Union Catholic faculty members Dr. Marla James and John Rotondo recently presented at the prestigious 2026 AP Annual Conference, sharing their educational expertise with Advanced Placement teachers from across the country at The Venetian Resort in Las Vegas, Nev.
The annual conference, held July 22-24, is one of the nation's premier professional development events for AP educators, bringing together thousands of teachers and educational leaders to exchange innovative teaching strategies and best practices.
James, an award-winning educator, curriculum leader, and national voice on the intersection of education, ethics, and innovation, delivered two solo presentations and participated in a panel discussion focused on the responsible integration of artificial intelligence into AP classrooms.
Her first presentation, "Designing AI-Durable Assessments: Keeping Learning Human in an AI World," addressed one of education's most pressing challenges—how to create meaningful assessments in an era when artificial intelligence can generate sophisticated student work in seconds.
The session helped educators move beyond unreliable AI detection tools by redesigning assessments that emphasize student reasoning, reflection, revision, and authentic thinking. Participants learned practical strategies such as establishing baseline writing samples, embedding reflection checkpoints, and creating clear expectations for appropriate AI collaboration. James also demonstrated how these approaches can be adapted to AP social studies essay rubrics while maintaining rigorous standards for argumentation and evidence.
Later that day, James presented "Process over Product in the Age of AI: Making Thinking Visible in AP Classrooms," an interactive session that introduced educators to the concept of documented learning. The presentation explored how students can record and reflect on their thinking throughout the research, drafting, revision, and project development process while using AI as a collaborative tool rather than a substitute for learning.
Attendees examined examples of documented learning through drafting histories, annotated AI interactions, video reflections, and multimodal portfolios before designing AP-aligned classroom activities that assess both the learning process and the final product.
James also joined nationally recognized educators Nick Caltagirone, Peter Paccone, Gene Almeida, and Aaron Weatherly for a panel presentation titled "Five AI-Integrated Assignments Designed for the AP History Classroom (World, Euro, and U.S.)." The session showcased classroom-ready assignments that thoughtfully incorporate artificial intelligence while preserving authentic student learning through teacher-verified demonstrations of mastery. Participants also received an extensive collection of instructional resources, including co-authored blog posts and a continually updated digital resource library.
Rotondo, an English teacher at Union Catholic, also earned the opportunity to present at the national conference with his session, "Rhetorical Remix: Teaching AP Language Analysis Through Film."
His presentation introduced an innovative, classroom-tested project that uses film analysis to strengthen students' rhetorical thinking in AP English Language and Composition. Rotondo demonstrated how examining cinematography, sound design, editing, symbolism, and narrative structure develops the same analytical skills students need for rhetorical analysis on the AP Exam.
During the session, participants explored a complete instructional project in which students select a film, identify a significant rhetorical choice, research its impact, and present their findings through creative formats such as podcasts, digital storyboards, websites, and timelines. Teachers also received ready-to-use mentor film lists, instructional scaffolds, and assessment rubrics designed to help students build strong rhetorical analysis skills from the beginning of the course.
The selection of both James and Rotondo as presenters at the AP Annual Conference reflects Union Catholic's continued leadership in educational innovation and instructional excellence. Their presentations highlighted the school's commitment to equipping educators with forward-thinking strategies that enhance student learning while embracing emerging technologies and creative teaching practices.
By sharing their expertise with AP educators from across the nation, James and Rotondo not only showcased the innovative work taking place at Union Catholic but also contributed to shaping the future of Advanced Placement instruction in classrooms throughout the country.