Wayne RESA EdTech Updates

Join us on February 12, 2026, at The Henry Ford, where you will have the opportunity to embrace the maker mindset of “learning through doing” and explore ways to expand maker and STEM opportunities for students.

• Connect with maker-minded educators

• Engage in maker-centered challenges

• Participate in hands-on activities

• Explore maker-centered technologies

• Attend interactive breakout sessions

Keynote Speaker: Tony Vincent

What if you could describe an idea and watch it come to life? That’s the magic of vibe coding, where an idea becomes code with the help of AI. It is a playful way for teachers and students to experiment, remix, and shape imagination into reality. Tony Vincent will guide us through the art of “vibe coding” where imagination meets innovation and code becomes a canvas for creativity. With divergent thinking and a spirit of persistence, creativity flows, and rough starts transform into polished creations. Celebrate the joy of making and see how today’s tools can turn sparks of imagination into creations worth sharing.

🧐 Who: K-12 Educators, STEM Teachers, Library Media Specialists

🗺️ Where: The Henry Ford

📆 When: February 12, 2026

💰 Cost: $25

Register to Attend • Flyer

Happy New Year! Take the 20 D-AI-Y Challenge and prompt your way into 2026. Explore AI daily and discover new ways to think, create, and work.

Calendar • Interactive Site • PDF Version

Fully funded Data Science + AI learning opportunity for educators! CSforMichigan, in partnership with Bootstrap, is sharing a chance to attend Data Science 4 Everyone, a weeklong immersive experience focused on Data Science and AI. Join educators June 22–26, 2026 at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque - with airfare and lodging fully covered. Participants will follow a full-week curriculum from partners like Bootstrap, CourseKata, Youcubed, or Dataspire.

🗓 Apply by January 15 (rolling acceptances begin February 9). Teams from the same school are encouraged, and full attendance is required.

This event encourages teams—teachers, leaders, and coaches—to come together to consider how implementation of 3P pedagogies and practices might grow student investment and achievement across disciplines, as we work to ensure students are ready for college and career, but also cultural and civic life.

The event will feature two keynotes (contracts are still being worked out!), breakout sessions, a community organization fair, making opportunities, and more!

🗺️ Where: Schoolcraft College’s VistaTech Center / Livonia, Michigan

📆 When: Thursday, May 28, 2026 from 8:30 AM-3:30 PM

💰 Cost: $95.00/person, which includes instructional materials, lunch, and a full day of learning

REGISTER TODAY

🗺️ Where: Detroit Institute of Arts

📆 When: Wednesday, June 17, 2026 from 9:30 AM - 3:30 PM

💰 Cost: No Cost to Attend

REGISTER TODAY

Get outside of the classroom, connect with nature, and embark on a learning adventure that includes hands-on activities, interactive experiences, and exploratory challenges designed to spark your creativity. Let the natural world be your classroom and creativity your compass as you find learning in unexpected places. Join us for this day of discovery and inspiration!

🧐 Who: K-12 Educators, Library Media Specialists

🗺️ Where: Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge

📆 When: Wednesday, August 12, 2026 from 9:30AM- 2:30PM

💰 Cost: No Cost to Attend

REGISTER TODAY

Wonder Media supports media and news literacy instruction and may be a helpful tool for you when working with students across grade levels. Developed through a partnership between Western Michigan University and Kalamazoo Valley Community College and supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, Western Michigan, and the Library of Michigan, Wonder Media started as an interactive exhibit that ran for two years at the Kalamazoo Valley Museum. The website is a digital version of that exhibit and offers a free, accessible media literacy and news literacy toolkit. While it is primarily designed for middle school learners, the materials can be adapted for use at any grade level. The site includes interactive games, videos, worksheets, programming ideas, DIY escape kits, and extension activities. They are committed to keeping the site up to date, so be sure to check back often.

Graphic novels are powerful tools for student engagement and dual-coding—combining text and visuals to deepen understanding. Eric Curts shares a simple workflow using Google Gemini and NotebookLM to transform dry facts into vibrant visual stories. Students generate a structured script with a custom “Graphic Novel Script Gem,” upload it to NotebookLM, and use the Slide Deck feature to retell the story as a fully illustrated graphic novel.

👉 Get the Guide

AI Quests is a game-based learning experience designed to teach middle school students about AI. Through a series of interactive, code-free quests, students explore how AI is designed and used responsibly to address real-world challenges. Inspired by authentic projects from Google Research, each quest encourages active learning as students investigate, analyze, and reflect on their understanding of AI concepts while solving meaningful problems.

Kent ISD has been working with vendors to create an AI Privacy & Safety Checks resource to provide more useful information, easier navigation, and a call-to-action from vendors for transparency, accountability, and fairness. If you’re choosing AI tools for classrooms or district use, this gives you a clearer picture of what’s actually happening behind the scenes. This update adds three topics that users have been pushing for regarding safe and ethical use of AI in education:

• Clearer privacy insights

• Environmental impact ratings

• Social justice ratings

🔓 AI Privacy and Safety Checks

Five years ago, Google released a 90-minute documentary showcasing AlphaGo and its groundbreaking journey to master the complex game of Go, offering a glimpse into the potential of AI. The same team has created a new documentary, The Thinking Game, which tells the story of Demis Hassabis, co-founder of Google DeepMind, and his lifelong pursuit of artificial general intelligence. Both documentaries are available to watch for free on YouTube.

On Wednesday, February 4, 2026, REMC’s Promoting STEM Through Literature project is partnering with The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation’s Learning & Engagement team to offer a unique, immersive STEM learning experience.

In the morning, participants will be introduced to The Henry Ford’s Model i Framework and take a guided tour through the museum, uncovering stories of remarkable historic and modern innovators. You’ll learn how the Model i Framework connects to classroom practice and apply it by constructing a historical Innovation Journey.

In the afternoon, attendees will engage in hands-on learning and dive deeper into REMC’s Promoting STEM Through Literature project. You’ll explore how the project weaves together STEM, making, and literature, and how to implement it immediately with students.

This session is offered at no cost, courtesy of the REMC Association of Michigan. The day includes breakfast, a lunch voucher, SCECHs, and a complimentary book from the Promoting STEM Through Literature collection.

REGISTER TODAY

Stay out of the cold and take advantage of winter learning!

Get your coffee, grab a blanket, and cozy up to learn new skills! Winter is a great time to enhance student engagement and technology integration skills with a REMC course. Our courses provide innovative, practical strategies to enhance your teaching practice. Courses are self-paced and offer 10 FREE SCECHs. REMC instructors offer multiple live support sessions to help you get the most out of your learning and set you up for success. You must attend one and may attend more depending on your availability and needs.

Registration deadline is Wednesday, January 28th, and each course begins on Monday, February 2nd. Through the support of REMC SAVE’s vendor partners, all courses are FREE and there are no SCECH fees. Don’t miss out on these informative learning opportunities!

Check out February 2026 courses here:

• Creating a Digital Makerspace for your Classroom

• Drawing your Way to Understanding

• Engaging Students Using Google Classroom

• Game-Based Learning: Boost Engagement and Learning

• Infusing STEM into Education

• More Professional Presentations, Part 2

• Open Education Resources (OER) for School Leaders

• Power Up: Effective Communication

• Practical Differentiated Instruction

• Research and Source Validation in the Age of AI

• Social Media: Strategies for Designing Learning Experiences

Register by Wednesday, January 28th. You will receive a welcome email with the course information prior to the course start date. If you have questions or need further assistance with your course registration, please click here.

Are you looking to ignite curiosity, foster creativity, and boost digital skills in your classroom? The 21 Things 4 Students Webinar Series is here to help you do just that!

Whether you're new to digital literacy or looking for new ways to integrate technology into your lessons, this FREE, hands-on series will introduce you to the flexible and powerful resources of the 21 Things 4 Students curriculum. These webinars are designed especially for grades 5–9, but all educators will discover practical ways to spark engagement.

• Troubleshooting - January 14th
• Career Prep - January 27th
• Creative Communications - February 11th
• My Digital Life - February 25th
• Cyber Smart - March 10th
• Data Detectives - March 24th
• Design Thinking - April 7th
• Computational Thinking - April 22nd
• Interactives - May 6th

Each Session Includes:

• A guided walkthrough of a featured Thing from the curriculum.

• A quick, interactive demo of a tool or strategy you can try.

• Real classroom examples and resources to take with you.

Whether you’re a tech pro or just getting started, this series is your gateway to making digital learning meaningful, manageable and fun. Register now, all webinars run from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. and are led by Michigan Educators.

Bring critical thinking, problem-solving, and computational thinking into your classroom with board games designed for engagement and collaboration. This project provides educators with curated resources, including "game cards" for each title that outline the 21st-century skills reinforced, number of players, recommended age, and suggested playtime.

Why Use These Games?

Tabletop games offer a fun, hands-on way to foster critical thinking, collaboration, and problem-solving skills essential for college and career readiness. These games are available for checkout, giving you an easy, interactive method to create high-quality, engaging learning experiences for Michigan’s preK–12 students. Contact Judy Bowling at bowlinj@resa.net if you'd like to borrow them.

Access Game Cards and Resources

Together, Michigan schools are saving big. Through REMC SAVE, districts across the state get access to statewide bids and approved contracts, trusted vendors, and real savings that go back into classrooms to support Michigan students and educators.

Wayne RESA offers two collections of books that are available for Wayne County educators to check out and use with students. The first is a collection of artificial intelligence (AI) books designed for students, introducing them to AI by breaking down complex concepts into accessible, age-appropriate language. The second collection features all titles from the REMC Promoting STEM Through Literature series.

Additionally, Wayne RESA provides a collection of Maker-STEM materials available for loan to educators in Wayne County. To learn more about these materials and access the loan request form, visit resa.net/allthingsmaking

Contact Judy Bowling at bowlinj@resa.net if you need additional information.

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Contact Information

Judy Bowling • Instructional Technology and Library Consultant • bowlinj@resa.net

Laura Gabrion • Literacy Consultant • gabriol@resa.net

Matt Smoot • Learning, Innovation, and Technology Consultant • smootm@resa.net