AI is changing quickly. Your school’s professional learning probably needs to change with it.

But that doesn’t mean teachers need another one-time workshop, a hundred-slide presentation or a “point-and-click” training that checks a box without changing what happens in classrooms.

In this episode of the Making Schools Work podcast, SREB’s Daniel Rock talks with Leslie Eaves, SREB director of project-based learning, about a new framework for designing meaningful professional learning around artificial intelligence. Drawing on the work of SREB’s Commission on AI in Education, interviews with educators and years of experience designing professional learning, Leslie explains how schools and districts can help educators build their AI knowledge gradually — and turn that knowledge into thoughtful classroom practice. 

You’ll hear how schools and districts can:

• Build educators’ AI knowledge over time instead of relying on one-and-done training
• Design AI professional learning around how adults actually learn
• Establish expectations for ethical and responsible AI use
• Connect AI learning to the skills students will need for college, careers and the changing workplace
• Give teachers time during professional learning to experiment, create and solve real problems from their classrooms
• Differentiate support for educators with different levels of AI experience
• Use coaching and professional learning communities to move new ideas from workshops into practice 

The conversation also tackles one of the biggest questions facing educators right now: When should students use AI — and when shouldn’t they? Leslie explains why there isn’t one answer for every classroom and why schools need to give educators space to make thoughtful decisions based on students, subjects and learning goals. 

Because when it comes to AI, professional learning isn’t about teaching everyone to use the newest tool. It’s about helping educators develop the knowledge and judgment to decide which tools belong in teaching and learning in the first place.

Resources

• “Considerations for Designing AI Professional Learning for Educators“ 

You can find this episode on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, Amazon Music or wherever you listen to your podcasts.