Google.org recently announced a new AI-centric funding program that will provide equitable access to artificial intelligence for both students and teachers. Part of the more than $25 million contribution will be allocated to ISTE for the creation of GenerationAI, an initiative that will educate teachers on proper AI use within their classrooms.
For this initiative, ISTE is partnering with the National Education Association (NEA), Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA), Center for Black Educator Development (CBED), Latinos for Education (L4E), Indigitize, and Playlab. The goal is to reach educators across the country through high-quality professional learning on AI, specifically created by and for educators.
Tara Nattrass, Managing Director, Innovation Strategy, ISTE + ASCD, discusses the importance of GenerationAI and how it will achieve the goal of reaching educators nationwide on AI.
Expanding the Conversation of AI
Introducing AI into the classroom has been at the forefront of the recent technology movement. Instead of blindly following trends, ISTE wants to take charge by leading the conversation on AI with the GenerationAI initiative.
“One of our big goals in working with our partners is to build identity-affirming communities of practice,” says Nattrass. “The communities of practice are going to be with teachers, building leaders, and district leaders. It will give educators within those communities an opportunity to explore those opportunities and risks related to AI and also identify some of the challenges of practice that they see. [The goal is to] come up with solutions and resources that can be used across the field.”
GenerationAI will help to close the knowledge gap surrounding AI in education. It will help educate teachers and students while making the classroom experience simpler, helping teachers and students connect more effectively.
Four Keys to Empowering Educators with GenerationAI
GenerationAI hopes to achieve its goals through four core principles, according to Nattrass:
- Understanding AI: “We know we need to build AI literacy for both teachers and students,” she says. “[Students] are interested in guidance around responsible use and around educational applications and the things that they can be using AI for to help them in their learning. [This is] versus the things that may be more harmful to them in their learning.”
- Using AI to Enhance Teaching and Learning: Giving teachers the ability to enhance their teaching methods through AI use can help give teachers back more time in the classroom. AI can also play a large part in helping students understand their work by uniquely appealing to individual students’ needs.
- Amplifying Educator Voices: Teachers will be dealing with technology and AI continuously going forward, so it is important to understand their needs in the developing medium. The best way to cater AI services to the classroom is to understand how to best help educators reach their students, perform their duties, and achieve their goals.
- Strengthening AI Dialogue in Education: From the early days of AI in education, the dialogue about its use in the classroom has fluctuated wildly. GenerationAI looks to help normalize the conversation around AI to help everyone better understand how AI works and what it can do for both students and teachers in education.
What Will GenerationAI Consist Of?
GenerationAI has the daunting task of bringing a well-rounded AI conversation to educators, students, and administrators from all over.
“The goal is to reach over 200,000 educators over the next three years,” Nattrass says. “As we are doing the work within the communities of practice, as well as some of the foundational learning experiences that we’re going to be providing through courses and other things, educators are going to be helping to build this. We’re calling it a hub of innovation and creativity, where they’re capturing case studies, videos, frameworks, and other resources that can then support other educators.”
AI is a hot topic right now, and in one way or another, everyone is jumping on the bandwagon. ISTE + ASCD, however, are looking to create a framework for the future, helping teachers adapt AI in the classroom, helping students understand work better through AI, and helping to clarify how AI helps and is being used in education.
