The Teacher’s Guide to Building a Custom AI Assistant
Teachers carry more in one day than most people realize. That’s why the idea of adding yet another tool into the mix can feel like someone handing you a kettlebell when you’re already juggling flaming torches. So let’s take a breath. Because this is not one more thing. Creating a custom AI assistant (also known…
KCI Conducts Three Summer Math Programs
KCI tripled down on math professional learning programs for educators this summer, with programs geared for 4th-5thgrade teachers, 6th-10thgrade teachers, and a new audience of preservice teachers, earning teaching credentials at San Jose State University. First up, the EMPowered program took place July 12-19, led by experienced math teachers Cristina Bustamante (KCI’s math programs director) and…
KCI’s NGSS Program Supports the New Standards for Science
Clunk! Swish! Tong… TONG! These are the sounds participants in the KCI NGSS Program hear as they bump ordinary clothes hangers, connected to short pieces of string, against different surfaces in the classroom. After two minutes of self-directed exploration, the students are “hooked” by this phenomenon! Questions begin to form: Why are the sounds so…
KCI Makerspace Coordinator Program a Hit
Over fifty people are on track to receive their Makerspace Coordinator Certificates after the KCI held three, week-long intensives this summer. The Certificate marks the completion of 18 units of coursework, and is one of only two in California that is state approved. Participants hailed from all over California and came from many diverse backgrounds,…
The New MERIT Program 2.0
The MERIT program launched with a new name this year: Making Education Relevant through Innovative Teaching. A total of 42 educators from all over the Bay Area, California, and beyond (coming from as far away as Hawaii and El Salvador) gathered together at KCI for a two-week summer intensive in July. This marked the beginning…
Microsoft Supports CS Program & Workshops
For the last three years, KCI’s Computer Science Crash Course for Educators has been a hit with educators who want to learn more about how to integrate CS into their curriculum and classrooms. And last September, the State Board of Education adopted California’s first-ever computer science standards. Although not mandatory, these standards are expected to…
Popular FAME Program Expands to East Bay
KCI is extending the reach of its math professional learning program, FAME (Faculty Academy for Mathematics Excellence), for middle and high school teachers. After nine years of recruiting teachers from Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, FAME will take place in Alameda at Saint Philip Nerit Catholic School with the intent of reaching more teachers…