Meeting Highlights

March

How to leverage AI to reclaim time on high-stakes writing tasks, particularly FVAs LMAs, by shifting from handwritten notes to voice-captured observations and structured prompting, while navigating student privacy and district policies.

JJ shared her comprehensive FVA/LMA workflow, which included:

Using voice-to-text (iPhone Notes or AI recorders) to capture real-time observations and parent interviews, eliminating downtime and allowing more human connection during assessments rather than distracted note-taking.

Creating a reusable "Master Prompt" that pre-loads district templates, rubrics, and evidence-based clinical sources (ACVREP, CVI research) to ensure consistent, non-deficit-based language and professional tone.

Treating AI as a processing tool rather than storage: redacting all Personally Identifiable Information before uploading, never using student photos or signatures, and verifying outputs with professional judgment before finalizing reports.

Generating narrative sections from raw data (distance chart results, parent transcripts) and drafting parent-friendly definitions of ocular conditions.

Resources:
JJ's slide deck: AI as Accessibility for TSVIs
FVA/LMA Master Prompt and How-To Guide
AI Empowered EDU 2026 conference at University of Portland

Start simple, one task or prompt and leveraging the microphone feature for "rambling voicemail" style input that AI synthesizes into structured text.

Student-facing: JJ discussed using ChatGPT or Gemini as a "backup book" for math problem-solving, where students check work and explore alternative solution methods rather than simply retrieving answers. Participants stressed teaching critical thinking and digital citizenship, particularly regarding accessibility (prompting AI to remove emojis and use screen-reader-friendly formatting).

February

People are using AI to create and adapt materials faster: generating images on-demand (instead of hunting the web), drafting student-facing content, and tightening up “real work” like goals and reports.

Jessica shared her CVI image generation workflow, which included:

• generating simple, high-contrast images on black backgrounds

• adding a bold contour “word-bubble” outline in a preferred color

• and then using those created images in a PowerPoint where movement was added 

• Resources: Creating CVI-Friendly Videos using PowerPoint (Perkins), So Many Things Are Red: Animated PowerPoint Activities for Students with CVI (Paths to Literacy), Introducing 2D Images (Strategy to See)

Krista's segment focused on Gemini “Gems” as reusable mini-assistants for ECC instruction and student coaching (example: practicing how a student could self-advocate about lighting accommodations, including scripts, email drafts, and low-key nonverbal cues). A curated Gems library (edugems.ai / ControlAltAchieve) was shared as a starting point.

A few platforms came up as “worth trying,” including Colleague AI for education-specific workflows (especially interactives/games and goal-writing), plus ongoing discussion about district-provided tools vs. personal subscriptions, and how “student use” still feels murky in a lot of places.

People also talked about assessment/report writing support, like using AI to turn notes into cleaner write-ups, and generating “just-right” example images for things like exit reports (with a strong reminder to redact identifying info before uploading anything).

January

• People are using AI most for drafting and planning: emails, lesson plans, scope & sequence, eval write-ups, and IEP PLPs/goals.

• Several folks shared BLV-specific uses: CVI accommodations, adapting passages, and problem-solving around AAC/communication supports.

• One participant is using AI for building tools/workflows (“vibe coding”) to support their work and student access.

People also shared personal uses, including:

• helping make sense of medical records and preparing questions to ask providers

• recipes/meal planning

• trip planning and itineraries