In this episode of the Integrate This EdTech Podcast, hosts David Berner and Jeremy Mikla sit down with Vera Cubero, Emerging Technologies Consultant for the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. Vera shares her journey from middle school teacher to one of the lead architects of North Carolina's statewide AI guidelines — one of the first four states in the nation to publish them. The conversation covers building multi-stakeholder AI policy, training teachers on AI tools, the importance of living documents over rigid policy, AI literacy for students and families, concerns about deepfakes and companion chatbots, and what's coming next.

Connect with Vera:

Cubero Consulting: https://hen-rhombus-rerj.squarespace.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/veracubero/

NCDPI AI Guidelines: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1U-AwwwBg7glJ4ZDlcKVzARuFRPWwUWzqRN2rOgT9zlA/edit?tab=t.0

What does meaningful professional learning look like in an age of AI?

In this episode of Integrate This Conversation, Jeremy Mikla and David Berner explore how schools can support educators as AI becomes a bigger part of teaching, learning, and leadership. They discuss what teachers are asking most, the concerns that keep surfacing, and the strategies that make AI-focused professional learning more useful, practical, and human-centered.

Along the way, they talk about AI literacy, academic integrity, redesigning assessments, hands-on learning, personalized PD, Gems, the Human-AI-Human approach, and what the future of AI professional learning may look like for teachers, coaches, and integrationists.

This episode is a thoughtful, grounded conversation for educators who want to move beyond the hype and focus on what actually helps.

In this episode of the Integrate This EdTech Podcast, David Berner and Jeremy Mikla talk with Ken Shelton about AI in education, academic integrity, and why artificial intelligence creates such strong reactions in schools. Ken explores how fear, uncertainty, and the SCARF model help explain resistance to AI, why educators must strengthen AI literacy and media literacy, and how schools can create more thoughtful policies, professional learning, and communication around emerging technology. This conversation is packed with practical ideas for school leaders, teachers, and instructional coaches who want to approach AI with curiosity, clarity, and a focus on student agency.

Ken Shelton

Ken Shelton | LinkedIn

Watch the interview on YouTube: https://youtu.be/E3m5R9sTVP4