ADE Meetup: GenAI, the Great Equaliser

 

I’ve been fortunate to be part of the Apple Distinguished Educators (ADE) programme since 2015. I always look forward to connecting, learning and sharing, and the 2025 ADE Australian and New Zealand Meetup in Sydney was no different. With just over 40 ADEs attending, the meetup had an intimacy that’s often lost in larger numbers. Unsurprisingly, the linking theme was AI in Education. With one main theme, we were able to do a deep dive. We talked teaching, leadership, student voice, assessment, ethics, and GenAI was the thread that stitched it all together. We unpacked some of the challenges, explored the tools, and shared real stories from our classrooms and communities.

 

Perhaps the most powerful takeaway from the meetup was the overwhelming sense that AI has levelled the playing field. AI seems to have placed us all on common ground. The questions were the same. The opportunities were shared. And the learning was mutual. No one had all the answers, and that was refreshing. In fact, it was said multiple times: don’t expect to have the answers; rather, have discussions about embedding AI into what we do. 

 

What emerged from Sydney was a collective mindset. AI is rapidly changing our world and with it, education. Surely the best response is to move forward together: curious, ethical, collaborative, and grounded in what’s best for students. I believe that the ADE Meetup reminded us that, when global issues are tackled head-on, and when challenges are paired with connection, confidence grows. We’re not alone in this, and that’s what makes all the difference. What we started off with was a group discussion about our personal level of confidence with the topic. What are our initial thoughts? What tools are we using? How does AI fit into our lives?

 

Then we went into a deeper dive. Each group had a question to grapple with, and ours was: How can we prepare students for a world where AI is ubiquitous, beyond the classroom? One of the big discussion points was how we need to embed critical thinking and ethical use of AI into all classrooms. We also felt that we needed to prioritise the human skills that AI cannot replace. Like connection and the unexpected joy of discovery. Thanks to Mary McEvilly Butler Peter Abt Cody Thomas and Blair Tomlinson for so freely sharing your ideas and experiences.

 

One of the strengths of the ADE community is the real-classroom stories that are shared. Thanks to Kendal Slack Matt Heinrich and Dr Walter Barbieri for sharing their AI frameworks, as adopted by their schools and universities.

 

We also had a workshop with James Dove, who reminded me of the power of the Apple Everyone Can Create series.

 

In addition to the GenAI discussions, we also had partner presentations by Canva and Adobe. As we know, creativity is essential in classrooms, and having the right tools can be a game-changer, not just for students but for teachers too. These two platforms have improved how we create, present, and inspire creativity in the classroom. I like the fact that students develop real-world digital literacy skills as they learn to communicate visually and think like designers. Perhaps what I love most is that both Canva and Adobe are free for K–12 teachers in Australia and New Zealand. 

 

When we talk about accessibility, it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking it's only for a specific group. But Apple has consistently said that accessibility is for everyone. I was surprised to see the focus on the Notes app. It’s a digital catch-all that quietly supports executive function, organisation, and creativity. We were encouraged to use Notes to dictate our thoughts mid-walk, scan documents with surprising accuracy, collaborate on shared to-do lists, or pin those non-negotiables to the top. Then there’s the Magnifier app, a lifesaver not just for my middle-aged eyes squinting at fine print. With options to adjust brightness, apply filters, and even freeze frames for comparison, it’s become a quiet favourite of mine. From VoiceOver, Speak Selection, and Live Captions, to Background Sounds that help with focus and calm, Apple has built an ecosystem that meets students' (and teachers') needs. 

   

While AI discussions rest on ethical use, we also raised the question of keeping students safe online. So, the session on Parental Controls was well received. The founding principles were: We need to build healthy relationships with technology. And, it is our responsibility to protect the privacy and safety of our children.

 

Our final directive was to establish a project. The question: What will you achieve in the next 5 days, 5 weeks, 5 months? Mine will be to take the structure from the ADE Meetup back to my school. While we have dived into multiple AI tools, I don't believe we have had the time to grapple with the big, overarching concepts. I will be taking the eight provocations to middle and senior managers as a starting point. I believe it is important to get everyone feeling connected by a common thread before leaping into policies and resources.

Thank you to Jeff Vardy and the team, as well as Glen Storey and Nic McCafferty, for assembling such an amazing group of educators. I am eternally grateful for being part of the ADE programme. Not just the merch (which seems to improve year on year), but to be part of a community that values equity, innovation, and impact. The learning journey has been rich, and the connections deep. Here’s to the power of thoughtful design, GenAI, and the people that bring it all together.