Many school districts have yet to provide professional development on AI, but experts say any guidance is beneficial. During a recent Education Week forum, Dyane Smokorowski of Wichita Public Schools and Mary Catherine Reljac of Fox Chapel Area School District shared strategies for integrating AI training, including identifying teachers' concerns, offering concrete examples of AI use, encouraging hands-on experimentation and involving teachers in policy creation.

Eighth-grade students at St. Mary's School in Johnson City, Tenn., engaged in a real-time research project, documenting the effects of Hurricane Helene as they happened. The project, led by social studies and language arts teacher Kim Kenneson, involved analyzing news reports, social media posts and conducting interviews, and replaced the students' annual capstone research project.

Stockton University's Tween Tech is an annual program designed to introduce middle-school girls to careers in science and technology. The event, organized by Claudine Keenan since 2017, aims to inspire girls aged 11 to 14 to pursue interests in STEM fields by providing a supportive environment where they can engage with peers who share similar interests.

The Future of Education Technology Conference is partnering with SmartBrief to reach a broader audience of K-12 educators. The event, set for Jan. 14-17 in Orlando, Fla., will feature a keynote by author Guy Kawasaki, who will discuss fostering a growth mindset and innovation in students.

As AI continues to grow its presence in education, it's time for school systems to reevaluate their methods of curriculum and assessment design, writes educator and former journalist Mike Kentz. Examining student interactions with AI -- instead of relying simply on tradititional language-based assessments -- will give teachers a better picture of student thinking and understanding of subject material. Kentz details how some educators are implementing this framework in their classrooms.

Ants have been found to hold grudges against rival colonies, according to a study in Current Biology that involved exposing ants to aggressive encounters and observing their subsequent behavior. The findings indicate that ants remember previous hostile interactions and react more aggressively towards those colonies in future encounters, demonstrating a form of associative learning.