Most districts have yet to provide professional development around the use of artificial intelligence, largely because the technology is evolving so quickly. It’s hard to keep up, and most leaders don’t really understand it themselves, making it difficult to facilitate widespread, effective training.
Experts in the field say that providing some level of guidance and training about AI is better than nothing at all. It could help stem teachers’ concerns and confusion around the technology. It’s also training that many educators want and are looking for.
Tackling AI training doesn’t have to be daunting. In a Jan. 9 Education Week K-12 Essentials Forum panel, two district leaders discussed ways they have incorporated AI training for teachers into their schedules. The panelists were Dyane Smokorowski, the coordinator of digital literacy for the Wichita school district in Kansas, and Mary Catherine Reljac, the superintendent of the Fox Chapel school district in Pennsylvania.
Here are five takeaways from the discussion:
1. Figure out teachers’ sticking points with AI
One major reason many teachers haven’t used AI in their work is because they have other priorities that are more important, according to an EdWeek Research Center survey conducted in October.
And it’s true—teachers have a lot on their plates, so when planning professional development on AI, it’s important to figure out ways to incorporate those learning opportunities into existing ones or build it so it fits better into their busy schedules, the panelists said.
One way to do this is by conducting “empathy interviews,” Reljac said. Find out what teachers are wondering or concerned about AI and what support they need to feel secure in experimenting with the technology.
Part of any AI professional development opportunities for teachers should include showing them how AI tools can save them time, according to the panelists.
Figure out where “the sticking points” are in teachers’ days, what takes the most energy, what’s the most draining, Smokorowski said. Then help them find ways to use AI tools to make them more efficient at those energy-draining tasks.
2. Give concrete examples of how AI can be used
Giving teachers concrete examples of how they can use AI in their work is also really helpful, the panelists said.
Here are some examples Smokorowski and Reljac shared:
- Use text-to-image AI tools to help English learners visualize concepts that are difficult to process;
- Generate clear instructions for an assignment with a universal design for learning (or UDL) approach, or even generate instructions that will get students’ attention, perhaps with humor;
- Produce learning rubrics for assignments;
- Generate sample essays that students can critique;
- And, create note-catchers for students to write their thoughts about a lesson.
3. Encourage ‘purposeful play’ as a key element of PD programs
Professional development opportunities for teachers should typically not be the “sit-and-get” type, Smokorowski said. There should be opportunities for teachers to play around with different AI tools and see what works and what doesn’t.
“We designed our own purposeful play challenges to do with teachers,” she said. To launch teacher exploration of AI, the Wichita school district held a virtual family night for the staff and their families where staff members and their kids experimented with AI tools.
Later, teachers told her that they then used those experiences with their students to help them gain understanding of the capabilities of the technology.
4. Explain district AI policies to teachers, students, and families
Another reason many teachers haven’t used AI in their work is because they’re unsure whether district policy allows it. An EdWeek Research Center survey conducted in October found that more than a quarter (28 percent) of teachers who aren’t using AI say it’s because their district hasn’t outlined a policy on how to use the technology appropriately.
In Wichita and Fox Chapel, district leaders have deliberately and proactively reached out to staff, students, and families to explain their AI policies, according to Smokorowski and Reljac.
“It is really important to make sure that teachers, administrators, parents, and students all know what is your expectation for using AI tools and how you’re going to support them in using those AI tools,” Reljac said.
This is also when empathy interviews would be helpful, so you can incorporate any concerns that staff, parents, and students have into the policy, she added.
5. Teachers must play a key role in crafting and revising AI policies
Last, but certainly not least, the panelists said it’s important to make sure any policy or guidance about using AI has input from teachers.
“I would not go with a top-down approach,” Smokorowski said. District leaders need “teacher voice at the table to design [policies and guidance]” because they have first-hand knowledge of students’ needs.
