Exploration AI: Beyond the Algorithm

Beyond the Algorithm: Season One Reflections, Ethos & Classroom Wins

Hosts Courtney, Matt, and Jason reflect on Season 1 highlights — from giving away 650 AI books and a lively summit to celebrating student-powered classroom wins at Northridge Elementary. They discuss bringing ethos and transparency into classrooms, share the new School AI Chrome extension for teachers, and invite educators to summer PD and a year-long AI Collaborative to continue learning and planning for Season 2. May PDF [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FobSOn85iRKSS3TFRhw0ECpKqsGOkg1E/view?usp=sharing]

Blended Remix: AI-Powered Strategies for Student-Centered Classrooms

In this episode of Exploration AI, hosts Courtney Groskin and Dr. Matt Moulton talk with St. Vrain instructional coordinators Casey Luker and Temple Hayles about practical blended learning strategies and thoughtful AI integration. They highlight a Student-Powered AI Challenge winner and explain how AI can be a thinking partner—supporting student metacognition, formative assessment, and teacher planning. Listeners will hear classroom examples (elementary writing feedback, teacher-driven grouping, Schoology discussions), the Blended Remix PD model, and quick steps like flipping your agenda horizontally into stations to create more student choice and deeper learning.   April PDF [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Z2yCkNhMp2WtwNLleVAKu5iaZWWNPND3/view?usp=sharing]

AI Summit Reflection: Empowering Teacher and Students in the Human-Centered Classroom

Courtney and Matt reflect on the energy from the recent AI Summit, where nearly 250 St. Vrain educators gathered to explore practical, human-centered AI integration. A highlight was Dr. Catlin Tucker’s keynote, emphasizing that AI should empower, not replace, educators, with a strong focus on metacognition and purposeful implementation. The team shares key trends from summit feedback, including a shift from curiosity to capability, renewed momentum, and important conversations around K–3 foundations, differentiation, accessibility, and the Ethos Framework. 🎉 Student-Powered AI Challenge Winner: Mary Ann Dempsey (Mead Elementary) Her students used AI as a thinking partner — not a shortcut — to strengthen their Young AmeriTowne campaign speeches through guided questioning and structured feedback. Special guest Hannah McDonald, SVVSD Teacher of the Year and AI graduate student at Purdue, shares how she uses AI to solve real classroom challenges. Her entrepreneurship students used AI as a brainstorming partner, generating 200+ ideas while still evaluating and refining the work themselves. The big takeaway: Keep humans at the center. Use AI to deepen thinking, spark collaboration, and create more space for meaningful learning. Join us next month for another conversation beyond the algorithm.     View the March PDF Here  [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1p59Au-bgEJ0bx1LmjAhZNpRhTweRfX3T/view?usp=sharing]

February: S in ETHOS for Safety with Jason Kelsall and Patrick Coniway

Episode Overview As AI tools become more common in classrooms, questions around safety, privacy, and ethics are more important than ever. In this episode, Courtney and Matt sit down with Jason Kelsall and Patrick Coniway from District Technology Services to unpack the “S” for Safety in the district’s ETHOS framework. Together, they explore how AI tools are vetted, how student data is protected, and what safeguards are in place to ensure responsible, transparent, and ethical AI use across the district. What You’ll Hear in This Episode 🔐 How Student Data Is Protected * What a data privacy agreement is—and why it matters * Why district-approved tools offer protections that personal accounts do not * How DTS works with vendors to safeguard student and educator data 🧠 How AI Tools Are Evaluated * The role of the Codex review process * How tools are reviewed for privacy, security, instructional alignment, and compliance * Why transparency in generative AI systems is non-negotiable 🧪 “Red Teaming” AI Tools * What red teaming is and how DTS stress-tests AI tools before approval * How teams attempt to “break” tools to identify risks like misuse or prompt injection * Why hands-on testing matters just as much as vendor promises ✅ District-Approved AI Tools * Why SchoolAI is approved for K–12 student use * How Gemini is approved for staff and high school students * How tools like Canva and Adobe Firefly are monitored as AI features are added 🔄 Ongoing Review & Vendor Feedback * How DTS monitors AI features added to existing tools * Why some tools are approved, some paused, and others declined * How the district provides feedback to vendors to improve safety and transparency 🌟 Student-Powered AI Challenge: February Spotlight Matt highlights February’s Student-Powered AI Challenge winner: * A Longs Peak Middle School teacher used Gemini as a technical partner to build interactive Desmos activities * AI reduced technical barriers, allowing the teacher to focus on pedagogy * Student engagement increased, and learning clicked—proving AI works best when it supports instruction, not distracts from it 📣 Upcoming Event: AI Summit * Keynote: Catlin Tucker * Date: Saturday, February 21 * Perks: Free breakfast, lunch, hot chocolate, prizes * Doors open: 8:15 a.m. This is your last chance to register and save your spot. Final Takeaway AI innovation moves fast—but safety, transparency, and intentionality must lead the way. This episode highlights the thoughtful systems, partnerships, and safeguards working behind the scenes to ensure AI serves students and educators responsibly. February PDF  [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cCQIwGzQHSZ3rpVQJuLf75mkFCcX3kZ9/view?usp=sharing]

January: Opportunity Focused AI with Mai Vu

Episode Overview In this episode, Courtney Groskin and Dr. Matthew Moulton explore the “O” in ETHOS—Opportunity Focus, highlighting how AI can expand learning pathways for students while strengthening the human-centered work of educators. From blended learning models to real-world, student-driven AI projects, this conversation showcases how intentional AI use creates meaningful opportunities across St. Vrain Valley Schools. 🏔️ AI Summit Spotlight: Dr. Catlin Tucker The hosts kick off the episode by inviting listeners to the AI Summit with Dr. Catlin Tucker, happening Saturday, February 21 at Skyline High School. Attendees can expect: * Sessions led by curriculum coordinators, administrators, learning leaders, and AI Champions * A keynote from Dr. Catlin Tucker * Free breakfast, lunch, and swag Dr. Tucker’s blended learning models exemplify Opportunity Focus by creating flexible pathways, prioritizing small-group instruction, and giving teachers more time for feedback, connection, and responsive instruction. Her work demonstrates how AI can support—not replace—teachers by opening space for deeper learning and stronger relationships. 🌟 Student Opportunity in Action: AI-Powered Learning at Longmont High The episode celebrates Paulina Hansen, world language teacher at Longmont High School and winner of the January Student-Powered AI Challenge. Paulina uses School AI tools to enhance learning in her Spanish for Spanish Speakers classroom by: * Generating visual diagrams as mentor texts * Providing sentence starters as scaffolds to support writing development * Using AI assistants for low-stakes, communicative language practice Her intentional use of AI builds student confidence, fluency, and independence while modeling how educators can recognize and act on opportunity. 🤖 Guest Spotlight: Mai Vu, AI Program Manager Courtney and Matt welcome Mai Vu, AI Program Manager at the Innovation Center, who shares insights into her teaching and student project teams. Mai’s work centers on: * AI literacy for students * Real-world problem solving * Project-based learning through the AI Youth Competition Students have tackled challenges ranging from environmental conservation and robotics onboarding to skincare selection for teens and increasing adoption rates for animals through the Humane Society. Each project reflects authentic learning driven by student voice, purpose, and impact. 🧠 Preparing Students for an AI-Ready Workforce Mai discusses how she intentionally builds durable skills such as: * Critical thinking * Communication * Reading and writing * Executive functioning By focusing on human-centered competencies, students learn how to “AI-proof” their skill sets and understand that success in an AI-rich future depends on responsibility, adaptability, and strong foundational habits. Closing Thoughts This episode reinforces that opportunity-focused AI use empowers students, supports teachers, and keeps human connection at the center of learning. From classrooms to competitions, St. Vrain continues to model what thoughtful, ethical, and opportunity-driven AI integration can look like. 🎧 Don’t miss next month’s episode, where the conversation continues with the S in ETHOS: Safety.   January PDF  [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1t53ZOhCMm7REg55Ek8BfTofC9pz-TzSx/view?usp=sharing]