The PILLARS Symposium: Preparation, Information Literacy, Libraries, Academic Resources, and 21st Century Skills for Transitioning from Secondary School to College
This is a virtual one-day symposium that will bring educators and librarians together to share knowledge on the topic of student readiness for college and beyond.
This symposium is designed to introduce educators to a wide range of teaching and learning resources for practical use in the 21st-century classroom. This year’s theme, Is AI On The Test? A Symposium for Educators Who Weren’t Ready for Robots, focuses a critical lens on Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) in the classroom, including creating policies, practical methods, evaluating AI tools, user privacy, and legal issues.
CE and CTLE Credit will be available for individuals who attend the live event.
The presentations will be recorded, and we will send links to all registrants. We recommend attending live so you can fully participate in the Q&A.
Keynote: Elissa Malespina, Author of The AI School Librarian Newsletter and owner of Educational Equity AdvisorsIn this session, we'll examine the promises and pitfalls of AI in schools through the lens of librarianship. Using real-world case studies - including LAUSD's failed AI chatbot experiment - we'll uncover hidden flaws in AI-driven education that often go unspoken by tech companies. Participants will leave with practical, librarian-led strategies to support ethical AI use, foster student inquiry, and future-proof their roles in an increasingly automated world. This is not about resisting technology - it's about leading its responsible, equitable integration.
Dr. Chris Harris & Betsy Hartnett will talk about the AI Scope and Sequence and how to make more effective use of AI without worrying about the cheating issue by focusing on the process of learning and not the products of learning. The answer is to move towards a performance based model for assessment.
Sign off for a bit and go touch grass!
J. Denice Lewis, Research and Instruction Librarian for Engineering and Science at Wake Forest UniversityWhether you’re a novice with AI or an expert, let’s talk about different ways that AI tools can be used as a librarian. Denice will share real-world examples of the AI tools she uses in her role for productivity, research, and instruction.
Dr. Ifeoma Ajunwa will present remarks on what the A.I. revolution is and what it means for the futures of work. Dr. Ajunwa is a law professor and A.I. expert who has published the book, The Quantified Worker, detailing the various ways that A.I. technologies are already changing the workspace especially regarding hiring and management. In this presentation, Professor Ajunwa notes the various futures of work that could be created by A.I. technologies and provides a guide for what both governments and individuals can do to ensure that we are moving towards a future of prosperity for everyone.
We are proud to share that the keynote for the symposium will be: Elissa Malespina, author of The AI School Librarian Newsletter and owner of Educational Equity Advisors.
Ifeoma Ajunwa, A.I. and The Future of Work
J. Denice Lewis, Practical AI: Lessons from an Academic Librarian’s Journey
Dr. Chris Harris & Betsy Hartnett, Teaching About AI, Not Just With AI: Bypassing the Cheating Issue
Albany, Fulton, Hamilton, Montgomery, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Warren and Washington counties.
Herkimer, Madison, Oneida, Onondaga counties
Nassau & Suffolk Counties
New York City & Westchester County
Jefferson, Lewis, Oswego, St. Lawrence, Clinton, Essex, and Franklin Counties
Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Wayne, and Wyoming counties
Allegany, Broome, Cayuga, Chemung, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, Otsego, Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben, Tioga, Tompkins, and Yates Counties
Columbia, Greene, Ulster, Dutchess, Orange, Sullivan, Putnam, and Rockland counties
Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Niagara, and Orleans counties
