Local LLMs & AI Tools

Local LLMs & AI Tools

Schools and educators worried about data privacy, cost, or vendor lock-in are turning to local LLMs. Dr. Matt Rhoads writes about running models on classroom hardware, choosing tools like LM Studio and Ollama, and building practical AI workflows that don’t send student data to the cloud. This hub rounds up his hands-on guides and tool reviews.

Featured Posts (10)

The Offloading Trap: Why You Must Audit Every AI-Generated Instructional Output

July 24, 2026

Claude for Teachers launched this month. Teachers can pull in assessment data, lesson plans, and standards from all 50 states, then ask an AI to build…

Two Roads: What China and the U.S. Are Actually Doing With AI in Schools

July 20, 2026

A side-by-side reading of primary-source AI-in-education policy from both countries reveals a structural difference with real consequences for practice:…

The Laptop on the Desk Already Runs a Model

July 18, 2026

Open-source models can run on school laptops today. Free, private, controllable. The technology is ready. The barrier is institutional, not technical.

Beyond the Hype: An Evidence-First Framework for AI Literacy in Education

July 07, 2026

An evidence-first framework for how educators should think about AI in the classroom — anchored in cognitive science, grounded in real research, and…

I Built a Personalized Study System with Claude. Here Is the Science Behind Why It Worked.

June 06, 2026

I built a personalized study system using Claude and cognitive science principles: retrieval practice, spaced repetition, cognitive load. Here’s what…

Build Your Own EdTech: Why the Future is Local

April 07, 2026

Think back to 2023, 2024, and 2025, the EdTech market was flooded with what we now affectionately call “AI wrappers.” These were sleek at first…

How to Use NotebookLM to Conduct Smarter WASC Accreditation Reviews and Visits

March 20, 2026

Over the past year, I have integrated Google’s NotebookLM into my WASC review workflow, and the results have fundamentally changed how I prepare,…

NotebookLM as Your School’s Brain: A Mission Control for Leaders Who Are Serious About Improvement

March 12, 2026

📬 Stay in the loop Join educators getting weekly insights on AI, co-teaching, and instructional leadership. Subscribe Most schools do not have a data…

From the Moon to the Mind: How Space Exploration Illuminates Learning

March 06, 2026

📬 Stay in the loop Join educators getting weekly insights on AI, co-teaching, and instructional leadership. Subscribe “That’s one small step for…

Autonomous AI and (the Possible Future of AI in Schools): OpenClaw and Autonomous AI Agents

January 28, 2026

Over the last week, I have played extensively with Clawdbot, now aka Moltbot. Seeing AI that is THIS autonomous, and the work it has done has been…

Get help building local AI workflows

Explore AI Integration consulting packages — hands-on workshops, coaching cycles, and strategic planning for schools and districts.

Explore Consulting