Robot-Assisted Home Inspection
Soon after retiring from the classroom in June 2022 with the Santa Clara Unified School District, I embarked on a self-guided learning journey to keep myself intellectually stimulated. The Krause Center for Innovation (KCI) is my go-to venue for interesting professional development (PD) programs. During one of such PD programs in the Summer of 2025,…
From Classroom Questions to Community Solutions: Empowering Students Through Local Problems
“WHEN Will I ever use this in my life?” That is the eternal classroom question. One powerful way to bridge the gap between school and life is by connecting mandated curriculum to local problems. When students see how their learning applies to the world around them, it becomes more impactful. That belief led me to…
Building an AI Classroom Policy With Your Students, Not For Them
It’s the beginning of school. Your students file in with Chromebooks under their arms, buzzing about ChatGPT, AI art, and the apps they swear will “help” with homework. One student raises a hand before you’ve even taken attendance: “So… are we allowed to use AI in this class?” You know the answer matters. Not just…
Monterey Peninsula Unified School District Impact Report
The Krause Center for Innovation (KCI) and the Monterey Peninsula Unified School District (MPUSD) partnered in the 2024-2025 school year to help the district better support its Newcomers. Background It is estimated that by 2030, 40 percent of all U.S. K–12 students will be English learners (ELs)(1). As the population of multilingual students continues to…
Partner Thank You! Synopsys Outreach Foundation
It’s not often that the CEO of a giving foundation volunteers to provide a workshop for the program/organization that it funds. Well, that’s exactly what happened at the KCI on Monday, June 23. Lauren Foote, CEO of the, a foundation whose mission is “To ignite interest, nurture potential, and empower all students in science, technology,…
Why VAPA, PE, and CTE Matter More Than Ever in Our Future With AI
It’s not just STEM. In a world of AI, we need to center our humanity. My Unexpected Path When I first stepped into the world of AI education, I didn’t come from coding or robotics. I came from dance. From physical education. From spaces where students move, create, collaborate, and discover who they are. So…
25 Playful Ways You Might Explore AI This Summer
A Curious Teacher’s Guide to a Fun Summer Summer is a time for resting, recharging… and maybe playing around with that AI tool you didn’t quite have time for during the school year. This is your permission slip to treat AI like a sandbox this summer. Try new things. Build your AI confidence. Use it…