Karis Jones leads the Art, Media, and Multimodal Tools cohort of educators, who bring a wide range of experiences across art, language, theatre, and English language arts to consider the creative use of AI tools in educational spaces.
Meet the Cohort
Karis Jones (PhD) is an assistant professor of English education at Baylor University. As a literacy scholar, learning scientist, teacher educator, and community organizer, her research relates to issues of equity in literacies learning and writing across disciplinary, fandom, and gaming spaces. She taught middle and high school English in Brooklyn and served as a literacy consultant for the New York City Department of Education’s Research and Policy Support Group. She is cofounder of the initiative #HackYourStack (https://bit.ly/hackyourstack1) and winner of the 2025 ELATE National Technology Leadership Initiative Fellowship. She has been a member of NCTE since 2017.
Wendy Alexander is an English and theater arts teacher at Cherokee County Schools of Innovation, where she teaches grades 9–12 and leads arts-integrated, project-based learning. She also facilitates an Artist Innovation Mentorship with the North Carolina Museum of Art in partnership with the John C. Campbell Folk School. A veteran broadcaster, she serves as social media marketing director for her family-owned radio stations WCVP and WCNG, where her work reaches 27 million annual impressions. She was a 2025 Tony Award nominee for Excellence in Theatre Education, a 2024 America’s Favorite Teacher finalist, and a 2024 Kentucky Colonel commissioned by Governor Andy Beshear. Alexander has participated in national programs offered by Harvard, the Juilliard Alumni Entrepreneurship Symposium, the Disney Institute, and the ARTs STEAM Summer Summit, and represents the Educational Theatre Association within the Connected Arts Network. She studies artificial intelligence in education and has presented on interdisciplinary work, including astrophysics and storytelling.
Ashlie Crosson is the 2025 National Teacher of the Year. She teaches AP Language and Composition, Survival Stories (an elective course on global humanitarian crises), and journalism at Mifflin County High School. A Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms fellow, Crosson integrates global citizenship into her curriculum by focusing on student empowerment, emerging issues, and “glocal” connections. Beyond the classroom, she oversees international student travel for her community and serves the Pennsylvania teacher’s union at local, regional, and state levels. As a first-generation college student, Crosson’s success was shaped by her teachers, inspiring her to return to her hometown to educate another generation of rural students. She holds degrees from Susquehanna University and Penn State University.
Dr. Krisciel Anne F. Macapagal is an accomplished English language arts educator, International Teacher of the Year, and a five-time Outstanding Teacher awardee with over a decade of experience in secondary education. She is also an international research critic and a national author in the Philippines, recognized for her contributions to research and educational innovation. She served as a Master Teacher and was among the national writers of self-learning modules during the pandemic, as well as a pioneering teacher-author and implementer of the K–12 curriculum. Her work significantly advanced technology-driven education through the development of video lessons and radio-broadcast instruction, incorporating gamification and strategies that reduce language learning anxiety. Currently teaching in North Carolina, and previously an online teacher in Japan, her research focuses on integrating technology to address challenges in English language learning across diverse, global classroom settings.
Matt Margini, PhD, is the upper school English department coordinator at Ransom Everglades School, an independent 9–12 day school in Miami, Florida. In addition to managing the department and teaching journalism, AP English literature, and a course on digital narrative, Dr. Margini has been a core member of the AIRE Task Force since its inception in January 2023 and he has helped create numerous faculty-wide workshops, initiatives, and guidelines around AI use in the classroom. He is currently designing “Research Seminar: Literature and AI,” a new course launching in Fall 2026 that empowers students to use (and build) AI tools for digital humanities research while also reflecting on the philosophical and moral implications of the technology. On the extracurricular side, he’s a proud dad, husband, and Adult Fan of Lego who enjoys showcasing original creations under the handle @marginibuilds.