The Summit School presents Navigating Tomorrow: Embracing AI Across the Curriculum, a one-day symposium exploring the impact of artificial intelligence on education. Featuring expert speakers, interactive sessions, and practical strategies, the event will highlight how AI can support learning, teaching, and future readiness. Attendance can be in person or virtual.

• Agenda

  • 8:00 - 8:30 AM: Registration and Continental Breakfast

  • 8:30 - 8:45 AM: Opening Remarks

  • 8:45 - 9:45 AM: In the Machine Age, What Makes Us Human?
    Speaker: Sam Chaltain, MBA

  • 9:45 - 10:45 AM: AI Tools for LD Education and Future Readiness
    Speaker: Christina Lewellen, MBA, FASAE, CAE

  • 10:45 - 11:00 AM: Break

  • 11:00 AM - 12:15 PM: Artificial Intelligence and Dyslexia: What Do We Need to Know?
    Speaker: Nanci Shepardson, M.S.Ed., Ed.S., W.D.P., CPACC

  • 12:15 - 12:45 PM: Lunch Break

  • 12:45 - 1:30 PM: Developing Vocabulary Knowledge Through Text-Supplemented Audiobooks and Scalable Human and AI Tutoring
    Speaker: Ola Ozernov-Palchik, Ph.D

  • 1:30 - 2:45 PM: Practical Classroom Use
    Speakers: Anna Fick, M.Ed., Chelsea Morris, M.A., and Benjamin Shiffman, MAT

  • 2:45 - 3:00 PM: Closing Remarks

• Approvals

  • CEU approval pending for the American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA)

  • CEU approval pending for the National Association for School Psychologists (NASP)

  • CPD approval pending for the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE)

• Professional Development Information

  • Professional Development Provider: ER-APPROVE ASP (Ensuring High Quality Professional Development)

  • ASHA CE Approved Provider: University of Maryland

  • Level: Intermediate

  • Credits: 0.45 ASHA CEUs

Speakers

• Nanci King Shepardson (she/her), M.S.Ed., Ed.S., W.D.P., CPACC

  Director of Accessibility and Assistive Technology Solutions at Wilson Language Training.

  Experienced K-12 Reading Specialist, curriculum developer, tutor, consultant, and advocate. Focused on equity, access, and assistive technology integration. Parent of an adult child with dyslexia.

• Sam Chaltain, MBA

  Writer, filmmaker, and school designer. Former speechwriter for President Obama’s Secretaries of Education. Author/co-author of seven books, producer of over thirty films. Work published in New York Times, Washington Post, USA Today. Degrees in American Studies (William & Mary), MBA (George Washington University), BA in Afro-American Studies and History (University of Wisconsin-Madison).

• Christina Lewellen, MBA, FASAE, CAE

  President and CEO of the Association of Technology Leaders in Independent Schools. Data-driven strategist. MBA from Rochester Institute of Technology, Certified Association Executive. Named ASAE Fellow in 2025. Trustee for Harmony, Incorporated, active association volunteer.

• Ola Ozernov-Palchik, Ph.D.

  Research Assistant Professor at Boston University Wheelock College of Education & Human Development. Core faculty at the AI & Education Initiative. Research Scientist at MIT’s McGovern Institute. Specializes in cognitive neuroscience of language and literacy development. Recipient of the International Dyslexia Association Young Investigator Award.

• Anna Fick, M.Ed.

  English and Language Arts educator at The Summit School. Specializes in supporting students with dyslexia and learning differences. Degrees in Educational Technology and Dyslexia Studies. Experience in curriculum design and technology adoption. Passionate about integrating technology and AI into classroom learning.

  Benjamin Shiffman, MAT: English Department Coordinator at The Summit School. Over 13 years of teaching reading and English. MAT from Towson University, BA in English from University of Delaware. Co-owner and Director of Education and Technology at Joy in Learning. Developer of professional development modules focused on reading, comprehension, and AI-infused instruction.

  Chelsea Morris, M.A.: Educator at The Summit School, Social Studies Curriculum Coordinator. Background in Public History (BA, Mercyhurst University), Museum Studies and Cultural Heritage Preservation (MA and CAS, Syracuse University), and History (MA, Texas State University). Integrates AI and digital literacy into history and geography curriculum.

Learner Outcomes

• Session 1

  Understand how AI is being used by young people.

  Gain a framework for using AI in student work.

• Session 2

  Identify financial risks and opportunities of AI integration in schools.

  Evaluate AI use cases for learning, teacher burnout, and school operations.

• Session 3

  Explain the multi-faceted nature of AI.

  Discuss current research on AI efficacy.

• Session 4

  Identify evidence-based strategies for vocabulary and language development.

  Describe AI-based platforms that deliver interactive and adaptive feedback.

• Session 5

  List specific ways to integrate AI into instructional materials.

  Utilize AI to streamline instructional administrative work.

  Generate strategies for facilitating background knowledge using AI.

Contact Information

For more information, contact the Summit Resource Coordinator at SRC@thesummitschool.org