“Mind-blowing,” “meaningful” and “revolutionary” were some of the adjectives the 280 UFT members at the UFT Career and Technical Education Division’s Impact on Achievement Conference used to describe their day. The conference, which was held virtually on Jan. 29, focused on artificial intelligence in the classroom and in the professional sectors for which CTE education prepares students. “It’s important to show teachers how to use AI and help students use AI,” said UFT Vice President for CTE High Schools Leo Gordon, the conference organizer. He hopes to see UFT members “integrate AI into their curricula and become trailblazers.” Collette V. Smith, the first-ever African American woman to become a National Football League coach, delivered a keynote address that drew connections between teaching and coaching. Khayri Alphonse, a CTE teacher at the Academy of Innovative Technology in Brooklyn, said she was eager to embrace what she learned about artificial intelligence in her classroom. “The future is here, and we shouldn’t be afraid of it,” she said.