Teachers embrace AI for lesson planning and grading, but most lack formal training
Teachers across the country are using AI daily to develop lesson plans, organize student data, and provide feedback on assignments. Yet only 18% have received formal training on the tools, according to a new Gallup poll.
Lori Garrett, an elementary school science teacher in Texas, said she uses AI for nearly everything in her classroom. "I use it to learn anything that I don't know how to do," she said. Melissa Collins, the 2023 Tennessee Teacher of the Year, called AI "a tool to spark creativity" that helps educators think differently.
The Trump administration has pushed schools to adopt AI, with First Lady Melania Trump hosting a Presidential AI Challenge awards ceremony at the White House on Tuesday. Thousands of students and educators participated in the challenge.
Schools offer tools but limited guidance
Some school districts provide AI applications like Brisk AI and SchoolAI to their teachers. Julia Casey, who teaches in Missouri, said her school promotes these tools but stressed that more guidance is needed to ensure teachers use AI to support learning outcomes without sacrificing instructional quality.
Eric Jenkins, the 2024 Indiana Teacher of the Year, said both teachers and students need to develop AI skills to prepare for a future saturated with the technology.
Advocates call for guardrails on student use
Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, warned that children are "drowning" in technology. She issued a 10-point strategy in May that includes banning screens in classrooms through second grade and terminating student-facing AI at elementary schools.
"Intentional or not, all this tech has been a huge experiment on kids, and experiments can go wrong," Weingarten said.
Weingarten supports teachers using AI to enhance their work but opposes students using it during class. She cited research on student attention as the basis for restricting AI functions on classroom screens.
Some schools run AI-first models
MacKenzie Price's Alpha School has operated on a daily two-hour AI-enhanced instruction model for more than a decade. Students work with adult guides during the AI period, then spend the rest of the day on life skills and personal interests.
Price said schools must prepare students to become tech-fluent and develop skills for learning new technology. Keri Rodrigues, president of the National Parents Union, agreed that students need to learn to use technology responsibly and maintain healthy relationships with it.
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