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20 hours ago
Stephanie Williams, the 2026 Arkansas Teacher of the Year, reflects on how AI has expanded their reach in the classroom, and how fellow educators can use it as a critical tool.
Stephanie Williams
Arkansas State Teacher of the Year
General summary
Teacher Appreciation Week is a time to celebrate the educators who help students discover their potential. As the 2026 Arkansas Teacher of the Year, I have found that artificial intelligence can bridge learning gaps and expand your reach in the classroom. I encourage you to explore these new tools and try building your own custom classroom resources using this step-by-step guide.
Summaries were generated by Google AI. Generative AI is experimental.
Bullet points
"Celebrating educators’ creativity" highlights how teachers use new tech to inspire their students. Teachers are lifelong learners who constantly find fresh ways to engage their classrooms. New AI tools help students with physical needs explore music through simple movements. AI doesn't replace teachers; it actually helps them connect better with their students. You can use these tools to build creative projects for your own classroom today.Summaries were generated by Google AI. Generative AI is experimental.
Basic explainer
An Arkansas teacher used AI to help her students make music through their physical movements. She believes these tools don't replace teachers but actually help them reach more students. She encourages other educators to get creative and build their own classroom tools. It's a great way to use technology to make learning more inclusive for everyone.
Summaries were generated by Google AI. Generative AI is experimental.
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This content is generated by Google AI. Generative AI is experimental
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Many of us hold memories of educators who showed us our hidden potential and saw us for who we could become. Teacher Appreciation Week offers us a meaningful opportunity to celebrate how these dedicated professionals guide students toward discovering their purpose.
For 16 years, I’ve grown as an educator, first as a middle-school band director, then as an elementary music teacher in Arkansas. Today, I’m honored to continue that journey as the 2026 Arkansas Teacher of the Year. This path has been a constant reminder that we as teachers must be lifelong learners ourselves, and I’m inspired daily by my colleagues’ ability to make learning an exciting and engaging experience for their students.
With the help of new tools, we can engage our students in ways that weren't possible before. Earlier this year, Google introduced me and my 55 fellow State Teachers of the Year to vibe coding with Gemini. With just a few prompts, I was able to create a tool that helps my students with complex learning needs create music based on their intuitive physical movements detected by a built-in webcam.
Witnessing my students explore music in a new way brought joy to my heart, and gave these students greater opportunity for musical independence. This project shows how AI can create a bridge for every student, regardless of physical boundaries, to explore music.
As AI grows, it’s understandable to worry that it might create a distance between us and our students. But I have found the opposite to be true. AI actually expanded my reach in the music room.
This Teacher Appreciation Week, I celebrate the endless creativity of my fellow educators with this message: While nothing can replicate the love and connection we make with our students on a daily basis, you are the creative director of your classroom. Tools like AI are most powerful when placed in your hands. I hope my story inspires fellow educators to vibe code a classroom tool of their own with this step-by-step guidance. I can't wait to see what you build.
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