OCTEO Fall 2025 Conference
Thursday 4:00-4:50 PM Breakout Sessions V
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| Trauma-Informed Preparation: Integrating AI, Restorative Practices, and Updated Intervention Tools to Strengthen Educator Communication and Support |
General Session Room
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Romena Holbert, Wright State University
Tosha Johnson, Wright State University
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| As educators face rising student dysregulation and shifting access to DEI and identity-affirming SEL supports, the need for innovative, trauma-informed preparation has never been more urgent. This interactive session, Trauma-Informed Preparation: Forging Ahead to Integrate AI, Restorative Practices, and Updated Intervention Tools, will explore how teacher educators and school leaders can adapt foundational resources and integrate emerging technologies to support emotional safety and effective communication. Presenters from higher education, P-12 leadership, and career-technical education will share interdisciplinary strategies, including AI-enhanced updates to the Pre-Referral Intervention Manual (PRIM), proactive restorative circle conversations, and simulation-based learning. Participants will engage in hands-on role play, emotion mapping, and communication strategy practice using DBT-informed tools. By the session’s end, attendees will understand scalable, low-cost tools to support educator preparation and professional learning in politically and emotionally complex settings. Together, we’ll forge ahead with clarity, compassion, and a renewed commitment to the wellbeing of all learners. |
| Explorations into AI: Empowering Educators to Innovate Across Teaching, Learning, and Research |
Training Room 1
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Sherill L. Sellers, Miami University
M. Todd Edwards, Miami University
Ann Haley Mackenzie, Miami University
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| As generative AI continues to evolve, educators across all levels are navigating its practical applications and broader implications. This session invites participants to explore how AI tools can enhance teaching, learning, and research in innovative, ethical, and equity-focused ways. The session offers hands-on engagement with a variety of tools, spanning writing, voice, image generation, and research support. Together, we will examine AI's strengths and limitations, including bias, transparency, and data ethics. Participants will leave with a clearer understanding of how AI can be meaningfully integrated into educational practice and how to lead conversations that ensure thoughtful, values-driven adoption. Whether you're just beginning to explore AI or seeking to expand your use, this session offers insights and strategies to help you—and your students—more confidently forge ahead in an AI-enhanced educational landscape. |
| Inclusive Education: Lessons from Italy |
Training Room 2
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Carrie D. Wysocki, University of Findlay
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| This session shares results from a qualitative study examining inclusive education policies and practices in Italy and their implications for U.S. teacher preparation programs. Conducted during a faculty-led research visit in summer 2025, the study draws on interviews with Italian policymakers, teacher educators, school leaders, and families, as well as classroom observations and policy analysis. Italy’s systemic model of inclusion, grounded in national laws that eliminate segregated settings, offers a compelling contrast to the U.S. approach under IDEA. Findings highlight actionable strategies to embed inclusion into teacher licensure pathways, field experiences, and education policy. Participants will gain insights into adapting global best practices to redesign programs, strengthen inclusive pedagogies, and advocate for systemic reform in educator preparation. This session is ideal for teacher educators, state education leaders, and policymakers committed to forging ahead toward more equitable, inclusive teacher preparation. |
| How Year-Long Clinical Placements Lead to Deeper Relationships and Improved Outcomes |
Training Room 5
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Kristina Slusser, University of Cincinnati
Helen Meyer, University of Cincinnati
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| A forum to consider placement models that best serve candidates and K-12 schools while simultaneously addressing the emerging needs and challenges of our educational landscape. |
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