Resource Page to Support My Webinars and Workshops on Generative AI (GenAI)
This is a general resource page to support my AI workshops and trainings, with a focus on generative AI and assistive technology.
Since early 2023, I've conducted multiple trainings (one-hour presentations to full-day workshops) on generative AI. For these events, I typically include a resource guide with links to an eclectic mix of articles, videos, tutorials, and vendor websites referred to in the slides. Given that these tools and concepts change so rapidly, some of the resources I list might be outdated only a month or so after a presentation.
I decided to give these links a "home" on my website where I can update the information every few months (typically right before my next event) and avoid the need to attach a static list of resources to my handouts. It's also important that my audiences understand certain must-know fundamentals about AI, so I've included some of that information here as well.
Please Link – Don't CopyI hope you find this information both helpful and enlightening. Please feel free to link to this resource page from your own website or presentation. That way, your website visitors and workshop attendees will always have access to the latest version. Use this link: www.TechPotential.net/genAI One request, though: please don't copy and paste this content directly into your own works. (Thank you! :-) |
What Educators and Disability Service Professionals Should Know About Generative AI
Artificial intelligence, or AI, has been part of our daily lives for decades. Consider these ubiquitous tools that employ AI: speech recognition, contextual grammar checkers, voice assistants like Siri and Alexa, biometric IDs (e.g., fingerprint, facial recognition), product recommendations (e.g., Amazon, Netflix), GPS navigation, etc. The relatively recent excitement – and alarm – about AI in education centers on so-called "generative AI" (genAI) tools such as ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and so many others that can understand conversational human language and create seemingly original content.
Similar to previous transformative technologies in education – school-based Internet in the late 1990s and classroom computers in the early 1980s – genAI offers a wealth of possibilities to enhance teaching and learning, especially for students with disabilities. However, this vast potential comes with challenges and limitations that, if not properly recognized and managed, can easily overshadow the benefits.
Given the once-in-a-generation opportunity afforded by this emergent technology, educators, AT specialists, and disability service professionals need to understand how to harness genAI capabilities and make sound decisions about its use.
My presentations and workshops aim to provide participants with a solid foundation of AI literacy: understand how genAI works, where it excels, and its inherent limitations, then make informed decisions about evaluation, training, and ethical use. Learning objectives typically include two or more of the topics listed below (click the down arrow to expand each description). The video at the bottom of this page touches on some of these topics.
- Fundamentals: What is artificial intelligence (AI)…and what is it not?
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a collection of sciences and technologies that can perform tasks that typically require human intelligence
- AI simulates specific aspects of human intelligence – e.g., our abilities to respond to stimuli, classify, predict, decide, create, learn from feedback, adapt, plan
- It is not a substitute, but an alternative means to achieve certain goals
- Different types of AI simulate different aspects of human intelligence – for example: Reactive AI, Discriminative AI, Predictive AI, Generative AI, Agentic AI
Understanding how AI is trained and how it works helps to clarify its relative strengths as well as highlight its inherent limitations and shortcomings
- GenAI shortcomings: Implications and mitigations
Important to understand why generative AI has these potential problems as well as how to mitigate the effects
- Currency of training data - through what date? (outdated training may produce false factual info)
- Guard rails - prevent responses deemed illegal, unethical, religious/political advocacy, etc.
- Privacy of data - how are your prompts and responses used? (most tools now offer opt-out)
- Errors and bias - responses may echo mistakes and biases in training data
- Flawed reasoning - generate wrong conclusions from correct info
- Hallucinations - plausible responses that are incorrect or nonsensical
- Content not original - seemingly adapted from existing (possibly copyrighted) content
- Lacks ethical/moral reasoning - "parrots" empathy and understanding; genAI has no ethical comprehension
- Anthropomorphism - illusion of human intelligence behind responses (can be misleading/harmful, especially for kids)
- AI as AT: Thinking about generative AI as assistive technology supports – a novel perspective
Generative AI tools (especially chatbots like ChatGPT, Gemini, etc.) function less like "tools with pre-defined features to improve functional capabilities" and more like "a skilled assistant that adapts and responds in real-time to a wide range of tasks"
- Understanding why helps inform how and for what we should use genAI
- Explained in video below starting at 41:45
Apply a methodology to determine whether specific tasks are better supported by genAI tools or traditional “fixed-feature” assistive technology tools
- Evaluating Features: Navigating the plethora of genAI tools
Differentiate between the ever-increasing plethora of genAI and AI-enhanced tools by identifying critical features that set them apart – three broad categories:
Features that impact user experience and interactions
- User interface, types of info it accepts & understands, languages, accessibility
- Settings and preferences
- Custom instructions - personalize the tool for the user, context, task, and more
Features that affect general operation, availability, and effectiveness- Different versions may use different underlying LLMs (free/paid, faster, more "intelligent")
- Platforms available (online, apps for Mac, Windows, iOS/iPadOS, Android)
- Security & data privacy
Features that help to "increase, maintain, or improve" an individual's functional capabilities
- For genAI chatbots, these capabilities are defined by the prompts themselves (see the "AI as AT" section above)
- Creating Effective Prompts: Instructing your genAI assistant
Create effective text prompts and image prompts for educational and accessibility tasks
Avoid prompt-writing pitfalls
- Best Practices: Best practices for genAI in education and disabilities support
Need to proactively address issues such as:
- Purpose-first use tied to academic goals (provide support without bypassing learning skills)
- Student AI literacy (explicitly train prompting, checking, critical thinking)
- Academic integrity (how is this assessed and monitored?)
- Equity and access for all students (equal access regardless of disability, income levels, etc.)
- Data privacy and identity protection
- Student wellbeing (e.g., relationship boundries - chatbot is not a friend, confidant, or counselor)
- ...and more
- Organizational Policies: Developing school policies and building generative AI literacy
How schools, agencies, and organizations can identify their genAI needs and make plans for improvement
Start with published AI state guidance
- Center for Innovation, Design, and Digital Learning (CIDDL) tracks official guidance on AI policies released by State Education Agencies: tinyurl.com/235792fj
- CIDDL identified emerging themes in these policies that can help guide educators and policymakers: tinyurl.com/4vs87c4c
State AI Guidance for K12 Schools (AI for Education)
- Find how your state approaches issues, avail yourself of resources, modify/adapt/build on as needed: tinyurl.com/3y96yz2v
AI Toolkit for School Districts (Common Sense Education)- "Step-by-step toolkit" – adaptable for districts of different sizes, with different needs & priorities: tinyurl.com/8m4c4xaj
Basic operational features and info for popular genAI chatbots
The quick-reference table below includes links to important info for the five generative AI chatbots most often used by students and educators. I don’t provide links for Grok (xAI) or Meta AI (Meta) because these chatbots are mainly distributed and integrated through social/messaging systems (X and Meta’s apps, respectively). This makes them a poor fit for education due to typical school policies and classroom implementation (just one click away from social media distractions!).
Curated list of articles on AI, education, & AT
I selected many of these articles because they provide additional perspectives on genAI, AT, and education beyond just the tools.
"Overview of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the Context of Assistive Technology"
UW ECHO webinar - September 5, 2025 (one hour)
The University of Wyoming's ECHO in Assistive Technology program hosted a six-webinar series in fall 2025 about AI and AT. I kicked off the series with "Overview of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the Context of Assistive Technology", which explained the must-know basics of AI (and especially generative AI) and shared guidelines for decision-makers on how and when to use AI-enhanced tools. UW ECHO has graciously granted me permission to post the webinar recording on my website.
Click the three dots (...) at the lower right corner of the video for settings to show/hide captioning, change volume, adjust playback speed, show a chapters menu (jump to a different section), and display the video fullscreen.
Use the link below to download the webinar's PDF handout. As noted on the handout, please do not repurpose this information, in whole or in part, without express prior consent. (Thank you! :-)