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AI & Learning Technology: Lessons from EdTech History to Build the Future of AI & Education

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Understanding where educational AI is going requires looking closely at how we arrived here. As schools, universities, and EdTech pioneers navigate the rapid shift toward generative AI and AI-integrated learning technologies, looking back at historical patterns of technology adoption offers crucial context for future policy and design. Rooted in decades of pioneering personalized learning through solutions like EdReady and the collaborative impact of The NROC Project, our panel brings a long-standing perspective on how adaptive technology truly scales to empower students.

In this strategic panel discussion, leading experts in the education technology field will evaluate the historic milestones of learning technology systems, dissect current AI implementation challenges, and project the long-term transformation of AI and educational institutions. Attendees will gain actionable insights on how to build forward-thinking AI policies that prioritize human agency, educational access, and meaningful learning outcomes.

Can't make the webinar? Register anyway, and we'll send you a link to recording, transcript and presentation slides after the webinar!

Dr. Ahrash N. Bissell
Dr. Ahrash N. Bissell

FACILITATOR, President, The NROC Project / EdReady

Jon Fila
Jon Fila

Founder & AI Strategist, Inclusive AI Strategies

Jon Fila is the Founder and AI Strategist of Inclusive AI Strategies, where he helps schools and organizations reduce bias in generative AI and build governance, prompting and training strategies for using it with equity and intention. He was a 2022 Minnesota Teacher of the Year finalist.

Jim Larimore
Jim Larimore

Co-Founder, EdSAFE AI Alliance

Board Member, The NROC Project

Jim’s career has expanded our understanding of who gets to succeed in education by replacing deficit mindsets with asset-based strategies for student success. Convinced that anyone can learn under the right conditions, he led student affairs at Stanford, Dartmouth, Swarthmore, and NYU Abu Dhabi; oversaw the Gates Foundation's personalized advising portfolio and $1.6 billion Gates Millennium Scholars Program; and founded ACT's Center for Equity in Learning, partnering with Michelle Obama's Reach Higher Initiative to expand college access. In 2021, he co-founded the EdSAFE AI Alliance to champion ethical AI in education. A first-generation, mixed-race graduate, Jim serves on numerous boards and advisory councils.

Mara Woody Ed.D.
Mara Woody Ed.D.

Director of Strategic Partnerships, Riipen

Dr. Mara Woody, Ed.D. is a national voice on the future of higher education, artificial intelligence, and workforce transformation. As Director of Strategic Partnerships at Riipen, she brings together educators, employers, policymakers, and innovators to expand access to real-world learning and prepare learners to thrive in a rapidly changing economy.

With more than two decades of experience spanning public policy, academic affairs, and workforce development, Dr. Woody is passionate about ensuring that AI and emerging technologies serve as catalysts for meaningful, scalable change rather than isolated innovation. Her work focuses on building the partnerships, systems, and strategies that help institutions responsibly integrate AI, strengthen connections between learning and work, and expand opportunity for today’s diverse learners.

An award-winning leader and sought-after national speaker, Dr. Woody holds an Ed.D. from Vanderbilt University. Her work is grounded in a powerful belief: when communities align around a shared vision, they can move mountains.

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