AI for Education Newsletter

AIEN Issue #41 - June 18th, 2025

Author

Thomas Bouwman
June 18, 2025 • Mental Processing Time: 5 minutes

News and Highlights

Loudoun County (VA) has signed a five-year, $1.1 million deal with VOLT AI to scan existing security-camera feeds for fights, weapons, bullying, or medical crises. Flags are reviewed by human analysts before school staff are alerted.

Key Takeaways

  • Covers hallways, cafeterias, and parking lots—no facial recognition.

  • System already used in 10 other states; district hopes for faster emergency response.

  • Integrates with vape- and gun-detection sensors already on campus.

  • Privacy advocates warn about “mission creep” despite non-identifying design.

Why It Matters – As U.S. districts weigh safety against surveillance, this rollout offers a real-world test of human-verified AI alerts that could shape future security policies.

Summary – The two-day “Learning in the Age of AI” Thought Leaders Summit in St. Cloud (June 16-17) showcased 55 sessions on prompt-craft, lesson-automation, and policy design, drawing K-12 teachers, higher-ed faculty, and tech vendors.

Key Takeaways

  • Sessions stressed using AI as a creativity partner, not a shortcut.

  • Districts shared three-year roadmaps for scalable classroom adoption.

  • Special-ed coaches highlighted AI’s promise for personalized supports.

  • Attendance doubled versus the 2024 inaugural event, signaling rising demand.

Why It Matters – Regional gatherings like this reveal grassroots momentum (and concerns) that will inform statewide AI guidance and professional-learning budgets.

Noteworthy Reads

Veteran educator Larry Ferlazzo curates classroom stories showing AI as a “steel plow,” not a cheat code—summarizing text, differentiating reading levels, and drafting parent emails in minutes while keeping teacher judgment central.

Two ninth-grade English teachers describe using generative AI responses as fodder for critique, enabling students to analyze, revise, and out-write the bot—boosting metacognition and rhetorical skills instead of encouraging shortcuts.

A college politics professor lays out a balanced strategy for fall 2025: offline blue-book exams plus AI-assisted prep, transparent policies, and in-class debates—aiming to keep critical thinking alive while embracing AI’s drafting power.

AI Tools to Try

QuestionWell – Drop any article, video transcript, or set of standards into QuestionWell and, in seconds, get export-ready question banks, reading passages, and interactive activities for platforms like Kahoot! and Canvas. Built by a former middle-school teacher, it’s a fast way to create formative checks without rewriting your workflow.

Target Audience: Upper Elementary through High School (Grades 3–12, Ages 8–18)

Check out the tool here. https://questionwell.org/

TeacherMatic – This UK-based platform packs 100+ generators—lesson plans, MCQs, rubrics, policy drafts—into one dashboard aimed at slashing workload across teaching, leadership, and admin roles. Free trials allow five daily generations, making it easy to test drive before campus-wide rollout.

Target Audience: Elementary through High School (Grades K–12, Ages 5–18)

Check out the tool here. https://teachermatic.com/

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