AI Companions: Harmless Chatbot or Your Students' New Best Friend?

Kelly Carmichael Booz is the Director of Share My Lesson at the American Federation of Teachers, where she oversees the AFT’s PreK–12 resource platform serving nearly 2.3 million educators. She leads the organization’s digital professional development initiatives, including co-creating the award-winning AI Educator Brain series and the development of EdBrAIn, AFT’s new AI-powered teaching assistant. Kelly worked with OpenAI to create and launch EdBrAIn and led the effort to bring AI integration and custom course offerings directly into the Share My Lesson platform.

In addition to her work on AI, Kelly produces the AFT Book Club and the Vital Lessons series with Dr. Vin Gupta, curating timely and thought-provoking content for educators and non-educators nationwide. A strong advocate for civic education, Kelly was appointed by Governor Terry McAuliffe to the Virginia Standards of Learning Innovation Committee and served on the board of Virginia Civics, promoting constitutional literacy and student civic engagement.

Kelly was elected to the Alexandria City School Board in 2012 and is currently serving her third term, where she champions transparency, equity, and community-centered communication. She was named one of Alexandria’s “40 Under 40” by the Chamber of Commerce in 2017 and has held previous roles as Director of Civic Education at James Madison’s Montpelier and Manager of Teacher Programs at the Close Up Foundation.

She holds a Master of Education from the University of Virginia and a Bachelor of Arts from Carleton College.

Jennifer brings over 20 years educational experience to her current role as designer and deliverer of high-quality professional learning opportunities for educators nationwide. Leveraging her background as a former elementary educators, she fosters impactful conversations with thought leaders and inspires educators to embrace innovative practices. Her enthusiasm for digital teaching and learning is contagious and has a gift for sparking meaning conversations that lead to real-world impact.

Sari Beth Rosenberg is the co-founder of Teachers Unify to End Gun Violence and a member of the Board of Directors. She has been teaching U.S. History and AP U.S. History at a New York City public high school, the High School for Environmental Studies, for over 22 years and co-hosts the PBS NewsHour Classroom Educator Zoom Series. Rosenberg has been featured in various publications and multimedia platforms, including USA Today, NBC News, CNN, The TODAY Show, The Washington Post, Reuters, Parents Magazine, A+E/Lifetime, Travel Channel, TheSkimm, PBS NewsHour & various popular podcasts. She currently creates a History Chat series for Share My Lesson and co-hosts the AI Educator Brain Series for Share My Lesson. Rosenberg also serves as a Senior Advisor for Voters of Tomorrow. She is one of the Creators who has been credentialed to cover the 2024 Democratic National Convention this summer in Chicago.

EdBrain is the AI brainchild of AFT Share My Lesson’s Kelly Booz and educator Sari Beth Rosenberg, designed to enhance the teaching experience with a dash of digital wisdom. This AI sidekick helps educators navigate the realm of artificial intelligence in education, offering insights, resources and a critical lens to determine the effectiveness of AI tools in the classroom. EdBrain blends technology with pedagogy, making learning both efficient and enjoyable.

With its unique ability to analyze and recommend AI educational tools, EdBrain ensures that teachers have the best tech at their fingertips, while also keeping the atmosphere light with its quirky humor. Whether it’s lesson planning assistance or exploring new teaching strategies, EdBrain is always ready to add value—and a smile—to educators’ daily lives.

Remember, EdBrain’s philosophy on technology in the classroom is: “Use AI wisely because not all heroes wear capes—some just have really good algorithms.” And why don't skeletons fight each other? They don't have the guts. ?✨

Check out the AI Educator Brain partner page.