Story: Lisa Sollie

As schools navigate the rapid growth of artificial intelligence, participants in the University of West Alabama’s Black Belt Teacher Corps Teach for Alabama program (BBTC) are learning innovative ways to use AI as a classroom support tool that enhances instruction rather than replaces teaching.

Designed to demystify artificial intelligence through a self-paced, gamified experience, the AI certification program guides educators through bite-sized modules that build practical classroom skills.

Susan Hester, BBTC director, said the AI Essentials training has allowed the program to provide virtual instruction not only to undergraduate scholars, but also to graduates during their first three years in the classroom.

“Those first three years are when teachers are most likely to leave the profession,” Hester said. “What began with just 10 students in the first cohort has since expanded to approximately 105 scholars across the state. We strive to provide meaningful professional development virtually.”

The training meets teachers where they are while helping future educators learn to use AI ethically to improve student engagement and retention. “Everyone is learning about AI, practicing with it, and walking away with a certification that takes approximately eight hours to complete,” she added.

Jenny McQueen, a BTTC graduate beginning her third year of post-graduate support, and a teacher at Silverhill Elementary in Baldwin County, said the training changed how she thinks about differentiation.

“It really opened my eyes to all the differentiation possibilities in my classroom. As an educator, I learned from this training how to access resources quickly and tailor them for each of my students in a more efficient manner.”

AI Essentials co-founders Michael Nowak and Jonathan Goodwin, initially developed AI training programs for K-12 and higher education students before expanding for educators. Nowak credits former College of Education dean Dr. Jan Miller and associate dean Dr. Reenay Rogers with helping shape the program’s educator-focused approach.

“Dr. Rogers was amazing,” Nowak said. “She consulted with us every step of the way. We even co-presented this training at CAEPCon last September and we’ve been asked to go back this year and do it again. UWA is doing a really great job being a frontrunner on training like this.”

“It was a privilege to collaborate with Mike and Jonathan to develop a program that empowers pre-service teachers to use AI ethically, creatively, and effectively,” Rogers said. “It gives pre-service teachers the knowledge and confidence to embrace AI as a powerful tool for teaching and learning.”

After registering current students and graduates from the previous one to three years, Hester expanded the training to teachers who had participated in the program since its inception in 2016.

Colton Smith, who recently completed his third year of teaching at Morgan County Schools, said the training offered practical strategies he could immediately apply in his classroom.

“It was simple, quick, and easy to use—one of the best educational professional developments I’ve had as an educator,” Smith said.

Jaquada Brooks, a senior starting her internship this fall, said the course was a meaningful experience for her, and she liked being able to complete it on her own time which made it easier to focus and take something from it. “What stood out most was how it showed me practical ways to bring AI into the classroom, not just talk about it,” Brooks said. “It helped me think differently about lesson planning and develop ideas that reach students at different levels. I also feel more confident using AI as a support tool instead of relying on it.”

Danielle Worhl, a member of the third BBTC cohort, said one of the most valuable aspects she gained from the training was its ability to streamline intervention planning.

“AI can help generate intervention strategies based on individual standards and grade level in just minutes,” Worhl said. “That allows me to review concepts with the students who need additional support while other students continue working independently, helping me meet the needs of the entire class.”

Hester said the training is helping educators feel more confident in meeting students’ individual needs while reducing the time required to create supplemental materials and interventions.

“AI won’t replace teachers—it provides a launchpad,” Hester said. “When used responsibly, it helps educators spend more time doing what matters most—working directly with students and providing meaning and individualized instruction that meets the needs of every learner.”

About the program: Established in 2016 to address teacher shortages in Alabama’s Black Belt region, rural communities, and other high-needs public school districts, UWA’s Black Belt Teacher Corps Teach for Alabama supports teacher recruitment, preparation, and retention through scholarships offered by UWA’s Julia S. Tutwiler College of Education. The program also provides leadership development, service training and mentoring for scholars as they enter the teaching profession. Participants may receive up to $10,000 in scholarship funding, awarded at $2,500 per full semester.

Learn more about the Black Belt Teacher Corps and apply.

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Story: Lisa Sollie | Photo Cody Ingram

When the University of West Alabama launched its in fall 2024, Rachel Walters saw an opportunity to gain the specialized training she wished had been available when her brother struggled with dyslexia as a child. Walters saw firsthand how few resources Alabama offered students with learning differences.

Now a reading interventionist at Briarwood Christian School in Birmingham, Walters works with students with language delays, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and other reoccurring diagnoses, including dyslexia. Prior to enrolling in UWA’s program, she relied primarily on intervention strategies.

Four years ago, a new director of student support services—who was also a licensed dyslexia therapist—introduced her to the field’s specialized training, sparking an interest that eventually led to UWA.

“Research showed dyslexia therapy was the gold standard, and I thought, ‘Well, I need more tools in my toolbelt,’” Walters said. “But I couldn’t find the right program until UWA began offering its .”

According to Sara Reynolds, assistant professor in UWA’s College of Education, no other university in the state offers a dyslexia therapy program like it.

The program also comes as the Alabama Reading Initiative (ARI) pushes for more dyslexia therapists in schools statewide.

UWA has partnered with Shelton School in Texas, which uses Take Flight Therapy, a research-based, multisensory reading curriculum designed to help children ages seven and older with dyslexia and related reading challenges.  Developed by the Luke Waites Center for Dyslexia and Learning Disorders at Scottish Rite for Children, the comprehensive program trains struggling readers to decode, spell, and comprehend written language effectively.

“I love the support we get from the Shelton School; it is teacher-and student-friendly as well as easy to navigate,” Reynolds said. 

Take Flight Therapy is one of only a few approved dyslexia intervention programs in Alabama. The program also prepares students to qualify for the Certified Academic Language Therapist (CALT) credential. After graduation, students are eligible to take the national certification exam.

“Take Flight is also used by ARI and we use the same trainer,” Reynolds said. The difference is our program takes teachers who only have a bachelor’s degree and trains them to sit for national exam, while earning a master’s degree at the same time. ARI works with teachers who already have a master’s degree. After they complete the training, they can sit for the exam. Our goal is the same—to get more certified dyslexia therapists in Alabama schools.”

The online program is intensive, requiring students to complete 700 clinical teaching hours using the curriculum. As soon as student learn enough of the curriculum, they begin completing their therapy hours in real-world settings.

“You’re literally learning and doing at the same time,” Walters said. “I found that extremely helpful. I didn’t really feel like I mastered it until I taught it, maybe even a couple of times.”

“Some of our students are being put in dyslexia therapy positions because once they begin that first year of the program, they are considered dyslexia therapists in training,” Reynolds said. “They can start accumulating their 700 hours, which is what Rachel did. Other students may have to be a little creative in getting those hours, so it may take them a little longer to complete the program.”

Walters said the program has equipped her with new strategies and skills to make an even greater difference for her students.

“Not only was my training very specific and in-depth, but we had wonderful trainers,” she said. “I loved how Take Flight Therapy sets students up for success. When I meet students who are discouraged, frustrated and defeated, I’m able to tell them, ‘You’ve got this,’ and then see their growth. That is really rewarding.”

In addition to Walters, five other students residing in Alabama completed the program in May. An additional 14 students are expected to complete the program by the end of the summer or in the fall.

Reynolds noted that with the third cohort starting this summer, the total number of active students in the program has grown to 37. In addition to those from Alabama, students from Mississippi, Texas, Georgia, and Florida are also enrolled.

One of Walters’ favorite things about the program is that it highlights the strengths dyslexic students possess, not just their challenges.

“I tell my students all the time, that reading and spelling might be a weakness, and we’re going to work on that,” she said. “But because of the way God made your brain, you may also be creative, passionate, or gifted in other ways. That boosts their confidence and usually encourages them to read more, and that’s important to me.”

Now that graduation is behind her, Walters is preparing to take the national exam and become a Certified Academic Language Therapist.

Walters recalls when a student told her on one of the hard days of studying, balancing motherhood and working, “Reading in the classroom is hard, but I love reading with you.” She said moments like those made all the hard work and long hours over the past two years worth it.

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Story by Lisa Sollie

Aileen Charles has never needed a practical reason to take on a challenge.

That mindset has taken the recent University of West Alabama finance graduate from kicking footballs at Northridge High School in Tuscaloosa to collegiate soccer and, most recently, preparing to hike the 2,600-mile Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) this summer.

Charles tends to choose the unconventional route. When her high school needed a kicker, she stepped up. When she enrolled at UWA as a soccer recruit, she chose—at her father’s advice—to pursue a rigorous major. She majored in finance not to prepare for a specific career, but to gain knowledge she could carry throughout life.

Her hard work in the classroom paid off when she was presented the Ralph M. Lyon Award, the University’s top graduating student award during May 8 commencement exercises. The Ralph M. Lyon Award for Academic Excellence is given to the student with the most outstanding scholastic record among all students receiving baccalaureate degrees at UWA since the preceding commencement. Presented by Interim Provost Dr. Amy Jones, the award is named in honor of Dr. Ralph M. Lyon, a longtime professor, and administrator at the University.

Now, her sights are set even higher.

Charles wants to fly.

“I thought about going into the military or flight school directly from high school,” she said, “but when I was recruited to UWA, I took the opportunity because I realized not everyone has an opportunity to play a sport they love on a collegiate level. I’m glad I did. It wasn’t far away and felt like home the first time I came to campus.”

Aviation has interested Charles since childhood. Although she hasn’t decided whether to enlist or pursue Auburn University’s aviation program, she said her time hiking the Pacific Crest Trail will give her plenty of time to think about what comes next.

Often considered the West Coast equivalent of the Appalachian Trail, the PCT begins near the Mexican border in Campo, California, stretching through California, Oregon, and Washington before ending at the Canadian border.

Charles said a friend asked her if she wanted to go, and she didn’t need much convincing to say yes.

Researching the trail for about a year, Charles purchased the gear she would need. One major purchase—a satellite phone—was gifted to her by her mother at Christmas.

“While my parents are a little nervous about the trip,” she said, “they are also excited because they know I’ve never really had a lot of free time over the summers before, between working, playing soccer and workouts. This is the first time I’ve had time to do something just for me that I wanted to do, so they’ve been very supportive.”

Charles knows her path may not look like anyone else’s, but that has never bothered her. This summer, she’ll head west and start walking, ready to see where the trail leads next.

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