Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been cast as the villain by some and as the savior by others. The global spotlight in education is now focused on AI and has prompted educators to consider its dangers and transformative power in further reshaping the educational landscape (USDOE, 2023). Whether friend or foe of AI, educators must not only face the changing landscape, but help create it. Addressing AI in a classroom setting requires a multifaceted approach; it cannot be left to administrators, in-service teachers, faculty in teacher preparation or the teacher candidates in silos. With this in mind, a university faculty team developed “AI EmpowerED: Navigating the Future of Teaching,” a professional development (PD) workshop aimed at bridging the digital divide in schools and communities through strategic collaboration between multiple constituent groups. The first iteration of PD supported the responsible use of AI and highlighted the pedagogical and practical implications of AI applications within education (Shum & Luckin, 2019). For the follow-up workshop, teacher candidates used their initial training and classroom application to join the presenters. The third session was wholly planned and led by teacher candidates and the audience was widened to include community members, building capacity within the team. This action research allowed researchers to understand and address AI challenges and prepare teacher candidates for a future in teaching that is unscripted but will undoubtedly include many variations of AI. The sustainable and scalable PD sessions can be a blueprint for action in any teacher preparation program, school, or community.

Authors:
Vail Matsumoto, University of Hawaii at Manoa, United States
Stacy George, University of Hawaii at Manoa, United States
Waynele Yu, University of Hawaii at Manoa, United States
Stephanie Furuta, University of Hawaii at Manoa, United States

About the Presenter(s)
Stacy George is an Assistant Professor at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, School for Teacher Education, in the Master of Education in Teaching program. Her research interests include Science, STEM, technology, and AI in K12 education.

Dr. Stephanie Furuta is the Program Chair of Graduate & Non-Licensure Programs in the School of Teacher Education at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Areas of interest: Professional Development Schools, induction & mentoring, elementary literacy.

Dr. Vail Matsumoto is currently an Associate Professor in the Master of Education in Teaching Program within The School of Teacher Education in The College of Education at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa.

Connect on Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/stacy-george-HI

See this presentation on the full schedule – Thursday Schedule

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