Interactive webinar by Beril Ayman Yücel “Balancing Tech and Touch: Humanity in the AI-Driven Classroom”

On March 25, 2026, we were delighted to host an inspiring interactive webinar led by Beril Ayman Yücel (Turkey), ELT Consultant & Teacher Educator, the Joint Coordinator of the TESOL Türkiye Teacher Education and Development Special Interest Group.

The webinar was held at the invitation of Dr. Hanna Podosynnikova, Head of the Department of English Philology and Linguodidactics, Head of the Inter-University Research Laboratory of Modern Technologies of Teaching Foreign Languages and Cultures, TESOL-Ukraine Vice President within TESOL-Ukraine Professional Development Course “Smart Teaching with AI” (Course coordinator – Dr. Hanna Podosynnikova, Associate Professor, Vice President of TESOL-Ukraine, Head of the Department of English Philology and Linguodidactics, Sumy State Pedagogical University; course leading speaker – Dr. Anhelina Kolisnichenko, Associate Professor at the English and its Methodology Teaching Department, Pavlo Tychyna Uman State Pedagogical University).

The session was a vibrant success, bringing together more than 30 dedicated participants to explore the intersection of innovation and human connection.

The webinar addressed the crucial balance between leveraging AI for personalized instruction and maintaining the “human touch” that defines meaningful education.

• Social-Emotional Learning (SEL): Participants explored how to weave empathy and authentic communication into AI-enhanced teaching.
• Storytelling & AI: A centerpiece of the session was a story-based activity. Attendees saw firsthand how a simple AI prompt can evolve into a rich learning experience through AI-generated visuals and reflective questions.
• Hands-on Engagement: The group reflected on how technology impacts emotional connection, moving from digital interaction to deep, emotional engagement.

Participants walked away with a toolkit of practical classroom ideas and reflective strategies, including the “Digital-Age Teacher Checklist.” This resource was designed to help educators ensure that AI remains a bridge to connection rather than a barrier.

The session offered a highly insightful and methodologically rich exploration of how SEL principles can be meaningfully integrated into AI-enhanced language teaching. It strikingly demonstrated how technological innovation can be harmoniously combined with the cultivation of empathy, creativity, and authentic communication in the classroom. Particularly inspiring and memorable was the use of picture books as a powerful pedagogical tool, revealing how AI-generated content can foster genuine emotional engagement, self-reflection and deeper understanding leading the path to problem-solving. The session also provided a wealth of practical ideas, including a “Digital-Age Teacher Checklist,” equipping educators with valuable strategies to ensure that technology serves as a bridge to human connection in contemporary language education.

We are truly grateful to our wonderful presenter for such an insightful and inspiring session, and for sharing ideas that will continue to resonate in our teaching practice. We look forward to future collaboration and to many more engaging and thought-provoking meetings together.