The Louisiana Association of Computer Using Educators held its annual conference in New Orleans from December 9, 2025 to December 11, 2025. Members of the LPSD Instructional Technology Innovators, Annie Jo Adams and Kayla Boudreaux of South Lafourche High School and Kortney Granier of St. Charles Elementary School, attended the conference along with Instructional Technology Coordinator, Katy McCarthy, in order to learn about the integration of different technologies in a modern classroom. Topics ranged from a teacher's use of Google's Gemini and Notebook LM to the LDOE's AI Guidance for use in a school district to learning how to create joy from chaos in a keynote speech by Louisiana educator and TikTok phenomenon, Greg Kata.
Two of Lafourche Parish's Innovators applied with LACUE and were selected to present at the conference in order to demonstrate how they integrate technology into their lessons.
Mrs. Annie Jo Adams, a SLHS physical science teacher, presented to a standing-room-only audience the importance of giving students autonomy in their learning. Mrs. Adams demonstrated the different ways, both technological and analog, to give students the choice of how to complete an assignment that fits both the standard and the objective of the lesson, but also giving the students the opportunity to be creative in a way that makes them comfortable. Mrs. Adams explained that not all students like to write paragraphs, but they might be good with digital design. So, when creating a choice board, she can account for these different learning styles, prompt the students in a manner that meets the standard, and create a rubric that fits all of the choices.
Additionally, Mrs. Kortney Granier, a 3rd Grade ELA teacher, presented on how she uses the magic of Magic School AI, a school appropriate AI software company, to help build her structured literacy small groups in order to differentiate, to fit skills and standards, and to expedite the planning process. Mrs. Granier told her standing-room-only audience about the importance of following the structured literacy plan and gave them examples of how she follows the plan to ensure that the skills the students need to learn are the skills she pulls out of Magic School AI to help her teach her small groups. Mrs. Granier also discussed best practices in using Magic School AI as a teacher support tool.
Additionally, Katy McCarthy, Instructional Technology Coordinator, presented in conjunction with OnCourse Education Systems "Why and How Teachers Should be Included in the Assessment Process." Ms. McCarthy outlined how data from assessments can assist the teacher in making informed instructional decisions by walking through a data analysis process using the charts and graphs in OnCourse after a teacher gives an assessment and discussing how this data can then drive the creation of assessments year-to-year.
Secondary Instructional Coach and Innovator, Kayla Boudreaux, also attended LACUE and gleaned many new strategies and learned different tools to help her teachers expand their technology toolbox in their classrooms. The LPSD Instructional Technology Innovator team is composed of one to two teachers like Annie Jo and Kortney and some coaches like Kayla who are committed to helping teachers at their schools to become more confident in learning and integrating new technologies into their teaching practices.