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Contributed Talk

AI and Emerging Technology

Kickstarting Confidence: A School-wide Approach to AI and Self-Efficacy

SESSION DATES & TIMES COMING IN AUGUST 2026
Audience Classification: Online Learning
Audience Expertise: All Levels - This session is intentionally designed to engage and provide value across experience levels-from beginners to seasoned leaders.
Grade Level Focus: Elementary Schools, Middle Schools, High Schools
Does this session focus on a specific product? No – This session is focused on ideas, strategies, or practices, not a specific product or service.

    Presenter(s)

  • Lisa M. Diamantopoulos, n/a

    Teacher k-5
    eAchieve Elementary
    Elm Grove, Wisconsin, United States

  • Amy Groth

    Teacher K-5
    eAchieve Elementary
    Sussex, Wisconsin, United States

  • Jason Smith

    Principal Eachieve Academy/Elementary
    School District of Waukesha- eAchieve
    Mukwonago, Wisconsin, United States

Abstract Description : In a world where AI can provide instant answers, how do we help young learners become confident, reflective thinkers instead of passive consumers? This session highlights a K–12 school-wide approach where weekly meetings build self-efficacy skills that are reinforced in virtual classrooms and applied directly to student use of AI. Participants will leave with replicable strategies for fostering independence, critical thinking, and confidence in online learning. By empowering students and Learning Coaches to embrace reflection, feedback, and self-advocacy, we shift from a “caught you” mindset to one that promotes authentic growth and responsible AI use—ensuring the focus of learning stays where it belongs: on the student.

Learning Objectives:

  • Examine the relationship between AI use and student self-efficacy in virtual learning settings, and learn practical strategies to embed reflection and self-assessment. Participants will gain actionable resources and examples from the Be Good People curriculum to support direct instruction in self-awareness, self-management, and student agency.
  • Learn to implement a scalable framework for school-wide practices that cultivate student agency and critical thinking. Participants will receive concrete examples of classroom routines, prompts, and activities designed to promote independence in virtual settings. By fostering these habits of reflection and ownership, educators help students naturally develop the mindset to engage with AI responsibly and ethically, keeping learning at the center of every interaction.