AI For Educators: What You Need To Know

AI Empowered Classrooms: Summer 2023 Professional Development Opportunity

Educators have an incredible opportunity to harness the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to revolutionize their classrooms. As educators, it is crucial to understand the implications of AI and how it can be effectively integrated into the classroom. What are your next steps to harness the power of AI effectively and ethically?

In this blog entry, we will outline a few key areas AI will transform in the classroom and also identify a few key changes and impacts that will come from these tools. This blog entry also provides the information on a professional development opportunity this summer titled: “AI For Educators: What You Need To Know” to learn about these tools first hand and review the impact they will have in their classroom as well as the implications on teaching and learning practices. To register for this online session offered in July and August please register here: Register Here

What is Artificial Intelligence?

The circls.org glossary cited by the Department of Education defines AI as: Artificial Intelligence (AI): AI is a branch of computer science. AI systems use hardware, algorithms, and data to create “intelligence” to do things like make decisions, discover patterns, and perform some sort of action. AI is a general term and there are more specific terms used in the field of AI. AI systems can be built in different ways, two of the primary ways are: (1) through the use of rules provided by a human (rule-based systems); or (2) with machine learning algorithms. Many newer AI systems use machine learning (see definition of machine learning below).

As the Department of Education identifies with their own definition of AI is the inclusion of a range of technology systems associated with AI as and describes it as “automation based on associations requires elaboration”. Ultimatelly there will be differing perspectives and foundations of the “marketing and function” of AI tools and how these tools operate in different systems and for different purposes.

Benefits To Education and Career Readiness

Machines taking on the simulation of human intelligence has the potential to enhance teaching and learning experiences, support the personalization of education, and prepare students for prospective careers which will utilize AI as a central fucntion of their business. It is critical that educators are prepared to best understand the functions, positives and negative implications of the use of these tools so they can be best leveraged to support student learning. Educators should prepare themselves to learn the benefits to utilizing machine learning, language processing and data based decision making that can be driven by the use of these tools.

Educators Leveraging AI

Educators should prepare themselves to learn how AI will automate their workflows, provide insights into student progress using data and enhance learning outcomes. Integrating AI as a tool tool to support problem solving and creating engaging learning environments will assist in normalizing the use of these tools in ways which can be done ethically and responsibly. It is important to identify tools which support ethical use of student data and protect privacy. Educators also need to be the classroom leaders in assisting students to understand the ethical implications of using these tools unethically and supporting the use of enhanced digital literacy skills to review their use and practice appropriate digital citizenship.

Educators play a important role in effective, practical and ethical use of AI in education. Understanding the concepts of AI, how it works and how students can use it effectively is critical. Addressing the ethical considerations for educators and students is an incredibly important step to harnessing the benefits of these technologies.

For a deeper dive, participate in our July or August sessions online:

AI For Educators: What You Need To Know

Additional Resources:

Department of Education AI Report