Catherine Ivack
Instructor
Department of Special and Early Education
College of Education
Course(s) Targeted by this Innovation
SESE 457/557: Methods for Including Middle and Secondary Students with Exceptionalities in the General Education Classroom
Development and Implementation
2026-2027
Purpose and Impact
In SESE 457/557, we help future general education teachers get ready for both the challenges and rewards of inclusive teaching. This is an ideal course to emphasize AI literacy skills, to make sure our candidates are prepared for the classroom. This will give teachers practical ways to apply inclusive principles so that students with disabilities can participate in every lesson. Students will learn to use AI to adapt materials and handle difficulties they might face in the future. My main goal is to show that AI can be an effective means of generating inclusive resources while still relying on a teacher’s heart, judgment, and creativity.
Description of Innovation
The approach will include updating assignments and discussion posts to include AI support. Here are a few examples:
AI as Coach
Students will get a profile of a middle schooler who has trouble with executive functioning, like starting tasks or managing time. Then, using a typical two-week classroom project, teacher candidates will ask an AI to act as a “project coach” for that student. After the AI creates a step-by-step plan for the assignment, candidates will review the plan, applying their own expertise and judgement to determine the suitability and gaps in the AI-developed plan.
AI Development of Instructional Tool
Teacher candidates will use AI to create a practical tool for 14-year-olds with executive functioning challenges, such as a checklist, graphic organizer, or decision tree. This tool will help candidates learn to use AI independently to plan and manage assignments. The goal is to encourage independence, provide structure, and show how to use AI in a helpful way, without becoming dependent on it.
Discussion Questions About AI Use
Throughout the course, we will be deliberate in talking about the use of AI and how it impacts trust, relationships, authenticity, and transparency. The relationship between teachers, students, and parents is critical, and teacher candidates need to consider how using AI and disclosing their use of AI may impact the trust that students and parents place in them.