FETC 2025: Bridging Creativity and Artificial Intelligence in K–12 Education

AI can enhance creativity in students and educators, rather than erase it. Here’s how.

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Rebecca Torchia is a web editor for EdTech: Focus on K–12. Previously, she has produced podcasts and written for several publications in Maryland, Washington, D.C., and her hometown of Pittsburgh.

Sharing artificial intelligence projects as an art teacher yields mixed reactions, Tim Needles said at FETC 2025 in Orlando, Fla. Needles, who works as an art teacher and a technology integration specialist for New York’s Smithtown Central School District, explained in a presentation Wednesday that the teacher and ed tech communities are often excited by the AI art he shares, whereas his artist friends and followers are more inclined to criticize it.

Forced to approach this emerging technology with a unique lens, Needles chooses to look at AI as a tool, “like a pencil,” he said. “This is just a tool, and you’re silly not to utilize whatever tool you have.”

He shared the ways he believes AI can benefit users in education and beyond in his presentation, “The Intersection of Creativity and Artificial Intelligence.”

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Artificial Intelligence Makes Creativity More Accessible

Too often, people believe that they aren’t capable of creativity because they can’t draw or sculpt or paint well, Needles said. However, creativity isn’t only about output; it’s also about being able to think outside the box. AI can help bring those ideas to life.

“Any job can be creative. AI democratizes the ability to be creative,” Needles said.

Much like AI creates equity across roles and industries, it also can help all students become creators in the classroom, Needles said. He shared his experience working on two Adobe Express projects with K–12 students.

In the first, he taught Adobe Express animation from audio. This can be used in the classroom as a fun project or as a way for teachers to find out how much of a lesson the students have retained.

READ THE REVIEW: Adobe Express sparks creativity in every K–12 classroom.

“For some reason, animation just works. From kindergarten to college, it doesn’t seem to matter, everyone responds to animation,” Needles said.

He added that it was particularly fun watching the kindergarteners succeed with the tool and bring animations to life. The technology resonates with students and engages them in ways traditional assessments can’t.

The second Adobe Express project Needles described was a creative challenge in which he had students in his class create art of themselves in the style of a bobblehead.

As a teacher doing this assignment at the beginning of the school year, Needles was better able to learn students’ names and interests. This allowed him to connect with individual students more quickly and create lessons tailored to their favorite things. It also taught his students important lessons on prompting.

“AI is growing really quickly, and we don’t know where it’s going to go, but we do know prompting is important, so it’s really helpful to at least have students understand how prompts work and how to change them,” Needles said.

Any job can be creative. AI democratizes the ability to be creative.”

Tim Needles Art Teacher and Technology Integration Specialist, Smithtown Central School District

Don’t Let Fear and Judgement Impede Educators’ Creative Spark

To get other teachers in his district on board with AI, Needles first had to work through their fears about the technology.

“Some teachers are very resistant, so you have to meet them where they are,” he said. “It’s important to find a way to connect.”

In training teachers to use the AI tools, Needles focused on having fun. He encouraged teachers to experiment and play with the tools and worry about adding the educational piece later. Playing allowed teachers to get out of their comfort zone without the fear of failure.

“One of the biggest things with creativity is that if you have any sense of judgment, you can’t really be creative,” Needles explained. “If you feel like anyone’s shutting you down, you’re not going to be creative. You need to have a nonjudgmental environment, especially if you want people to take risks.”

Doing this requires establishing trust with teachers or students tasked with doing the work. For Needles, that means putting himself out there first. Whether that’s by using AI to generate his own walkup music for a keynote presentation at his district or by being the bobblehead image in front of the class, Needles builds trust teaching AI by example.

Bookmark this page to keep up with our coverage of FETC 2025, and follow us on the social platform X @EdTech_K12 for behind-the-scenes looks using the hashtag #FETC2025.