K-W (expanded) Learning: Turning Curiosity Into Deeper Understanding with AI

Outline

Outline:

1. Introduction (5 min): Discuss AI as a tool to spark creativity and critical thinking.

2. K-W (Expanded) Learning Framework (10 min): Review structure and application.

3. Application Activity (10 min): Educators apply the framework to their own classroom contexts.

4. AI for Vocabulary & Comprehension (5–10 min): Explore strategies to support struggling learners.

5. Hands-On Tool Exploration (10 min): Model AI tools for visual representation, storytelling, and knowledge expansion.

6. Tracking Learning & Reflection (5 min): Discuss methods to monitor student progress with AI.

7. Reflection & Sharing (5 min): Participants reflect and share actionable takeaways.

Outcomes

Educators will leave with:

1. Ready-to-use energizer prompts powered by AI.

2. Strategies for scaffolding comprehension and vocabulary acquisition with AI support.

3. Ways to integrate AI with Adobe Express for student-created visuals.

4. A coaching mindset: shifting the narrative from “what’s missing” to “what more can be added.”

Supporting research

Works Cited

“Artificial Intelligence in Education.” ISTE, iste.org/ai.Clark, Holly. The AI Infused Classroom. Elevate Books EDU, 15 May 2023.

Joan Monahan Watson, and Krista J Wojdak. Learning with AI. Johns Hopkins University Press, 1 Oct. 2024.

Musa, Ahmed. Critical Thinking in the Age of AI: Teaching Students to Question. Recorded Books, 26 Dec. 2024.

Poth, Rachelle Dené. How to Teach AI. ASCD, 2024.

Zhou, Min, and Song Peng. “The Usage of AI in Teaching and Students’ Creativity: The Mediating Role of Learning Engagement and the Moderating Role of AI Literacy.” Behavioral Sciences, vol. 15, no. 5, May 2025, p. 587, www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/15/5/587, https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15050587.

Ziemke, Kristin, and Katie Muhtaris. Read the World : Rethinking Literacy for Empathy and Action in a Digital Age. Portsmouth, Nh, Heinemann, 2020.