AI Insights #36

This past week has been full on. And to be completely honest, I’ve probably crammed a bit too much into June. We had an inspection lasy month (you know the drill, nothing gets done until that is out the way), so a lot of projects, sessions and speaking bits have been jammed into these last few weeks. Not the most relaxing way to slide into summer.

And yet, here we are. With just a few weeks left of the school year, I’m making a final push. Because the conversations happening right now around AI, teacher training and trust-wide strategy are just too important to park until September.

Here’s a quick round-up of what’s been going on:

• I ran two sessions for Early Career Teachers as part of the COBIS CPECT programme. We got stuck into AI tools, classroom use, prompting, ethics and the all-important question of what’s actually safe and age-appropriate.
• I took part in the AI Changemakers webinar, showing how Canva’s AI Code can be used to create everything from revision games to interactive quizzes. No coding degree required.
• I’m also getting ready to speak at MAT Forward 2025 next week. I’ll be sharing thoughts on trust-wide AI maturity, curriculum relevance and strategies for genuine student engagement. There’s a resource pack to go with it too.
• And finally, I was so proud to contribute to the new DfE and Chartered College of Teaching support materials on AI. These are the kind of practical, thoughtful tools the profession has been crying out for.

It’s been a lot. But it’s also been brilliant. If you're after ideas or just a bit of food for thought, the rest of the blog has you covered.

Supporting Early Career Teachers

This week I had the absolute pleasure of running two sessions for COBIS - Council of British International Schools , as part of their CPECT programme (that’s the COBIS Programme for Early Career Teachers, if you’re into acronyms). It was an honour to be asked, so a big thanks to Janette Quinn for inviting me along.

In these sessions, we dug into the world of AI and generative tools. What they are, how they work, and how we can use them in classrooms without causing chaos (or a safeguarding headache).

We covered:

• How to talk to generative Al platforms (text-to-image, text-to-code, that sort of thing),
• A peek at Veo 3, including a brilliant example from Louise Jones from ThingLink . She used it to build a learning experience that incorporated a Veo 3 video. Genuinely one of the first education-based uses I’ve seen for Veo3.
• A whistle-stop tour through my AI Toolkit with demos of Canva Code, NotebookLM, and even a cheeky little outing from Charles Dickens via D-ID (yes, "deepfake" Dickens. And yes, we went over what to do when students think it's real).

We also talked prompting. What works, what doesn’t, and how to build up a library of good examples for different age groups and contexts (primary, secondary, SEND etc).

There were important bits too:

• Data protection, and how to turn model training off
• Age restrictions for platforms (still widely misunderstood)
• The ethics of using AI-generated characters or personas in images or chatbots
• And most crucially, why pedagogy must lead, not the tech

📣 Three Questions for ECTs to Ask in August

I wrapped up the session with three key questions for teachers heading into new schools:

1. What’s your AI policy?
2. What CPD or training do you offer around AI?
3. What tools can and can’t we use in the classroom?

This sparked a brilliant discussion. A few folks said they felt like their school was being “left behind” with no AI guidelines. And honestly? They’re not alone. But here’s the thing. The biggest risk isn’t being behind. It’s not knowing what’s going on.

Shadow AI use, no oversight, no policies? That’s a safeguarding and data risk waiting to happen.

So if you’re in a school that hasn’t yet formalised its approach to AI, this is the sign you were waiting for. Get that conversation going now.

AI for Emotional Support

A trend I’ve seen across lots of different sessions recently is teachers underestimating just how many students are using tools like ChatGPT for emotional support.

Not just to write poems or brainstorm homework. We’re talking:

• Self-soothing
• Relationship advice
• Coping with stress or anxiety

When ChatGPT went down on Tuesday, loads of people on live blogs were panicking. Not because they couldn’t code or write emails, but because they “lost their therapist”. Harvard Business Review even flagged this as one of the fastest-growing use cases for generative AI.

So, if you’re working with young people, don’t be surprised if they’re using these tools as a digital shoulder to cry on.

This is something that needs to be addressed head on. Get an workshop for parents/carers and assesmblies for students ready on this.

Trust me. This is a storm on the horizon!

Creating with AI

It was also really great to be part of this AI Changemakers webinar, where I joined forces with the brilliant Christopher Blackwood and Thomas Sale to explore how educators can use Canva’s AI Code feature to create interactive, engaging classroom resources from scratch.

In the session, we show you how to build:

• Custom quizzes
• Maths games
• Virtual escape rooms
• Personalised reading and revision activities

…all designed for both primary and secondary learners, with no need for advanced coding skills. Just a bit of creativity, some well-crafted prompts, and the right tools.

We walk through our own step-by-step processes and share practical examples that you can try out in your own school straight away. Whether you're looking to spice up a lesson or give students something a bit different for revision, there's loads here you can borrow and adapt.

I'm Matthew Wemyss and it was a pleasure to share some of the work from a recent Canva AI workshop at my school.

Huge thanks to Alex Gray for organising this!

Speaking at MAT Forward 2025

Next Wednesday I will be speaking at ParentPay Group 's MAT Forward 2025, a fantastic online event designed for today’s trust leaders.

It’s running from 16 to 18 June, with focused afternoon sessions full of sharp insights and practical ideas around leadership, growth and what excellence looks like in trusts right now.

I’ll be delivering a keynote titled:

Beyond the Hype: Strategic Frameworks for Sustaining Student Engagement and Relevance

In this session, we’ll be exploring:

• What real AI maturity looks like across a trust
• Why engagement is about more than just showing up
• How to keep learning relevant for pupils in a fast-changing world
• The “Three-I” framework to support your trust’s AI strategy
• Governance ideas like student-led ethics panels and co-designed policies
• Plenty of practical examples, tools and real-life case studies from schools

There’s also a resource pack to go with the session, so you won’t leave empty handed.

🔗 Register for your free place: https://okt.to/AtFhil

Really looking forward to joining the conversation.

Proud to Be Part of This Brilliant Resource

I was so honoured to be involved in creating the new “Using AI in Education Settings: Support Materials”, developed by the Department for Education , the Chiltern Learning Trust and the Chartered College of Teaching .

This is something our profession has really needed. These free, practical resources are here to support schools and colleges in using generative AI safely, responsibly and effectively. They’re clear, thoughtful and genuinely useful, whether you're just getting started or already experimenting with prompts in your practice.

🔗 https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/using-ai-in-education-settings-support-materials

You’ll find:

• Straightforward modules with activities, slides, videos and summaries
• Space to reflect, plan and apply what you’ve learned
• Tools that work for individuals or teams
• A strong focus on safe and ethical use (Module 3 is essential for everyone)

I’m lucky enough to appear in a few places:

• Module 2 – Interacting with generative AI in education
• Module 4 – Use cases of generative AI in education
• And in the first five case studies on the Chartered College’s site

These materials are more than just guidance. They’re a real support system for educators. Thoughtfully put together, easy to use, and grounded in real classroom practice.

Huge thanks to Christian Turton and Trudi Barrow for leading this so brilliantly and for inviting me to be involved.

If you're exploring how AI could fit into your setting (or even if you're a bit sceptical), this is a great place to start.

Ta ra, duck

I hope you’ve enjoyed this week’s newsletter.

Stay steady. Stay curious.

Catch you next time

If you want to get started with AI in your schools, I'm happy to help:

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