Being a teacher was my lifelong dream, helping others to learn and succeed has been my greatest passion and I am so grateful for that opportunity in this life!
HEY! My name is Amber Duane. I am a middle school ELA teacher in North Carolina. I have always been tech savvy. Since 1999 when my mom bought our first home computer, I have been obsessed with the fast-paced and incredible world of technology.
TL:DR – I am the School Improvement Team representative for my grade level, the grade level chair, a presenter at NCTIES (North Carolina Technology in Education Summit), a member of the NCBCE AI Fellowship program, and an AI leader in my own school. I have used Gemini, Copilot, Chat GPT, Flint AI, Perplexity, WeWillWrite, GrooveLit, SchoolAI, MagicSchool, and more.
I’m here to help YOU to become a better teacher. I want to help YOU use AI in a way that makes sense for YOUR teaching style, YOUR classroom environment, and most importantly YOUR philosophy. I want to share my knowledge with you but also make sure that what you get is what you actually NEED, not just more generic information that may seem pointless or doesn’t work in your classroom.
Ready to see what I can do for you? Click below to see my resources, workshops, and information about my coaching sessions.
Long Story – Not Short Version
I worked in many different places before having my son. I worked in retail stores, a cafe, a bookstore, grocery stores, medical billing, collections and telemarketing, and finally in baking and decorating cakes and cupcakes. When my son came, I knew I needed to find my career and struggled to find something that fit.
My son was always different from other kids, but as a mom, I didn’t think much of it. I loved him and his wild chaotic energy, his near-obsessive tendencies, and his need to be reassured. When he started school, his teachers said something was off, and we discovered (after much testing and advocating on my part) that he has Autism, ADHD, and Anxiety. This combination was difficult in the school setting and he really had a hard time with several of his teachers. As his mom, I knew what worked but couldn’t articulate that to his school clearly. So, I decided I wanted to finally pursue my dream of being a teacher. I started my degree shortly after his father left in 2016. I worked full-time and struggled to make ends meet as a single mom while going to college for my bachelor’s in education.
During the COVID shut down, my then-2nd grade son and I first experienced a world that was wholly unprepared for 100% remote education. I learned with him, cried and tried with him. We both faced the struggles of the new reality. I had to try to do observation hours virtually and teach my son skills that were vital to his education while working. It was a trying time and it really pushed me to think outside the box of how education looked. I saw hundreds of new technologies pop-up and be forced into every aspect of education.
After graduating, I jumped into the classroom and immediately knew I had found my purpose. I thrive as a teacher and love every day, even the hard ones. During my teaching career, I have discovered so many new and fascinating ways to improve not only my job, but also education as a whole.
When AI was introduced in 2022, the whole world watched with baited breath to see what would happen. Now, 3 years later, AI has become so prominent in every facet of our lives, that we often don’t even realize it’s there.
So why tell you my long back story? I want you to understand that I have a lot of life experience and real world knowledge about how the workforce and the education system are on two different wavelengths.
AI may seem like it is taking over the world, but it isn’t. Just like the internet, it is a new and fast-growing TOOL that teachers need to not only understand, but also use and teach. It is our duty to ensure our students are the next successful generation of workers, thinkers, and leaders. If we avoid using AI or refuse to acknowledge it, we are hurting ourselves and our students. It will be there whether we want it or not. We must set our students up to be successful with it if we want a better world.
I’m not just blowing smoke, either. In 3 years of teaching, I have become the School Improvement Team representative for my grade level, the grade level chair, a presenter at NCTIES (North Carolina Technology in Education Summit), a member of the NCBCE AI Fellowship program, and an AI leader in my own school. I have used Gemini, Copilot, Chat GPT, Flint AI, Perplexity, WeWillWrite, GrooveLit, SchoolAI, MagicSchool, and more. I have experience with a lot of the AI tools out there and can help you navigate them.
I am constantly testing out new ways to use technology and especially AI in the classroom. I have taught multiple Professional Development sessions on AI and technology. I work with teachers at my school to show them how to make the most of the technology available to us. I am also going to start my graduate certificate in Instructional Leadership and Coaching next year.
I’m here to help YOU to become a better teacher. I want to help YOU use AI in a way that makes sense for YOUR teaching style, YOUR classroom environment, and most importantly YOUR philosophy. I want to share my knowledge with you but also make sure that what you get is what you actually NEED, not just more generic information that may seem pointless or doesn’t work in your classroom.
If you want to learn more about how you can talk with me directly to ensure you are getting the most out of AI, click the link below to sign up for my personal 1-on-1 coaching sessions. These sessions are focused on what YOU need. You will leave your session with something actionable that is relevant to what you teach, that is my promise to you.
AI Unicorn For Education 