video.

• Create a set of discussion prompts that build critical thinking.

• Ask SchoolAI to build a reflection chatbot students can use after a project.

• Use Canva Magic Write to help students brainstorm ideas for a digital product.

Choose something you can try in ten minutes or less.

AI literacy is part of preparing students for the future. You can introduce simple concepts without using chatbots directly:

• How do algorithms make decisions

• What is bias and why does it matter

• How do we verify information created by AI

• How do we use AI tools responsibly and ethically

These lessons fit naturally into media literacy, digital citizenship, and research skills.

Canva is perfect for quick, polished visuals that help students communicate ideas.

Ideas to Try

• Design an “All About Me in December” one-pager

• Create vocabulary posters

• Build a class banner or digital holiday greeting

• Make character trait trading cards for ELA

• Design simple infographics for science or social studies
  
  

Why Teachers Love It

Templates make it easy for all learners to get started, and the drag-and-drop interface supports students who may struggle with writing but excel visually.

Adobe Express supports photo editing, video creation, posters, and short multimedia projects.

Classroom Uses:

• Create a short “How To” video

• Produce digital book covers

• Make classroom celebration slideshows

• Build simple animations with text and images

• Design meaningful holiday messages for staff or families
  
  

Tip:

Use the built-in “guidance” features to support students with step-by-step design instructions.

Book Creator is ideal for publishing work, digital storytelling, portfolios, and collaborative class books.

Try These Ideas:

• Create a class anthology of poems

• Build a digital “December Memories” journal

• Publish a research project or biography

• Develop a comic strip retelling a historical event

• Make a “Kindness Countdown” book for the month
  
  

Why It Works:

Students feel proud when they see their work in book format. It groups text, audio, drawings, and video in one easy place, which is perfect for diverse learners.

Choose small, meaningful times for disconnecting such as meals, game nights, or the first hour after waking up.

Mini challenge:  Try three device-free dinners during break.

Encourage families to talk with students about why we manage screen time, not just how much.

Conversation starter:  How does your body feel after a long time on screens? What helps you reset?

Listening to a family-friendly audiobook or podcast can turn screen time into shared time. Suggestions include:

• Smash Boom Best

• Brains On!

• The Past and The Curious

These are great for long drives or quiet afternoons.

Not all screen time is the same. Invite students to:

• Create digital Thanksgiving cards in Canva

• Design a mini comic in Book Creator

• Use a device to make a "What I'm Thankful For" photo collage

A short walk or time outdoors helps reset the brain.

Try this prompt:  Take five photos of nature that represents gratitude.

What It Does:  Generates personalized comments on writing or projects aligned to rubrics.

Why Teachers Love It:  Saves time while reinforcing consistency. Use responsibly -- always review and edit.

What It Does:  Adds quick voice notes directly into Google Docs, Slides, or Classroom

Why Teachers Love It:  Humanizes feedback -- students hear tone, empathy, and encouragement.

What It Does:  Annotate and comment directly on PDFs or student submissions

Why Teachers Love It:  Great for detailed, visual feedback on math work or graphic organizers.

What It Does:  Integrates with Google Docs for targeted voice and text feedback linked to skills.

Why Teachers Love It:  Encourages revision and growth mindset.

What It Does:  Lets you build custom feedback chatbots that help students reflect on drafts. 

Why Teachers Love It:  Perfect for collaborative or visual assignments.